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Economy and Finance

Economy and Finance

What are Participatory Notes?

28 Dec 2023 Zinkpot 167
  1. Participatory Notes (P-Notes) are financial instruments used in the Indian stock market. They are also known as offshore derivative instruments (ODIs). 
  2. P-Notes are issued by registered foreign institutional investors (FIIs) to overseas investors who wish to invest in the Indian stock market without directly registering with the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
  3. Here's how Participatory Notes work:
    • ​​​​​​​Issuance: P-Notes are issued by registered foreign institutional investors, allowing them to invest in the Indian stock market without direct registration with SEBI.
    • Trading: P-Notes are not traded on the Indian stock exchanges but are traded among registered institutional investors.
    • Anonymity: P-Notes provide a level of anonymity for investors, as they are not required to register with SEBI, allowing them to remain anonymous.
    • Taxation: P-Notes are subject to capital gains tax in India. However, determining the tax liability can be challenging due to the anonymity of the investors.
    • Regulation: While foreign institutional investors must register with the Indian regulatory body, P-Notes traded among them remain unrecorded, raising concerns about potential money laundering and illicit activities.
  4. ​​​​​​​The advantages of investing in participatory notes (P-Notes) include:
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Ease of Investment: P-Notes allow foreign high-net-worth individuals, hedge funds, and other investors to put money in Indian markets without being registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), making their participation easy and smooth.
    • Time and Cost Savings: Investing through P-Notes aids in saving time and costs associated with direct registrations, making the investment process more efficient.
    • Anonymity: Investors can remain anonymous, as they are not required to register with SEBI, providing a level of privacy and confidentiality in their investments.
    • Tax Benefits: Some entities route their investment through participatory notes to take advantage of tax benefits.
    • Quick Access to Indian Capital Markets: P-Notes provide access to quick money in the Indian capital markets, allowing for swift investment opportunities.
  5. ​​​​​​​However, there are some disadvantages associated with participatory notes, such as the potential for misuse and tax avoidance, as the ultimate beneficiary of transactions carried out using participatory notes is not known. 
  6. Additionally, since participatory notes do not attract the attention of market regulators in the countries where the entities holding participatory notes are located, these entities can go unregulated.

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