- Summary
- A KYC Registration Agency (KRA) in mutual funds maintains investors’ KYC records and facilitates their verification across eligible financial intermediaries.
- India has five SEBI-registered KRAs: CAMS, KFin, CVL, NDML and NSE KRA.
- Your KYC status may be Validated, Registered, On Hold or Rejected, determining whether further verification or documents are needed.
- You can check your status using your PAN on an official KRA portal and follow the instructions to resolve any pending KYC issues.
What is KRA in Mutual Funds?
A KYC Registration Agency (KRA) is a SEBI-registered entity that centrally maintains and safeguards investors’ Know Your Client (KYC) records. KRAs operate under the SEBI (KYC (Know Your Client) Registration Agency) Regulations, 2011.
A validated KYC record can be used across SEBI-registered intermediaries without repeating the complete KYC process.
Why KRA Matters for Mutual Fund Investors
A KRA eliminates the repetitive process of verifying your identity every time you choose a new mutual fund house. By centralising your data under SEBI regulations, a KRA ensures you only have to go through the KYC process once.
The reasons why KRA matters for your investments are:
- Universal Portability: It completes your paperwork once and the verified data becomes accessible to all SEBI-registered fund houses.
- Zero Repetitive Paperwork: You can diversify your portfolio across different asset management companies (AMCs) without filling out repetitive verification forms.
- Instant Investing: This eliminates the onboarding delays, which allows you to start new SIPs or lump-sum investments smoothly and quickly.
- Secure and Compliant: The centralised digital storage keeps your data protected while meeting legal anti-money laundering and regulatory standards.
How the KRA Process Works
The KRA KYC process for mutual funds works in these steps:
- Form & Document Gathering: The investor fills out a standard KRA-KYC application form and attaches a passport-sized photograph, Proof of Identity and Proof of Address.
- Submission to Intermediary: The investor submits these documents, online or offline, to a SEBI-registered intermediary, such as a Mutual Fund AMC, broker or Registrar like CAMS/KFintech, not directly to the KRA.
- Identity Verification: The intermediary completes the applicable identity and KYC verification process. Depending on the KYC method, this may include IPV, video-based verification or permitted digital verification.
- Data Upload to KRA: Once verified by the intermediary, they upload the investor’s digital details and documents to the central KRA system within the mandated timeframe.
- Status Generation: The KRA processes the data, validates the email/mobile records, and updates the investor’s KYC status, for example, “KYC Validated” against their PAN. The KRA sends a final confirmation letter or email to the investor.
- KYC Portability: Once the KYC record is validated, other SEBI-registered intermediaries can use the record without requiring the investor to repeat the full KYC process.
- Intermediary Sharing: Other SEBI-registered intermediaries can securely download and fetch these verified KYC records from the KRA database whenever the investor opens a new account.
The Five KRAs in India – Compared
India has five SEBI-registered KYC Registration Agencies (KRAs) that maintain investors’ KYC records and facilitate verification across financial-market intermediaries.
The table below provides the active KRAs in India list:
| KRA Name | Registered Organisation Name | Parent Organisation | Status-Check Portal |
| CAMS KRA | Computer Age Management Services Limited | CAMS Limited | CAMS KRA Portal |
| KFin KRA | KFin Technologies Limited (formerly Karvy Fintech) | KFin Technologies Limited | KFin KRA Portal |
| CVL KRA | CDSL Ventures Limited | Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL) | CVL KRA Portal |
| NDML KRA | NSDL Database Management Limited | National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) | NDML KRA Portal |
| NSE KRA | NSE Data & Analytics Limited (formerly DotEx International) | National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) | NSE KRA Portal |
CAMS KRA
CAMS KRA is a SEBI-registered KYC Registration Agency operated by CAMS Investor Services Private Limited. The KRA maintains investors’ KYC records and facilitates verification across intermediaries registered under SEBI that allows investors to use their KYC registration across mutual fund houses, subject to their KYC status.
Investors can visit the CAMS KRA website to check their KYC status and access available KYC-related services.
KFin KRA
Operated by KFin Technologies Limited, KFin KRA provides KYC registration and record management services for investors across India’s securities markets. Its platform supports investor onboarding, KYC detail updates and verification by registered intermediaries.
To check the KYC status, investors can visit the KFin KRA website.
CVL KRA
Managed by CDSL Ventures Limited, CVL KRA was the first KYC Registration Agency registered with SEBI. It maintains investor KYC records and supports their retrieval and verification by eligible market intermediaries.
Investors can visit the CVL KRA website to check their KYC registration details and review the status recorded against their PAN.
NDML KRA
NDML KRA, operated by NSDL Database Management Limited, provides KYC registration and record management infrastructure for India’s securities market. Its services support the collection, maintenance and retrieval of investor information for verification by registered intermediaries.
