Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is India’s first operational greenfield smart city and International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). It is located between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar; it operates as Special Economic Zone designed to compete with global financial hubs like Dubai and Singapore.
I personally visited GIFT City in March, 2023 & got impressed by infrastructure and eco system.
GIFT City is created to enable global investors to access Indian markets under a unified regulatory framework. It operates as a unified financial ecosystem, supported by the Government of India and regulated by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
The regulator IFSCA authority is vested with power of RBI, SEBI, IRDA and PFRDA. Unified IFSCA regulation with globally aligned governance. IFSCA is a signatory to the International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO). IOSCO is the global standard setter for the securities markets.
Today, more than 1000 entities are registered under IFSCA in various businesses like banking, Insurance, Fund management, Capital market intermediaries, international stock exchanges, Air craft ship leasing etc.
There are two investment structures for Investors. Inbound fund & outbound fund. Inbound fund mainly caters NRIs, foreign investors, Global institutions for investment in India. The key advantages to NRI/ global investors are Tax efficiency, Operational simplicity, Global currency access, Regulatory clarity. There are retail and non-retail funds with PMS, AIF structures.
Indian Residents can take global investment exposure through outbound fund. They are allowed to invest under Liberalised Remittance Scheme. This scheme allows resident Indians to remit up to USD 250,000 annually abroad for various purposes, including education, travel, and investments.
I personally feel there is enormous opportunity for Mutual fund distributors / Investment advisors to explore GIFT city as prominent investment offerings to their clients.
We at RYSA Wealth is a GIFT City–based fund management entity, established to provide institutional, cross-border investment solutions for global investors seeking structured access to India. Backed by over 23 years of experience in global wealth advisory amd managing more than USD 800 million, Our objective is to support serve HNIs, families, and institutions across the world.
