GIFT IFSC Poised for Global Scale: Shri CS Pradeep Ramakrishnan at IVCA CAT III Summit 2025
Mumbai, 08th August 2025: The Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA) hosted the IVCA CAT III Summit 2025 today in Mumbai, bringing together 200+ participants from across the investment ecosystem. With fund managers, limited partners, regulatory officials, wealth advisers, and market experts in attendance, conversations focused on the growth trajectory of and future prospects for Category III alternative investment funds (AIFs) in India.
Category III AIFs—encompassing long‑short equity, market‑neutral, and quantitative strategies, have surged in prominence. As per SEBI data, these funds raised ₹1,47,435 crore and invested ₹1,63,029 crore across registered schemes as of March 2025. Their growth stood out against the broader AIF segment, which saw ₹5,63,429 crore raised and ₹5,38,161 crore deployed, driven considerably by the Category III segment.
In his keynote address, Shri CS Pradeep Ramakrishnan, Executive Director, International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), shared perspectives on recent regulatory measures and the emerging role of GIFT City as a fund management hub.
“GIFT IFSC has emerged as a credible and attractive jurisdiction for fund managers globally, 177 FMEs are registered with IFSCA, managing over USD 22 billion in cumulative commitments across 272 schemes. What’s particularly encouraging is the growing diversity of investment strategies, spanning VC, PE, hedge funds, special situations, and long-only approaches. This reflects increasing confidence in the IFSC framework. At IFSCA, our aim is to provide regulatory clarity, build market trust, and support innovation. We are committed to creating a thriving, globally competitive fund ecosystem at GIFT City,”
Throughout the summit, discussions spanned structuring innovations, semi-liquid credit strategies, compliance frameworks, investor education, and risk-managed portfolio construction. Emphasis was placed on the need for clear regulatory guidance and greater transparency to build investor confidence and scale institutional participation.
Senior representatives from AlphaGrep Investment Management, Aequitas Investments, Carnelian Asset Advisors, Sameeksha Capital, Avendus Long Only Public Equities, Eleveight, IC RegFin Legal, Vivriti AMC, 3P Investment Managers, ASK Hedge Solutions, DSP Asset Managers, Nuvama Asset Services, Nuvama Private and Multi-Act contributed insights drawn from their domestic and international experience, highlighting best practices in product design, market alignment, investor education, and performance tracking.
The summit sessions reflected the growing sophistication of Category III AIF strategies in India and the rising interest from institutional and high-net-worth investors. Discussions underscored the importance of tailoring fund structures to evolving investor preferences, while also advocating for streamlined regulatory frameworks to support innovation and scalability. Speakers emphasised the need for ongoing dialogue between industry stakeholders and regulators to unlock the full potential of alternative investment vehicles in India’s maturing capital markets.
The event concluded with a strong industry-regulator consensus on deepening engagement and fostering a resilient, transparent, and innovation-led future for India’s alternative investment ecosystem.