Delivering a defining keynote at the 15th edition of the IVCA Conclave 2026, Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), outlined a forward-looking regulatory agenda for India’s alternative investment fund (AIF) ecosystem, anchored in trust, governance, and responsible scale.

During his keynote address, themed "The Evolving Agenda for Alternative Investment Funds”, Shri Pandey acknowledged the sector’s rapid expansion and its growing role in financing startups, infrastructure and special situations investing.

Shri Pandey emphasized, “Alternative investment funds are no longer at the margins of our financial system. They are now an important pillar of India’s capital markets, connecting patient capital with sectors that need it most.”

Reinforcing SEBI’s consultative and calibrated regulatory philosophy, he stated that oversight would remain balanced and proportionate. While systemic concerns must be addressed decisively, regulation should not obstruct productive capital formation or innovation.

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Shri Pandey affirmed that the regulator and the AIF industry have a shared task “to build an AIF ecosystem that is credible and aligned with India’s long-term development.”

The keynote strongly resonated with the overarching theme of IVCA Conclave 2026—Vision to Value: The New Era of Indian Alternate Capital—underscoring that the sector’s next phase will be defined not just by scale, but also by regulatory maturity, institutional discipline, and long-term value creation.

Shri Pandey’s address set a clear and confident tone for the Conclave, reflecting a shared commitment between regulators and industry to build a resilient, transparent, and globally competitive AIF ecosystem that meaningfully contributes to India’s long-term economic ambitions.