GLEIF adds eMudhra as Validation Agent to expand LEI access in India

GLEIF has appointed eMudhra as a Validation Agent for Legal Entity Identifier India Limited, giving Indian organizations a more integrated way to apply for and renew LEIs. The move comes as India posts the fastest LEI growth globally and regulators push broader use of standardized organizational identity.

Why it matters: - The new setup can make Legal Entity Identifier applications and renewals faster for Indian organizations by folding them into existing identity verification and onboarding flows. - Wider LEI access matters for financial markets, payments and cross-border digital processes that depend on consistent organizational identity. - India’s demand for LEIs is rising quickly, and the new channel is designed to help scale that demand.

What happened: - GLEIF announced that eMudhra has been appointed a Validation Agent of Legal Entity Identifier India Limited (LEIL) in the Global LEI System. - The integration allows eMudhra to add LEI application and renewal services to its identity-verification and onboarding processes. - LEIL will continue to issue and maintain LEI records under Global LEI System requirements. - The announcement was made on 10 September 2026 in Mumbai.

The details: - LEIL is a GLEIF-accredited LEI Issuer and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Clearing Corporation of India Limited. - LEIL is the only LEI Issuer recognized by the Reserve Bank of India under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act in India. - eMudhra is headquartered in Bengaluru and provides digital identity, authentication and trust services in more than 35 countries. - eMudhra is India’s largest licensed Certifying Authority and a globally recognized public Certificate Authority. - eMudhra brings experience in public key infrastructure, electronic signatures, identity and access management, and certificate lifecycle management. - The Validation Agent role lets financial institutions and other supervised organizations obtain and maintain LEIs for clients in cooperation with accredited LEI Issuers. - More than 20 Validation Agents now operate globally across Africa, Australasia, China, Europe, India, the Middle East and North America. - GLEIF said the Validation Agent Framework is available on its website: More information. - eMudhra’s company information is available here: eMudhra about page. - LEIL’s website is here: LEIL website.

Between the lines: - India has built policy support for LEI adoption over several years, which helps explain why the market is now large enough to benefit from embedded onboarding. - In March 2026, the Reserve Bank of India issued a master direction consolidating LEI requirements for specified transactions in government securities, money market instruments, foreign exchange instruments and derivatives. - Resident and non-resident participants in those transactions must obtain an LEI and keep it current. - India became the jurisdiction with the most active LEIs in January 2026 and posted the highest growth rate of any jurisdiction in Q2 2026. - The move also fits a broader international shift after the Financial Action Task Force revised Recommendation 16 in June 2025 to recognize the LEI for legal persons in certain cross-border payments, with implementation expected by end-2030. - GLEIF CEO Alexandre Kech said the partnership will help meet increasing demand for LEIs in India and internationally. - LEIL Director Nand Kishore said the collaboration should simplify and accelerate LEI acquisition. - eMudhra co-founder Kaushik Srinivasan said the role gives clients a single, globally recognized identity through a smoother onboarding journey.

What's next: - eMudhra and LEIL are expected to use the new arrangement to scale trusted digital identity infrastructure for organizations in India. - The expanded onboarding route could support continued LEI growth as regulatory use cases broaden. - Global implementation of the FATF’s revised Recommendation 16 will continue through 2030, which may increase demand for standardized identifiers like the LEI.

The bottom line: - GLEIF is plugging eMudhra into India’s LEI system to make organizational identity verification more seamless at a time when LEI adoption is accelerating fast.