**Executive Summary**
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) hosted the Global Securities Markets Conclave (GSMC 2.0) on February 26-27, 2026, at GIFT City. The conclave focused on global capital flows and cross-border investments in the age of AI. It served as a platform to shape policy discourse and strengthen global cooperation.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Inaugural Session:**
* IFSCA's evolution to India's gateway to global capital was traced, emphasizing institutional credibility, regulatory predictability, and market liquidity.
* Alignment with India's vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and a balanced, globally benchmarked India-centric financial ecosystem were highlighted.
* **Global Cooperation:**
* The importance of global cooperation amid geopolitical uncertainty was stressed.
* Climate finance was reaffirmed as a strategic priority.
* **Key Discussions & Insights:**
* Innovations in stock exchange trading, including AI-driven surveillance and the debate on 24x7 trading, were deliberated.
* Regulatory strategies emphasized balancing innovation with investor protection and market integrity.
* Climate finance sessions explored bridging the global North-South capital gap and leveraging private capital for energy transition sectors.
* Digital gold deliberations focused on regulatory oversight, sourcing standards, and monetization of household gold.
* Innovation in global access must be supported by robust risk management and investor protection.
* **Project ACE:**
* Accelerating Commodity Trading Ecosystem in IFSC (ACE) initiative was presented.
* It aims to position GIFT IFSC as a global commodity merchanting hub.
* **Global Market Access:**
* The discussion underscored that innovation in global access must be supported by robust risk management, investor protection and reduced transaction costs.
* **Equity and Debt Listings:**
* GIFT IFSC was described as a two-way liquidity gateway and a sandbox for innovative products and new structures beyond traditional IPOs.
* **Key Announcements:**
* Taiwan Stock Exchange entered into MOUs with India INX and NSE IX to enhance cross-border cooperation.
* AFRINEX, Mauritius signed an MOU with India INX to deepen India-Africa capital market cooperation.
* Colombo Stock Exchange signed an MOU with NSE IX to deepen India-Sri Lankan capital market connectivity.
* Cyprus Stock Exchange announced arrangements with NSE IX to facilitate dual listings of securities.
* Operationalisation of IFSCA's first KYC Registration Agency.
* Launch of certification programmes jointly developed by IFSCA and ICSI.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders**
* **Global Regulators and Policymakers:**
* **Impact:** The conclave served as a platform to shape policy discourse and strengthen global cooperation.
* **Action Required:** Implement harmonized standards in digital finance and strengthen investor protection frameworks.
* **Financial Institutions, Fund Managers, and Industry Practitioners:**
* **Impact:** The conclave provided insights into the evolving dynamics of securities markets globally and opportunities within GIFT IFSC.
* **Action Required:** Explore opportunities within GIFT IFSC and adopt robust risk management practices.
* **Investors:**
* **Impact:** Discussions on regulatory strategy emphasized balancing innovation with investor protection and market integrity.
* **Action Required:** Understand the risk management frameworks and investor protection measures in place within GIFT IFSC.
* **India and Luxembourg:**
* **Impact:** Shared objectives were noted between India and Luxembourg in strengthening cross-border financial collaboration.
* **Action Required:** Continue collaboration in strengthening cross-border financial ties.
Key Entities Referenced
International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA): Primary regulator and organizer of the Global Securities Markets Conclave.
Global Securities Markets Conclave (GSMC 2.0): Flagship event hosted by IFSCA, focused on the global securities markets.
GIFT IFSC: Location and key area of focus for the discussions and regulatory developments highlighted in the event.
PRESS RELEASE
Global Securities Markets Conclave 2.0
Successful Conclusion of the Second Edition of GSMC at GIFT City
International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) in collaboration with the
Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) in the GIFT IFSC, namely NSE International
Exchange (NSE IX), India International Exchange (India INX), NSE International Clearing
Corporation (NSE ICC), India International Clearing Corporation (India ICC), India
International Depository (IIDI) and India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX),
successfully hosted the second edition of its flagship event - Global Securities Markets
Conclave (GSMC 2.0), on February 26 – 27, 2026, at GIFT City.
Held under the theme “Global Capital Flows: Navigating Cross-Border Investments in
the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” GSMC 2.0 brought together a diverse array of over 500
participants, including global regulators, policymakers, sovereign representatives,
financial institutions, fund managers, industry leaders and industry practitioners from
India and across the globe, for wide-ranging discussions on the evolving dynamics of
securities markets globally. Additionally, the Conclave was also streamed live on Youtube
and GSMC mobile application.
The two-day conclave served as a high-level platform to shape policy discourse,
strengthen global cooperation and unveil significant regulatory and ecosystem
developments within GIFT IFSC.
The key highlights of the 2-day session are briefly captured as follows:
Inaugural Session
Shri K. Rajaraman, Chairperson, IFSCA, set the strategic tone by tracing GIFT IFSC’s
evolution from its original mandate of “onshoring the offshore” to becoming India’s
gateway to global capital. He noted the transition from scale-building to global
positioning, underscoring the importance of institutional credibility, regulatory
predictability and market liquidity. He emphasised alignment with India’s vision of Viksit
Bharat 2047 and highlighted the need to balance openness with resilience while building
a globally benchmarked yet India-centric financial ecosystem.
