SEBI to finalise regulations for AIFs in two months

30 Nov 2011 Evaluate

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) hopes to finalise regulations for alternative investments in the next two months. All Alternative Investment Funds in the securities market, irrespective of their legal domicile shall be bound by these regulations and be subject to registration and oversight of the Board.

Earlier the market regulator has put up a concept paper for regulation of alternative investment funds, or AIFs, on its website in August. AIFs have been classified into nine categories, including a category for private equity funds. Any fund operating as a hedge fund shall be required to be registered as ‘strategy fund’ under the AIF regulations. The minimum size of the AIF shall be Rs 20 crore, with a minimum investment of Rs 1 crore, or 0.1%, of the fund size, whichever is higher, according to the concept paper.

The draft paper had also created separate segments of funds based on their investment objective, such as PIPE fund, debt fund, real estate fund, infrastructure fund, SME fund and social venture fund. PE players found such segmentation restrictive, as most funds invest across sectors and use different instruments such as equity shares, preference shares or debentures.

However, in a big relief for big private equity funds investing in India, SEBI has said the proposed regulatory framework for Alternative Investment Funds will not cover those raising money from investors abroad.

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