# Sebi, RBI cut FPI onboarding to 5 days, work on bond index framework 2026-09-30T22:36:44+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 4 independent outlets Sebi and the RBI are collaborating to cut foreign portfolio investor onboarding to five days and to create a framework for exchange-traded bond indices, Sebi chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey said on Wednesday, 30 September. The regulators have tested the five-day turnaround with depositories and custodians, down from a process that could take over a month. Citi became the first designated depository participant to achieve this after launching its eFPI service on 11 September. Pandey said the RBI has prepared draft guidelines on bond indices and that Sebi is pursuing the matter with the central bank. The regulator has also moved to digital signatures, e-Power of Attorney and a common application portal to reduce paperwork. On exchange self-listing rumours, Pandey said no committee has been formed to examine the issue. The PMS industry's assets under management reached about Rs 9.2 lakh crore by August 2026, from Rs 1.4 lakh crore at the end of FY16. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All four outlets offer uniform, straight-reporting coverage of Pandey's announcements. The Hindu Business Line and Business Today lead with the bond index framework and add PMS industry data, Livemint and Economic Times lead with the FPI onboarding timeline and also cover the exchange self-listing denial. No outlet criticises or praises the government or regulators. The differences are purely in the order of points and the depth of technical detail. The balanced reading is that the story is a routine regulatory update with no political or ideological contest. The concrete next step is the RBI's finalisation of bond index draft guidelines, which Sebi is pursuing. ## Coverage Coverage: 4 sources, 4 neutral - livemint.com (neutral report) Straightforward reporting of Pandey's statements on FPI onboarding, bond indices and tokenized bonds without editorialising. - economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Reports Pandey's remarks on FPI digital overhaul, bond indices and exchange interoperability denials, including direct quotes, neutral in tone. - businesstoday.in (neutral report) Covers the same regulatory initiatives with additional detail on SWIFT-based document upload and PMS industry data, no slant. - thehindubusinessline.com (neutral report) Leads with bond indices and FPI onboarding, adds clarification on no committee for exchange self-listing, straight news reporting. This brief was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: bond indices, FPI, PMS industry, RBI, SEBI, Tuhin Kanta Pandey Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sebi-rbi-cut-fpi-onboarding-to-5-days-work-on-bond-index-framework/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sebi-rbi-cut-fpi-onboarding-to-5-days-work-on-bond-index-framework/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/