GIFT City Roundtable 2025

Summary: Global investing no longer feels optional, but access still does. This roundtable explores what GIFT City truly fixes for Indian investors, where it still falls short and how fund houses are navigating opportunity, friction and the promise of seamless global exposure. Until recently, global investing for Indian investors felt like a party everyone wanted to attend, but one where the bouncer let only a few inside. Access was limited, routes clunky and rules often changed mid-way. GIFT City is attempting to change that. Value Research’s GIFT City Roundtable set out to cut through the hype and examine what the platform truly solves for, who it’s meant for and what still prevents it from becoming as seamless as investing in a domestic mutual fund. Representatives from three fund houses brought distinct strategies to the table and spoke with refreshing candour about opportunity and friction. Why global exposure is no longer optional The case for global investing was framed succinctly by Nirmal Bari of Parag Parikh IFSC: “India is only 4 per cent of the global market capitalisation.” If most listed opportunities lie outside India, then an India-only portfolio is not conservative or patriotic—it is incomplete. Bari also highlighted an overlooked disconnect: Indian consumption is increasingly global, but many companies monetising that consumption are listed overseas. Limiting portfolios to domestic markets means missing where value is actually created.