Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)
India’s on-shore international financial centre with unified regulation and global-level incentives.
Overview
GIFT City, located between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, is India’s flagship International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) with world-class infrastructure and a liberal regulatory environment. It aims to on-shore activities traditionally routed through offshore hubs like Singapore and Dubai by offering tax neutrality and a unified regulator.
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) acts as the single, unified regulator for IFSC entities, simplifying licensing and supervision across banking, insurance, capital markets, fund management, leasing, and fintech.
Objectives
- Retain and on-shore global financial flows within India.
- Provide a competitive ecosystem for banking, insurance, capital markets, and fund management.
- Offer tax neutrality, regulatory clarity, and ease of doing international financial business.
- Generate skilled employment and advance India’s role in global finance and fintech innovation.
Eligibility Criteria
Entities permitted
- Banks (foreign and Indian), insurers & reinsurers
- Capital market intermediaries (brokers, depositories, exchanges, clearing corps)
- Fund managers and asset managers
- Leasing companies (aircraft/ship) and fintech startups
- Wealth management and private banking firms
Operating environment
- Foreign-currency business in a liberalized IFSC regime
- Unified single-window licensing and supervision by IFSCA
- Smart-city infrastructure with walk-to-work design
Documents Required
Regulatory Engagement
- Application to IFSCA for relevant license (banking, insurance, capital markets, funds, leasing, fintech)
- Entity charter documents and ownership disclosures
- Fit-and-proper, governance, risk, and compliance frameworks as per IFSCA norms
Business & Financials
- Business plan with proposed products/services and target markets
- Capital adequacy / net-worth evidence as applicable
- Policies on AML/CFT, risk management, cybersecurity, and outsourcing