Accredited Investor Certification

Eligibility Thresholds

What the CA Certificate Covers

• Computation of total net worth: financial assets (demat holdings, FDs, mutual funds, bonds) + movable property, net of liabilities
• Verification of annual gross income from ITR filings for the preceding financial year
• CA certificate on letterhead with UDIN (Unique Document Identification Number) — mandatory for submission to NSE/CDSL accreditation portals
• Net worth certificate not older than 6 months at time of submission
• Source documentation checklist: bank statements, demat statements, FD receipts, property documents, ITR copies, PAN
• Accreditation submitted via SEBI-authorized agencies: NSE (via NSE accreditation portal) or CDSL Ventures Limited (CVL, via aia.cvlindia.com)
• CVL processing time: 3 business days from document submission; accreditation fee ₹5,000 (most investor categories)
• Certificate valid for 1 year — we handle annual renewal (fresh net worth certificate + portal resubmission)

What Accreditation Unlocks

• Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) — Category I, II, and III — with reduced minimum investment thresholds
• Portfolio Management Services (PMS) with customised mandates
• Unlisted bonds, structured products, and instruments not available to retail investors
• Participation in SEBI-approved restricted schemes with up to 1,000 investors
• Priority investor onboarding with fund managers and wealth platforms
• Access to GIFT City IFSC AIF schemes as accredited investors

Common Mistakes in Net Worth Certification — What the CA Certificate Must Cover

CVL and NSE portals reject or query applications where the CA workpaper is incomplete. These are the most frequent defects we see when reviewing existing client files.

• Principal residence included in net worth — must be excluded for individual applicants under the SEBI framework
• Jointly held assets fully included — only the proportionate share attributable to the applicant should be included
• Non-financial assets (gold, vehicles, art) included without adequate valuation support — these should either be excluded or supported by a recent independent valuation
• Stale portfolio values used — demat and mutual fund holdings should be as of a recent date, not from the ITR
• HUF assets and individual assets commingled — HUF net worth and individual net worth are separate; the eligibility check applies to the entity submitting the application
• Liabilities not deducted — all outstanding loans, overdrafts, and payables must be netted off
• Certificate issued without UDIN — accreditation agencies will reject certificates without a Unique Document Identification Number from the ICAI portal
• Income-based eligibility claimed without corresponding ITR evidence — the ITR of the immediately preceding financial year must support the income threshold

Frequently Asked Questions