Investment Adviser Website: What SEBI Requires (2026)
An Investment Adviser's website is where SEBI expects investors to check who you are, what you promise and how to complain. The rules sit in the IA Master Circular of 6 February 2026 and the investor charter, with accessibility added by SEBI's 2025 circulars. Here is the full list, quoted from the source.
Not legal advice. Aktai is software, not a Research Analyst or Investment Adviser. You remain the registered entity and are responsible for your compliance, including the accessibility audit and your reports to BSE. Check each point against the SEBI circular before you act.
The checklist
| What the website shows | Source |
|---|---|
| Name as registered with SEBI, logo, registration number, complete address with telephone numbers, shown prominently | IA MC 10.2(i) |
| Proprietor name, type of registration, validity and the associated SEBI office | Investor charter (Annexure F), part B |
| The no-guarantee disclaimer, word for word | IA MC 10.2(iii) |
| No SEBI logo anywhere | IA MC 10.2(iv) |
| The investor charter | IA MC 7.4 |
| Complaints data in the Annexure C format, updated by the 7th of each month | IA MC 7.5 |
| How to complain: your grievance contact, SCORES and the SMARTODR platform | Investor charter (Annexure F) |
| Accessible to persons with disabilities: WCAG 2.1 AA, GIGW, IS 17802, audited by an IAAP-certified professional | SEBI/HO/ITD-1/ITD_VIAP/P/CIR/2025/111 |
Your registration details
IA Master Circular 10.2(i) says the name of the IA as registered with SEBI, its logo, its registration number and its complete address with telephone numbers “shall be prominently displayed on portal/web site, if any”. The investor charter goes further. Part B lists, among an IA's duties: “To disclose the name, proprietor name, type of registration, registration number, validity, complete address with telephone numbers and associated SEBI Office details (i.e. Head office/ regional/ local Office) on its website.” Put these in the footer of every page.
The disclaimer, word for word
IA Master Circular 10.2(iii) requires this sentence on your website:
“Registration granted by SEBI, enlistment with BSE and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the IA or provide any assurance of returns to investors”
Copy it exactly. It is not the Research Analyst line: the IA version adds “enlistment with BSE”. And 10.2(iv) is short: “SEBI logo shall not be used by IA.”
Investor charter and complaints data
IA Master Circular 7.4 asks you to disclose the investor charter on your website. 7.5 asks you to publish your complaints data “latest by 7th of succeeding month, as per the format enclosed at Annexure C”. Publish the table as HTML, not as an image, so a screen reader can read it.
The charter also tells investors how to complain: to you first, then on SCORES 2.0 (https://scores.sebi.gov.in), and on the SMARTODR platform for online conciliation or arbitration. Show your grievance contact on the same page.
Accessibility
Circular SEBI/HO/ITD-1/ITD_VIAP/P/CIR/2025/111 applies to IAs like every other regulated entity. Your website has to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, GIGW and IS 17802, and be audited by an IAAP-certified professional. IAs report to BSE Ltd (circular 2025/121). The deadline for the auditor, the audit and the fixes is 31 January 2027 (circular HO/53/12/13(2)2026-ITD5-M2IPC/I/24856/2026). The accessibility checklist works for an IA site too.
Advertising
The investor charter also asks IAs “To ensure that all advertisements are in adherence to the provisions of the Advertisement Code for Investment Advisers”. A website can be an advertisement, so check claims, testimonials and any performance figures against the code before you publish them.
Want it built for you?
Our SEBI-ready website for RAs and IAs carries every item in the checklist above, built to WCAG 2.1 AA, GIGW and IS 17802, for ₹11,000 once and ₹1,111/mo, excl. GST. You remain responsible for your compliance as the registered Investment Adviser.
FAQ
Does a SEBI Investment Adviser have to have a website?
IA Master Circular 10.2 says "portal/web site, if any", so the circular does not force you to have one. But the investor charter lists among an IA's duties to disclose the status of complaints and its registration details on its website, so in practice SEBI expects one. If you have a website, everything in this checklist applies to it.
What disclaimer must an Investment Adviser show on its website?
IA Master Circular 10.2(iii) requires this line on the website: "Registration granted by SEBI, enlistment with BSE and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the IA or provide any assurance of returns to investors". Use it word for word. The Research Analyst version is different: it does not mention BSE enlistment.
Can an Investment Adviser use the SEBI logo on its website?
No. IA Master Circular 10.2(iv) says: "SEBI logo shall not be used by IA."
Do the SEBI accessibility rules apply to an IA website?
Yes. Circular SEBI/HO/ITD-1/ITD_VIAP/P/CIR/2025/111 covers every regulated entity, and IAs report their accessibility compliance to BSE Ltd. The current deadline to appoint an IAAP-certified auditor, finish the audit and fix the findings is 31 January 2027.