In July 2025 the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a landmark circular that reframes digital accessibility from a best practice into a regulatory imperative for every regulated entity (RE) in India’s securities ecosystem. The circular explicitly ties compliance to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and sets out a compliance and audit regime that will materially change how exchanges, brokers, mutual funds, depositories and intermediaries operate their investor-facing digital channels.
This shift has three immediate and practical implications for teams responsible for investor experience and compliance: (1) procurement of professional digital accessibility services, (2) coordination with certified auditors for a SEBI digital accessibility audit, and (3) embedding accessibility into product lifecycles rather than treating it as a periodic “fix.” Below I unpack the technical and operational road map REs should adopt to meet the new expectations and to convert compliance into competitive advantage.
What SEBI requires — at a glance
SEBI’s circular requires REs to catalogue all digital platforms, appoint IAAP-certified accessibility professionals, conduct comprehensive accessibility audits, remediate findings, and submit periodic reports. Deadlines and reporting windows are defined in the circular and subsequent compliance guidelines; SEBI has also allowed limited timeline extensions for certain categories while keeping audits and remediation non-negotiable.
Two technical takeaways: first, audits must be comprehensive (websites, mobile apps, investor portals, PDFs and other investor communications), and second, SEBI expects evidence of usability testing with persons with disabilities not just automated test output. These expectations elevate the role of human-led verification alongside automated tooling.
Why automated tooling alone won’t be enough
Automated scanners (axe, Lighthouse, WAVE, etc.) are indispensable for scale: they surface missing semantics, color contrast failures, and ARIA misuses quickly. But SEBI’s emphasis on usability testing and IAAP certification recognizes what practitioners already know: accessibility compliance is partly technical and partly contextual. Meaningful alt text, cognitive accessibility choices, logical focus order, and the usability of complex interactive flows require human judgment, domain knowledge, and assistive-technology testing. For REs aiming to pass a SEBI digital accessibility audit, a hybrid approach automation plus expert human review is mandatory.
Building an operational compliance pipeline
Practically, regulated entities should stand up a repeatable pipeline that integrates into existing SDLC and compliance processes:
- Inventory & classification — Produce an authoritative inventory of all investor-facing assets (websites, microsites, mobile apps, investor back-offices, PDFs). Classify them by criticality and traffic so remediation can be prioritized. (This inventory is required by SEBI.)
- Baseline audit — Engage IAAP-certified professionals to perform a formal SEBI digital accessibility audit across the inventory. The audit should combine: automated scanning, manual review of interaction flows, assistive-technology testing (screen readers, keyboard only, switch), and usability sessions with PwD participants.
- Remediation sprints — Convert audit findings into prioritized developer stories and remediation sprints. Use semantic HTML, correct ARIA patterns, progressive enhancement, and accessible component libraries. Track remediation with an auditable trail (tickets, code commits, test artifacts).
- Governance & reporting — Designate a nodal officer and embed accessibility in release checklists, CI pipelines (automated accessibility gates), and vendor contracts for digital accessibility services. Prepare the documentation and CEO/CTO-signed attestations SEBI requires for submissions and annual reports.
Choosing the right partners: SEBI digital accessibility auditors & services
The SEBI circular requires auditors with verifiable credentials (IAAP certification or equivalent). When procuring digital accessibility services, validate (a) auditor certification and experience across financial workflows, (b) demonstrable test artifacts and user test reports, and (c) capability to guide remediation, not just to report issues. Auditors who understand transaction flows, authentication patterns, and regulatory disclosures provide much higher value than generic website scanners.
Beyond compliance: accessibility as risk reduction and growth
Complying with SEBI avoids penalties and reputational risk, but it also reduces operational friction for a large segment of investors. Accessibility improvements typically lower call-center volumes, improve conversion for assistive-tech users, and strengthen brand trust. Position accessibility not just as a checkbox for the SEBI digital accessibility mandate for regulated entities, but as an operational advantage that increases reach and reduces support costs.
Conclusion — pragmatic steps for the next 90 days
For CTIOs, product leads, and compliance heads: start with the inventory and onboarding of IAAP-certified auditors; run a baseline SEBI digital accessibility audit on mission-critical investor journeys; then schedule focused remediation sprints that plug into normal product releases. Use certified digital accessibility services to accelerate remediation, but ensure internal capability building so accessibility becomes part of your engineering DNA.
SEBI’s mandate changes the regulatory baseline but the long-term winners will be those that treat accessibility as enduring product quality, not a one-time compliance exercise. The road ahead is prescriptive; it’s also an opportunity to make India’s capital markets more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready.