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The Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted its PEVC Conclave on the theme “Future of Fund Management: AIFs in GIFT City.” The event brought together fund managers, policymakers, regulators, and industry experts to explore the growing significance of GIFT City and its role in shaping India’s financial services landscape.
The conclave opened with a welcome address by Sandeep Khosla, Director General of the Bombay Chamber, who outlined the Chamber’s wide-ranging initiatives and reaffirmed its longstanding role as a bridge between industry and government. He emphasised the importance of fostering collaborative dialogue to support India’s evolving financial ecosystem.
Setting the theme of the Conclave, Ashith Kampani, Chair of the PE&VC Committee at the Bombay Chamber and Chairman of CosmicMandala15 Securities highlighted the Chamber’s focus on collaborative development toward a Viksit Bharat, grounded in digitalisation, ESG integration, ease of doing business, and inclusive growth—principles reflected throughout the day’s discussions. Kampani underscored how these pillars are directly relevant to the evolving financial landscape in GIFT City, India’s first operational smart city and International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). He highlighted the momentum GIFT City has gained, with over 80 fund managers operating within its ecosystem and more than $20 billion in fund commitments, as evidence of its growing prominence. He also noted that the progressive regulatory framework, especially following the introduction of the Fund Management Regulations in 2022, offers unparalleled flexibility in fund structuring, cross-border investments, and tax incentives—making GIFT City a highly attractive jurisdiction for global capital and investment innovation.
Swati Khemani, Founder and CEO of Carnelian Asset Management & Advisors, delivered the keynote address. She emphasised that GIFT City represents a transformational shift in India’s financial sector, offering regulatory transparency, tax incentives, and infrastructure that rival global standards. With over $36 billion in assets under management and 124 registered fund units as of March 2024, GIFT City is becoming a preferred destination for asset and wealth managers worldwide.
Khemani also connected GIFT City’s evolution with the government’s broader vision under Amrit Kaal, projecting India’s share in global trade to rise from 12 percent to 16 percent and targeting per capita income of $18,000. She noted the city’s multi-currency capabilities, favorable tax treatment, and appeal for non-resident investors as key differentiators, positioning GIFT as a global center for financial innovation.
The first panel discussion, titled GIFT AIFs: Unlocking Inbound and Outbound Investment Potentials, was moderated by Tejas Desai, Co-Chair of the PE&VC Committee at the Bombay Chamber and Partner at Ernst & Young. The panellists included Pavan Shah, General Manager, International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA); Mitul Mehta, Chief Financial Officer, Blume Ventures; Lakshmi Iyer, CEO – Investment & Strategy, Kotak Alternate Asset Managers; Clarence Anthony, Managing Partner, Clarence & Partners; and Niutpol Handique, Assistant Vice President – International Business Development, Mirae Asset Management Company.
The session addressed the game-changing nature of 100 percent NRI-focused funds, the challenges faced by domestic SEBI AIFs in making offshore investments, and how the FEMA non-resident status of GIFT AIFs offers a compelling solution. The discussion also covered recent amendments to the Fund Management Entity Regulations and the tax advantages of launching asset-specific funds through GIFT City, especially for investing in Indian mutual funds.
The second panel, Dual Listing in GIFT City, moderated by Jyoti Vineet Tandon, Compliance Consultant and Co-Founder of FinCrimeExpert, featured Pradeep Ramakrishnan, Executive Director, International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA); Vijay Krishnamurthy, Managing Director and CEO, India INX; Siddharth Shah, Partner, Khaitan & Co.; and Veenit Surana, Partner, Ernst & Young. The panellists provided insights into IFSCA’s regulatory vision, the readiness of market infrastructure institutions, and the broader ecosystem required to make dual listings a viable and attractive route for Indian and global market participants.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Sandeep Khosla who underscored the value of the discussions and the Chamber’s ongoing efforts to support industry-policy collaboration.
