In brief: CERSAI is the central registry that operates India’s Central KYC Records Registry, where regulated entities upload customer KYC records so they can be reused across institutions.
What CERSAI is
CERSAI (Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India) is a government-owned company originally set up to maintain a central registry of security interests over property, reducing fraud from the same asset being pledged as collateral to multiple lenders.
Its role in KYC
CERSAI also operates the CKYC (Central KYC) repository on behalf of financial-sector regulators, storing a single KYC record per customer that regulated entities upload to and retrieve from, instead of each institution separately collecting and storing the same documents.
Working with CERSAI in a KYC process
CERSAI was originally set up for registering security interests, and it also operates the Central KYC Records Registry. When a regulated entity completes KYC for a customer, it uploads the record to the registry and the customer receives a KYC identifier. Another regulated entity can later use that identifier to retrieve the record, subject to the rules, instead of collecting everything again.
What this means for onboarding
- Customers who already have a KYC identifier can often be onboarded with less effort.
- Regulated entities must upload records for new customers within the required timelines.
- Records must be kept up to date when customer details change.
Data quality matters
Records sent to CERSAI are reused by other institutions, so errors spread. Verify identity and address against source records before upload, use consistent name formats, and correct records promptly when customers update their details. Good source verification upstream makes the CERSAI record more useful for everyone downstream.
Operational tips
Track upload status for each customer, handle rejections quickly, and reconcile your records with the registry periodically. More information about the registry is on the Central KYC Registry website.
