SEBI revises mutual fund registration form; know what has changed

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Monday, August 17, 2026, issued a circular announcing the revision of the application form for mutual fund registration.

At present, mutual fund applications are processed in two stages. SEBI's circular has now introduced a single application for registration of mutual funds in view of the recent overhaul of the SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 2026.

"At present, applications for registration of a Mutual Fund are processed in two stages, i.e. in-principle approval to the sponsor/applicant for setting up a Mutual Fund and final registration of the Mutual Fund," SEBI said.

The regulator further said, "Currently, the application for in-principle approval is required to be submitted in Form A, as prescribed under the Master Circular. Further, the application for final registration of a Mutual Fund is required to be accompanied by Forms C and D."

"In view of the recent overhaul of the SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 2026 and SEBI Intermediaries Regulations, it has been decided to revise and consolidate the existing forms into a single application form for registration of Mutual Funds," SEBI said.

However, there is no change in any other conditions specified in the Master Circular.

Who can apply for mutual fund registration?

There are several eligibility conditions for an entity, or an asset management company (AMC), to apply for mutual fund registration as specified in the new application form.

For instance, net worth of the AMC shall be at least ₹150 crore at the time of registration, which shall be infused by the sponsor. Similarly, the initial shareholding equivalent to capital contributed to the AMC to the extent of at least ₹150 crore is locked in for a period of five years. Positive liquid net worth should be more than the proposed capital contribution of the sponsor in the AMC.