SEBI extends digital accessibility deadline to January 31, 2027
SEBI has pushed the deadline for SEBI-regulated firms to appoint an accessibility auditor, complete audits and fix findings to January 31, 2027.
- Document
- Circulars
- Dated
- 30 Oct 2026
- Effective
- Circular dated 30 October 2026; extended date is 31 January 2027 (paragraph 3).
- Act by
- January 31, 2027
This page was written by Patron Accounting’s AI from the official release and reviewed before publishing. It explains the document in plain language. It is not the document itself. Where this page and the original differ, the original governs.
The short version
- The new deadline for the accessibility audit steps is January 31, 2027
- The steps are: appoint an IAAP auditor, run the audit, fix the findings
- Only these steps get more time; all other obligations stay as they were
- The circular was issued on October 30, 2026
In short
This SEBI circular, number HO/53/12/13(2)2026-ITD5-M2IPC/I/24856/2026, dated October 30, 2026, gives SEBI-regulated firms more time to meet digital accessibility rules. Those rules come from the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and require websites and apps to be usable by people with disabilities. The regulator issued it after firms asked for more time.
What has changed
How it worked before
Five earlier SEBI circulars, issued between July 31, 2025 and July 31, 2026, set these requirements. This circular does not restate the original deadline, so check those circulars for the exact date they gave.
What has changed
The deadline for three steps is now January 31, 2027: appointing an IAAP auditor, having the digital platforms audited for accessibility, and fixing what the audit finds. Nothing else in the earlier circulars has changed.
Who this affects
Firms that SEBI regulates, such as stock exchanges, clearing corporations, depositories, and other registered intermediaries. The circular also names AMFI, APMI, and the two BSE bodies that supervise investment advisers and research analysts.
An example
Asha Securities is a small stock broker registered with SEBI and has a trading website and mobile app. It has not yet appointed an IAAP auditor when the circular is issued. Its deadline for the auditor, audit and fixes is now January 31, 2027, instead of the earlier date, but its other obligations still apply on their usual schedule.
What you should do
If your firm is covered, check where you stand on appointing the auditor, the audit, and fixing findings, and plan to finish all three by January 31, 2027. Keep meeting every other requirement in the earlier circulars on time.
Deadline · January 31, 2027If you do nothing
The circular does not state a penalty for missing the new date. It also says all other obligations continue, so missing one step does not pause the rest. Check the earlier circulars or ask your compliance team about any consequences.
The terms explained
- Regulated Entities
- The firms and bodies that SEBI oversees and that must follow its rules, such as brokers, mutual funds, and stock exchanges.
- IAAP auditor
- An auditor the circular requires for the accessibility audit. The circular names this qualification but does not explain it further.
- Digital accessibility audit
- A check of whether your websites and apps can be used by people with disabilities, such as those who use screen readers.
- Remediation
- Fixing the problems that the accessibility audit finds.
The original document
| Issued by | SEBI |
|---|---|
| Document | Circulars |
| Full title | Extension of timeline with respect to compliance of Digital Accessibility Circulars |
| Issued on | 30 October 2026 |
| Effective | Circular dated 30 October 2026; extended date is 31 January 2027 (paragraph 3). |
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