SEBI, on June 22, 2017, issued a consultation paper on Amendments/ Clarifications to the SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations, 2013 (‘IA Regulations’), setting out the following key proposals:

i. Segregation between “investment advisory” services and “distribution/execution services”: To maintain a clear segregation between these two services provided by the same entity and to prevent associated conflicts of interest, SEBI has proposed amending the IA Regulations to prohibit entities offering investment advisory services from offering distribution/execution services, including in cases of banks, non-banking financial companies and body corporates that offer such services through separately identifiable departments or divisions. Such departments will be required to be segregated within a period of six months through a separate subsidiary. Entities which provide advice solely on products which do not qualify as securities have been excluded from the purview of the IA Regulations.

ii. Distribution of mutual fund schemes by distributors: To maintain a clear segregation between “advising” and “selling / distribution” of mutual fund products”, SEBI proposes that mutual fund distributors will only be permitted to explain the features of schemes of which they are distributors and distribute them while ensuring suitability of the scheme to the investors, but will not give any investment advice.

iii. Incidental advice by recognized intermediaries: Under the existing framework, exemptions from IA registration have been granted to inter alia various intermediaries, who give investment advice to their clients incidental to their primary activity. SEBI has now proposed that in order to have a clear segregation between “investment advisory services” and other services provided by such intermediaries, all intermediaries who receive separate identifiable consideration for investment advisory services will need to register with SEBI as an investment adviser. Moreover, persons who provide holistic advice/ financial planning services are compulsorily required to be registered as investment advisers.

iv. Relaxation in registration requirements: SEBI has proposed that the educational qualification requirements for representatives/employees of registered investment advisers be relaxed. It has also been proposed to reduce the net worth requirement for body corporates from Rs. 25 lakhs (approx. US$ 38,000) to Rs. 10 lakhs (approx. US$ 15,000).

v. Regulation of the activity of ranking of mutual fund scheme: SEBI has proposed that the activity of ranking of mutual fund schemes be brought within the ambit of SEBI (Research Analyst) Regulations, 2014, under a separate chapter.