IFSCA Chairman K. Rajaraman stated that GIFT City now offers the same advantages as Cayman/Dublin/Singapore/Dubai for Indian companies, reducing the need to use offshore jurisdictions for finance, leasing, or international business.
GIFT City: India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Regulator: International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) – established under IFSCA Act, 2019.
Twin-City Project: Ahmedabad–Gandhinagar.
Key Exchanges:
oNSE IFSC
oIndia INX (BSE’s international exchange)
India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX): First-ever international bullion exchange in India, located in GIFT IFSC.
Provides offshore-like financial services within India’s jurisdiction.
Tax Incentives:
o100% tax exemption for 10 out of 15 years.
oNo STT, CTT, or GST on certain offshore transactions.
Major sectors allowed: Banking, Insurance, Capital Markets, Fund Management, Aircraft & Ship Leasing, FinTech.
GIFT IFSC is India’s first unified financial regulatory jurisdiction.
Global Presence: Units of international banks like JP Morgan, Barclays, Deutsche Bank operate here.
Trading hours: 22 hours/day on IFSC exchanges.
GIFT City developed through GIFTCL, a JV between Government of Gujarat & IL&FS.
Smart City Features: district cooling, utility tunnels, automated waste system.
India’s first International Arbitration Centre in financial disputes: GIFT International Financial Services Centre Authority Arbitration Centre (GIAC).
GIFT IFSC approved for aircraft leasing framework under IFSCA (2021).
Recognized as a global financial gateway to reduce dependence on Singapore/Dubai.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
