New Delhi, Aug. 13 -- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is proposing to make it easier and cheaper for investors to qualify as accredited investors (AIs), while significantly widening the pool of investors eligible for the status.

In a consultation paper issued on Thursday, the market regulator proposed allowing investment managers to accredit investors as part of the onboarding process, extending the validity of accreditation and introducing securities-market assets as an alternative eligibility criterion.

The proposals follow feedback from industry associations, fund managers, intermediaries and other market participants on the exhaustive accreditation process, limited validity and high cost of certification, Sebi said...