What is an FPI? Foreign Portfolio Investor
To answer what is an FPI: an FPI, or Foreign Portfolio Investor, is an overseas investor registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to invest in Indian securities such as listed stocks and bonds. It is the current regulatory label that replaced the older "FII" tag. When you read that foreign investors bought or sold Indian equities on a given day, those are FPIs.
Definition
An FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investor)
is an overseas investor registered with SEBI to buy and sell Indian securities like listed equities and bonds. The FPI framework replaced the older FII route in 2014, and the SEBI FPI Regulations, 2019 govern it today, sorting FPIs into two categories. Source: SEBI.
What is an FPI, and how does it differ from an FII?
For years the market called these investors FIIs, or Foreign Institutional Investors. In 2014 SEBI consolidated FIIs, their sub-accounts, and Qualified Foreign Investors into one route: the Foreign Portfolio Investor. The SEBI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) Regulations, 2019, notified on September 23, 2019, replaced the 2014 rules and remain the current framework. So "FPI" is the accurate regulatory term today, while "FII" survives mostly as everyday shorthand, including in the widely quoted "FII/DII" flow figures.
2 categories
FPI categories under the 2019 rules, down from three previously
Source: SEBI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) Regulations, 2019
The two FPI categories
The 2019 regulations simplified registration into two buckets.
| Category | Who it covers |
|---|---|
| Category I | Government and government-related investors, plus regulated entities like banks, pension and university funds, and asset managers |
| Category II | Investors not in Category I, such as individuals, family offices, and certain funds |
Where you actually see FPI activity
FPIs do not file a single public portfolio, but their footprint shows up in two public places. First, aggregate FPI buying and selling appears in the daily FII/DII activity data the exchanges publish, which you can track day to day. Second, when a single FPI holds more than 1% of a company at quarter-end, it is named in that company's shareholding pattern.
So what is an FPI in one line: the registered overseas investor behind the foreign flows and holdings you see in Indian filings. Flock reads that public disclosure data and keeps each figure stamped with its date and source. What any of it means for you is your call to make.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between FPI and FII?
FII is the older term. In 2014 SEBI merged FIIs, sub-accounts, and Qualified Foreign Investors into a single Foreign Portfolio Investor route. FPI is now the correct regulatory term, and FII survives mostly as everyday shorthand. Source: SEBI.
What are the categories of FPI?
The SEBI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) Regulations, 2019 reduced the categories from three to two: Category I for government and regulated entities like banks and pension funds, and Category II for others such as individuals and family offices. Source: SEBI.
Where does FPI activity show up in filings?
Aggregate FPI buying and selling appears in daily FII/DII flow data from the exchanges, and individual FPI holdings above 1% of a company appear in that company's quarterly shareholding pattern. Source: NSE, BSE.
Who regulates FPIs in India?
SEBI regulates FPIs under the SEBI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) Regulations, 2019, which replaced the 2014 version. FPIs register through Designated Depository Participants and must meet eligibility and disclosure rules. Source: SEBI.
Flock tracks these filings, sourced, dated, and linked back to the original. See what smart-money entities disclosed, without the guesswork about what it means.
Disclosures shown are public regulatory filings. Data may be delayed or incomplete. Smart-money entities may no longer hold positions shown. Not investment advice.