The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), in collaboration with key Market Infrastructure Institutions at GIFT City, successfully hosted the second edition of the Global Securities Markets Conclave (GSMC 2.0) on February 26–27, 2026. Held under the theme “Global Capital Flows: Navigating Cross-Border Investments in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” the conclave brought together over 500 global regulators, policymakers, financial institutions, and industry leaders to deliberate on AI-driven market risks, regulatory innovation, climate finance, digital gold, commodity ecosystem development, sovereign ratings, and cross-border listings. The event highlighted GIFT IFSC’s evolution into a global capital gateway, emphasising institutional credibility, regulatory predictability, investor protection, and market liquidity. Strategic MoUs with international exchanges including Taiwan Stock Exchange, AFRINEX, Colombo Stock Exchange and Cyprus Stock Exchange strengthened cross-border connectivity. Key announcements included operationalisation of IFSC’s first KYC Registration Agency and expanded capacity-building initiatives, reinforcing GIFT IFSC’s position as an emerging international financial hub.
International Financial Services Centres Authority
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.
H.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.
Deliberations 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 Capacity-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
