Securities and Exchange Board of India (Depositories and Participants) Amendment Regulations, 2024

SEBI has issued the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Depositories and Participants) Amendment Regulations, 2024. The amendment provides that SEBI shall take into account for considering grant of certificate of commencement of business, all matters which are relevant to the efficient and orderly functioning of the depository and in particular, the following, namely, whether—

1. The depository has a net worth of not less than rupees one hundred crores;
2. The bye-laws of the depository have been approved by the Board;
3. The automatic data processing systems of the depository have been protected against unauthorised access, alteration, destruction, disclosure or dissemination of records and data;
4. The network through which continuous electronic means of communications are established between the depository, participants, issuers and issuers’ agents is secure against unauthorised entry or access;
5. The depository has established standard transmission and encryption formats for electronic communications of data between the depository, participants, issuers and issuers’ agents;
6. The physical or electronic access to the premises, facilities, automatic data processing systems, data storage sites and facilities including back up sites and facilities and to the electronic data communication network connecting the depository, participants, issuers and issuers’ agents is controlled, monitored and recorded;
7. The depository has a detailed operations manual explaining all aspects of its functioning, including the interface and method of transmission of information between the depository, issuers, issuers’ agents, participants and beneficial owners;
8. The depository has established adequate procedures and facilities to ensure that its records are protected against loss or destruction and arrangements have been made for maintaining back up facilities at a location different from that of the depository;
9. The depository has made adequate arrangements including insurance for indemnifying the beneficial owners for any loss that may be caused to such beneficial owners by the wrongful act, negligence or default of the depository or its participants or of any employee of the depository or participant; and
10. The grant of certificate of commencement of business is in the interest of investors in the securities market.