Accreditation is the new entry ticket to Indian private markets – and it takes about a week to get. From 8 September 2026, SEBI angel funds may only take money from accredited investors. Accreditation also unlocks the Large Value Fund lane (minimum cut to ₹25 crore in November 2025), the new “Accredited Investors Only” AIF category, and co-investment vehicles alongside AIFs. The test is financial capacity, verified by an accreditation agency – not a form you sign. Here are the thresholds, the documents, the process, the cost and the practical wrinkles.
Do you qualify? The thresholds
| Investor type | Qualifying criteria (any one) |
|---|---|
| Individual / HUF / family trust / sole proprietorship | Annual income ≥ ₹2 crore |
| Net worth ≥ ₹7.5 crore, of which at least ₹3.75 crore in financial assets | |
| Combination: income ≥ ₹1 crore AND net worth ≥ ₹5 crore (at least half in financial assets) | |
| Partnership firm (1932 Act) | Each partner independently meets the individual criteria above |
| Body corporate (including LLPs) | Net worth ≥ ₹50 crore |
| Trusts (other than family trusts) | Net worth ≥ ₹50 crore |
| Automatic (no certificate needed) | Central/state governments, developmental agencies, funds set up by them, qualified institutional buyers, Category I FPIs, sovereign wealth funds, multilateral agencies |
The process, step by step
(1) Pick an agency: CDSL Ventures (CVL) or NSDL Data Management (NDML) – both are subsidiaries of depositories acting as SEBI-recognised accreditation agencies; apply on their portals. (2) Assemble documents: PAN and KYC; for the income route, ITRs for the relevant year(s); for the net-worth route, a net-worth certificate from a practising CA (since the 9 January 2026 relaxation, the certificate need only state that the threshold is met – no asset-by-asset break-up disclosed to the agency); for the combination route, both. (3) Apply and verify: upload, pay, respond to any clarification. Certificates typically issue in about 3 business days once documents are clean. (4) Validity: 2 years if you met the criteria in the preceding financial year; 3 years if you met them in each of the two preceding years. Renew on the same cycle. (5) Use it: share the certificate with the AIF/angel fund at onboarding; since January 2026 you may sign contribution agreements while the certificate is in process – capital calls simply wait for issuance.
What it costs
| Item (CVL card) | Individuals | Body corporates | Partnership firms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processing fee | ₹5,000 | ₹5,000 | ₹5,000 |
| Certificate – 2-year | ₹5,000 | ₹15,000 | ₹10,000 |
| Certificate – 3-year | ₹9,500 | ₹28,500 | ₹19,000 |
Add the CA net-worth certificate fee if using the net-worth or combination route. All-in, an individual is typically done for ₹10,000–15,000 – trivial against the doors it opens. Fee cards change; check the agency portal when applying.
What accreditation unlocks (2026 map)
Angel funds: the only route in from 8 September 2026 – and per-deal minimums drop to ₹10 lakh for accredited investors (full framework). Large Value Funds: the premium AIF lane (lighter regulation, bespoke terms) now opens at ₹25 crore commitment instead of ₹70 crore. AI-only AIFs: the November 2025 category with no 1,000-investor cap. Co-investment vehicles: deal-by-deal co-investing alongside Category I/II AIFs, capped at 3x your main-fund commitment. Reduced minimums generally: AI status substitutes for the standard ₹1 crore AIF minimum. What it does not change: direct angel investing in startups (open to anyone – see the angel guide), PMS thresholds, or listed-market access.
NRIs and foreign individuals
NRIs can seek accreditation on the same financial thresholds (Indian ITRs and CA certificates make the file smoother) and participate in Indian AIFs, or invest in startups directly – where the Schedule IV non-repatriation route gives domestic treatment without any accreditation requirement. Foreign investors coming through GIFT City funds meet that regime’s own accredited/qualified tests (with a US$150,000 minimum waived for accredited investors under the 2025 IFSCA framework). The full routing – direct FDI vs fund units vs GIFT City – is in our foreign investor hub.
Want the file done right the first time?
My Cloud Accountant prepares the CA net-worth certificate and the complete accreditation pack, and handles the agency process end to end – typically inside a week.
Talk to an expertFrequently Asked Questions
Which route should I use – income, net worth, or combination?
Whichever you clear most comfortably with documents you already have. Salaried professionals above ₹2 crore: income route (just ITRs). Business owners with property-heavy balance sheets: check the ₹3.75 crore financial-assets sub-test before choosing net worth – real estate alone does not carry it; the combination route often fits better.
Does my primary residence count toward net worth?
The net-worth computation follows the agency’s methodology; the binding sub-test is that ₹3.75 crore (or half, on the combination route) must be in financial assets – securities, deposits, fund units. A large house cannot substitute for the financial-asset floor. Your CA structures the certificate accordingly.
I invest through my company. Should I accredit myself or the company?
Accredit the entity that signs the fund documents. A body corporate needs ₹50 crore net worth – a high bar for personal investment companies – so most individual investors accredit personally and invest in their own name. If the family LLP is the vehicle, note it tests as a body corporate, not partner-by-partner.
Is accreditation worth it if I only do direct startup deals?
Not strictly needed – direct private placements have no accreditation gate. But if any of your deal flow comes through angel funds or platforms structured as AIFs, the 8 September 2026 deadline makes the certificate the difference between staying in that flow and watching it. At ~₹10,000 and a week, most active angels should simply get it.
Last reviewed: July 2026. SEBI accreditation framework: circulars of 26 August 2021 and 18 December 2023 (Annexure 1 criteria), relaxations of 9 January 2026; SEBI (AIF) Third Amendment Regulations 2025 (LVF ₹25 crore). Fee card: CVL, subject to revision.