Investors can visit the NDML KRA portal and select KYC Inquiry to check their KYC status.
NSE KRA
NSE KRA, managed by NSE Data & Analytics Limited, provides digital KYC registration services within the broader market infrastructure of the National Stock Exchange (NSE). The platform supports investor record management and KYC verification for registered intermediaries, including brokers and other eligible market participants.
Investors can visit the NSE KRA website to access its KYC services and status-check facility.
How to Check Your KRA Status
You can check your KYC Registration Agency (KRA) status online using your PAN. The process is similar across KRAs, although the exact portal layout and information required may differ.
Follow these steps to check whether your KYC is registered, validated or requires further action:
Step 1: Visit the official website of a KYC Registration Agency (KRA) such as CAMS, KFIN, CVL or NDML KRA.
Here is the CAMS website homepage displaying the KYC services available to mutual fund investors.
Step 2: Find the “Check KYC Status” or similar link on the homepage.
Step 3: Enter your PAN (Permanent Account Number) and any other details required, such as the captcha and date of birth.
Step 4: After entering your details, check your KRA status by submitting the information.
Step 5: The status will show whether your KYC is Registered, Validated, On Hold, or Rejected.
Step 6: If you face any issues, you can contact KRA support or reach out to your mutual fund distributor for assistance.
What Each KRA Status Means
KRA status meaning is the verification status of your KYC records and whether any further action is required:
- Validated: Your KYC attributes have been validated. The record is portable, so another SEBI-registered intermediary can fetch it without requiring you to repeat the full KYC process.
- Registered: Your KYC is registered but does not have full portability. You may continue with existing investments, but you need to complete the applicable KYC process when approaching a new intermediary. Re-KYC using an eligible OVD can help move the record to Validated status.
- On Hold: One or more KYC attributes or documents could not be verified. Check the reason shown by the KRA and complete the required validation, correction or document submission. Transaction restrictions can apply until the issue is resolved.
- Rejected: Your KYC record has failed the required verification. Check the reason with the KRA or intermediary and correct or resubmit the required details before attempting further transactions.
Documents & KYC Submission
The verification process depends on the method used, whether online or offline.
Aadhaar-Based eKYC (Digital/Online KYC)
- Authentication: The process may use Aadhaar-based OTP or other permitted authentication methods, along with PAN validation and checks of the investor’s details.
- In-Person Verification (IPV): IPV must be completed where required. Digital KYC may involve a live photograph, document verification or video-based verification, depending on the applicable process.
- Outcome: The KRA assigns a KYC status based on the verification of the required attributes. A validated status allows KYC portability across intermediaries without repeating the entire process, subject to applicable requirements.
Offline or Physical KYC
- PAN: The PAN details are required for mutual fund investments.
- Identity and address proof: The accepted documents include a passport, driving licence, Aadhaar, voter ID, NREGA job card or National Population Register letter. Other documents may be accepted where permitted under applicable rules.
- Photograph and application form: A recent photograph and completed and signed KYC form may be required, depending on the submission process.
Additional documentation or verification may be required depending on your KYC status.
How to Update Your KYC Details
You can update your address, mobile number or email after KYC registration using a SEBI-registered intermediary. The intermediary submits the modification to your KRA, upon which the KRA will update the record and share the changes with linked intermediaries.
You may need to provide supporting documents if you have changed your address or verify your updated contact details. Follow the instructions provided by your intermediary as the documents and verification steps depend on the change requested.
If your KYC status is on hold, check your status and the reason for the hold on the KRA website. The common issues include unverified mobile numbers or email addresses, PAN validation problems or missing or deficient documents.
Based on that, you can update and correct the necessary details, complete any required OTP verification and submit outstanding documents through your intermediary or KRA. Then check your status again after the changes have been processed.
It is also important to note that updating your details does not guarantee a validated status. The KRA must complete the applicable verification checks before changing your status.
Conclusion
Check your KRA status using your PAN through an official KRA portal. If your status is Registered, On Hold or Rejected, follow the portal’s instructions or contact your intermediary to complete the required verification or correct your KYC details.
FAQs
CAMS KRA is a KYC Registration Agency registered under SEBI that maintains investors’ KYC records and facilitates their verification by financial intermediaries. You can use the CAMS KRA portal to check your KYC status and access available KYC-related services.
To check your KRA status, visit an official KRA website and enter your PAN. Follow the steps in the How to Check Your KRA Status section for detailed instructions.
“KYC on Hold” means your KYC record requires further verification, like checking your PAN details or contact information. You can check the reason with your KRA or intermediary, submit the required corrections or documents and then check your status again after processing. The transaction restrictions may apply until the issue is resolved.
If your KYC status is Validated, you generally do not need to repeat KYC with another mutual fund house. If it is Registered, you may invest with a new fund house after submitting KYC documents again. On Hold or Rejected status can restrict transactions until the issue is resolved.