Page 1 of 4H.E. Mr. Gilles Roth, Minister of Finance, Luxembourg, highlighted the importance of
global cooperation amid geopolitical uncertainty. He stressed climate finance as a
strategic priority and reaffirmed that trust, transparency and institutional credibility are
foundational to resilient financial systems, noting shared objectives between India and
Luxembourg in strengthening cross-border financial collaboration.
Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India, offered a
macroeconomic perspective on global capital markets in the age of AI and geopolitical
realignment. He underlined supervisory preparedness for AI-driven risks, India’s strong
structural growth outlook, and the role of digital public infrastructure in inclusion. He
called for patient capital, responsible innovation and shared responsibility in liquidity
development.
Shri Injeti Srinivas, Chairperson, NSE and former Chairperson, IFSCA, described GIFT
IFSC as a “Setu” linking India to global markets. Reflecting on India’s financial reforms
since the 1990s, he identified Compatibility, Trust and Liquidity as the core pillars for
IFSC growth and emphasised a shift from competing with other jurisdictions to
complementing them, positioning GIFT IFSC as a second engine of India’s financial
evolution.
In his pre-recorded address, Mr. Jean-Paul Servais, Chairman, IOSCO Board, emphasised
global regulatory coordination covering over 95 percent of securities markets. He called
for harmonised standards in digital finance, AI and tokenisation, stronger investor
protection frameworks and enhanced supervisory convergence, reiterating that
international cooperation remains central to financial stability.
Discussions & Insights:
GSMC 2.0 featured focused deliberations on innovations in stock exchange trading,
including AI-driven surveillance, algorithmic oversight, the debate on 24×7 trading, and
the implications of high-frequency trading. Participants also examined the role of
Distributed Ledger Technology as complementary infrastructure while reaffirming the
importance of human oversight in automated markets.
Discussions on regulatory strategy emphasised balancing innovation with investor
protection and market integrity. Speakers highlighted regulatory and technology
sandboxes, evolving AI risk frameworks, interoperability, legal certainty, and the need for
enhanced supervisory capacity and technological expertise.
Sessions on climate finance explored bridging the Global North–South capital gap,
insulating sustainable finance from geopolitical tensions, leveraging private capital
through finance-plus models, and reducing the cost of capital for energy transition
sectors.
Page 2 of 4Deliberations on digital gold focused on regulatory oversight, physically backed Bullion
Depository Receipts, responsible sourcing standards, and monetisation of household
gold.
Project ACE (Accelerating Commodity Trading Ecosystem in IFSC) was presented as a
strategic initiative to position GIFT IFSC as a global commodity merchanting hub through
improved trade finance structures, regulatory clarity, and integration with global supply
chains. Discussions on fundraising trends highlighted outcome-oriented portfolios,
capital recycling, governance and transparency, and the deepening of cross-border fund
structures. On sovereign ratings and credit markets, participants stressed transparent
and context-sensitive rating frameworks amid global trade and supply chain disruptions.
The session on Global Market Access: Navigating the future of cross-border trading. The
discussion underscored that innovation in global access must be supported by robust risk
management, investor protection and reduced transaction costs, ensuring global
diversification is both accessible and secure.
The final session of the event called Navigating the Landscape of Equity and Debt Listings
– Opportunities and Challenges delved into how GIFT IFSC was described as both a two-
way liquidity gateway and a sandbox for innovative products, enabling follow-on offerings
and new structures beyond traditional IPOs. With integrated regulation under IFSCA and
speed of execution as a competitive advantage, IFSC is well positioned to tap global capital
and reinforce India’s ambition to become a leading international financial hub.
Key Announcements:
A major highlight of GSMC 2.0 was the strengthening of global exchange connectivity
through strategic collaborations.
• The Taiwan Stock Exchange entered into MoU’s with India International Exchange
(India INX) and NSE International Exchange (NSE IX) to enhance cross-border
cooperation.
• AFRINEX, Mauritius signed an MoU with India INX to deepen India–Africa capital
market cooperation
• Colombo Stock Exchange signed an MoU with NSE IX to deepen India-Sri Lankan
capital market connectivity.
• The Cyprus Stock Exchange announced arrangements with NSE IX to facilitate dual
listings of securities.
These partnerships mark the beginning of long-term strategic relationships and reinforce
GIFT IFSC’s position as a global gateway for capital and market connectivity.
The other key significant announcements include operationalisation of IFSC’s first KYC
Registration Agency
Page 3 of 4Capacity-building initiatives were also advanced through the launch of certification
programmes jointly developed by IFSCA and ICSI, the introduction of an elective paper on
IFSCA Regulations in the CS Professional Course, and the strengthening of institutional
training through the IFSCA Academy
The proceedings of the two-day Conclave may be viewed at
www.youtube.com/@gsmcifsc and GSMC mobile application (Android App:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gift.gsmc iOS App:
https://apps.apple.com/tj/app/gsmc/id6757671511)
Gandhinagar
February 27, 2026
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