SEBI Update : Revision of Application Form for Mutual Fund Registration

SEBI issued a circular revising and consolidating the application form for Mutual Fund registration. Currently, applications for Mutual Fund registration are processed in two stages: In-Principle Approval for the sponsor/applicant to set up a Mutual Fund, and Final Registration of the Mutual Fund. The In-Principle Approval application requires Form A, and the Final Registration application requires Forms C and D. In view of the recent overhaul of the SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 2026 and the SEBI (Intermediaries) Regulations, SEBI decided to revise and consolidate the existing forms into a single application form (enclosed as Annexure A). This new form covers both the In-Principle Approval stage (sponsor identification, shareholding, net worth, eligibility route under Regulation 5(a), business activities, management details, database/regulatory checks, fit and proper declarations, and policies) and the Final Registration stage (AMC particulars, capital structure, infrastructure, IT systems, compliance processes, and related declarations). All other conditions specified in the Master Circular for Mutual Funds dated March 20, 2026 remain unchanged.