KeyArqThree regulators. Three retention clocks. One archive.
SEBI, RBI and IRDAI each set their own minimum retention periods. Treating "keep it somewhere" as compliance leaves a gap.
Different clocks. Same requirement: prove it, on request, years later.
What's already in force
The floor every regulated entity is already required to meet.
SEBI: brokers' books and records
Stock brokers must preserve their books of account and other records for a minimum period fixed by SEBI's stock broker regulations. That framework was replaced in January 2026.
RBI: 10 years, under PMLA
Banks must maintain records of transactions for at least ten years, per RBI's notification under Section 12 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, long enough to serve as evidence if a transaction is later investigated.
IRDAI: every policy, every claim
The IRDAI (Maintenance of Insurance Records) Regulations, 2015 require insurers to keep records of every policy issued and every claim made, in electronic form, backed by security features and a documented data governance framework.
Sources: SEBI (Stock Brokers) Regulations, 2026 · RBI notification on PMLA record-keeping · IRDAI (Maintenance of Insurance Records) Regulations, 2015.
What this means for how you archive
Retention periods that don't drift
Every record type has its own period, set by rule and not by whoever configured the storage bucket. An archive should enforce the period per record type, not rely on someone remembering it.
Acknowledgment tied to the message
Where a rule requires a communication and its acknowledgment to be kept together, the two have to be retrievable together. If they live in two different systems today, retrieval on request means reconciling them by hand.
Building CUSTOS™ with design partners now. Selling from Q1 2027.
If SEBI, RBI or IRDAI retention rules are a live problem for your organisation, and you want a say in what ships, talk to us.
This page is written to be useful and is not legal advice. Confirm your obligations with your own counsel.