SEBI sets a new standard for digital accessibility in finance in India—Here’s what to know

On July 31, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a circular requiring all regulated financial entities—stock exchanges, depositories, mutual funds, brokers, and banks—to make their websites, mobile apps, and digital services accessible to persons with disabilities.

This regulatory move is rooted in a landmark Supreme Court judgment from April 2025, which affirmed that digital access is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution (Right to Life). SEBI’s circular also mandates that all regulated entities must comply with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, and related accessibility standards—setting clear expectations and deadlines for compliance.

In this post, we’ll cover the circular’s requirements and how they impact financial institutions. We’ll highlight the timeline, outline the risks of non-compliance, and clarify the standards you need to meet. Finally, we’ll recommend actionable steps your organization can take today to achieve compliance.

High-level requirements and timeline

With the new circular, SEBI has directed regulated entities to:

• Ensure all websites and mobile apps are accessible to persons with disabilities.
• Adhere to the following accessibility standards:
  • IS 17802:2021. India’s standard for digital accessibility.
  • WCAG 2.1 (or latest version). The international benchmark for digital accessibility.
  • GIGW 3.0. Guidelines for Indian government websites.

The circular sets a structured compliance timeline with specific steps, deadlines, and leadership accountability.

In addition to the initial audit and compliance reports, SEBI requires regulated entities to submit an annual accessibility compliance report, signed by the CEO and CTO, within 30 days of the end of each financial year.

Accessible investor communications

SEBI also requires that all investor-facing documents—such as account statements, disclosures, and terms and conditions—meet accessibility requirements. Regulated entities must:

• Use tagged PDFs so screen readers can navigate content.
• Follow WCAG standards for all digital content.
• Offer alternative formats such as audio versions, Indian Sign Language (ISL), and captions for multimedia.

By ensuring communications are accessible, financial institutions can meet compliance requirements while giving all investors equal access to critical information.

Risks of non-compliance

The risks of non-compliance with SEBI’s new circular are serious and multifaceted. While the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, has long established digital accessibility as a legal obligation, SEBI’s circular establishes explicit deadlines, enforcement expectations, and leadership accountability. These long-standing risks now carry greater urgency and visibility, including:

• Legal action under the RPwD Act. SEBI’s enforcement makes it easier for users to raise formal complaints or pursue litigation if digital services are inaccessible.
• Reputational damage. SEBI’s new rules put a spotlight on the financial sector, meaning accessibility issues are more likely to be noticed. Public trust can be lost quickly when customers feel excluded.
• Impact on ESG scores. Accessibility is increasingly considered in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings; non-compliance can affect investor confidence.
• Loss of competitive advantage. Financial platforms that prioritize inclusion can gain market share by serving a wider audience.

Meeting accessibility standards

SEBI’s circular requires regulated entities to comply with three key accessibility standards.

• IS 17802:2021. India’s official digital accessibility specification that covers how websites, mobile apps, and digital documents should work for people with disabilities.
• WCAG 2.1. The internationally recognized benchmark for making web content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users.
• GIGW 3.0. Guidelines for Indian government websites, with additional requirements relevant for public sector financial institutions.

In terms of understanding how these work together, you can think of IS 17802 as the India-specific standard, WCAG 2.1 as the global best practice, and GIGW 3.0 as guidance for the public sector. Meeting all three ensures your platforms are compliant locally, aligned globally, and optimized for public-facing services.

Steps you can begin taking right away

Here are some initial steps your financial institution can take to help ensure you meet compliance requirements in alignment with the timeline SEBI has established.

Audit your digital properties

Get an accessibility audit to see where your current digital properties stand against these standards. Identify barriers that prevent access for people using assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, or voice navigation.

Implement training opportunities for your teams

SEBI now mandates role-based accessibility training for internal staff, vendors, and development partners. You can rely on trusted resources such as Deque University for structured, role-based training that covers both Indian and international standards.

Empower and prepare leadership

Ensure your C-suite understands the risks and opportunities. Accessibility impacts legal compliance, brand trust, ESG ratings, market reach, and more. Governance reporting frameworks and maturity assessments can help leadership meet SEBI expectations with confidence.

Remember that CEOs, CTOs, and senior leadership aren’t just signatories. You must appoint a Nodal Officer to:

• Oversee accessibility implementation.
• Liaise with SEBI.
• Respond to grievances from persons with disabilities.

Engage accessibility experts

Bring in qualified experts to help establish and scale your accessibility program; ideally, experts who are IAAP-certified and familiar with financial sector compliance. As an officially empanelled web accessibility auditor by the Government of India, Deque can help you:

• Conduct gap assessments.
• Build governance frameworks.
• Train your teams.
• Set up continuous monitoring so accessibility becomes part of everyday operations.

Integrate accessibility into your workflows

Tools such as axe DevTools and axe MCP Server help your teams find and fix issues early, saving time and cost. By shifting left and performing accessibility testing during development and QA, you can prevent accessibility issues from reaching production, when they become far more costly to fix.

Bake accessibility into procurement

Whether you’re onboarding a fintech platform or hiring a web agency, make accessibility a non-negotiable in contracts and delivery milestones. This avoids expensive retrofits and keeps vendors aligned with your long-term accessibility goals.  All new digital procurement—from software to services—must include:

• accessibility clauses in RFPs and contracts
• vendor accountability for delivering accessible solutions
• accessibility validation at delivery before sign-off

Additional reminders

Submit annual accessibility reports

By October 31, 2025, all digital platforms must undergo an audit by an IAAP-certified accessibility auditor. This report, signed by your CEO and CTO, must be submitted to SEBI and updated annually within 30 days of each financial year-end.

Provide an accessibility grievance redressal mechanism

This must include:

• a dedicated channel (email, phone, or form)
• a clear escalation path
• ongoing tracking and resolution

Next steps

SEBI’s directive places India among a growing list of countries strengthening digital accessibility enforcement. From the European Accessibility Act to the US Department of Justice’s Title II updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the global momentum is clear: accessibility is not optional.

We’re here to help you create financial platforms that work for everyone—platforms that reflect empathy, equity, and innovation. Deque has helped organizations worldwide meet regulatory mandates. Additionally, the Government of India has also officially appointed us as an empanelled web accessibility auditor.

Contact us today to get started.