SBI Mutual Fund launches biometric-led digital onboarding service for first-time investors

According to fresh market updates, SBI Mutual Fund on September 10 rolled out Aarambh, an assisted digital onboarding service aimed at helping first-time market participants complete their mutual fund onboarding and make their first investment through a single digital session. Aarambh allows an SBI branch official or authorised representative, SBI MF relationship manager or mutual fund distribution partner to assist a prospective investor through the onboarding process, from the initial interaction to completing the first investment. The process is paperless and is designed to make market participants investment-ready within a few minutes.

The service integrates Aadhaar-based biometric eKYC and eSign into the mutual fund onboarding process. Market participants can use fingerprint authentication instead of relying on OTPs, which can be difficult for those whose mobile number is not linked to Aadhaar.

The OTP-based route will keep be available for market participants who prefer it. Aarambh additionally enables a fully digital onboarding process for individuals who do not have a PAN. Such market participants have traditionally had to rely on physical, paper-based processes to invest in mutual funds.

The platform additionally allows first-time market participants to start with Jan Nivesh, which offers SIPs starting at Rs 250 a month, through the assisted digital onboarding process.

Debasish Mishra, MD & CEO, SBI Funds Management, stated the initiative was aimed at addressing the complexity that can prevent individuals from making their first investment.

“At SBI Mutual Fund, we recognise that for many individuals, the barrier to investing is not interest but the perceived complexity of taking the first step. Aarambh brings together assisted guidance, secure biometric authentication, and digital onboarding to make that beginning more accessible,” Mishra stated.

He further noted that the initiative was part of SBI Mutual Fund's effort to make investing more accessible to individuals across India. R S Srinivas Jain, Head of Strategy, Digital, IT, and IR, SBI Funds Management, stated Aarambh was part of the fund house's broader digital strategy.

“By integrating assisted onboarding with biometric authentication, we are helping simplify the entry point for individuals who may be unfamiliar with the existing onboarding processes,” Jain stated.

SBI Mutual Fund is India's largest mutual fund house, with average assets under management of over Rs 12.57 lakh crore during April-June 2026, according to AMFI.