On August 5, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued the Fourth Amendment to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012. This amendment modifies several key provisions: it removes the requirement for funds to meet day-to-day operational needs from regulation 3; allows large value funds for accredited investors to extend their tenure up to five years with approval from two-thirds of unit holders, under new terms in regulation 13; limits Category I AIFs’ borrowing to temporary funding for up to 30 days, not exceeding 10% of investable funds, and allows encumbrance on equity for infrastructure projects in regulation 16; and similarly restricts borrowing for Category II AIFs under regulation 17. The changes aim to streamline operational practices and enhance regulatory oversight for alternative investment funds.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA
Mumbai, the 5th August, 2024
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS) (FOURTH AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2024
Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2024/198.—In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 30 read with sub-section (1) of Section 11, clause (ba) and clause (c) of sub-section (2) of Section 11 and sub-section (1) and (1B) of Section 12 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992), the Board hereby makes the following regulations to further amend the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012, namely, –
1. These Regulations may be called the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2024.
2. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
3. In the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012,–
I. In regulation 3, in sub-regulation (4), in clause (b), the words “to meet day-to-day operational requirements and” shall be omitted.
II. In regulation 13, in sub-regulation (5), the proviso shall be substituted with the following, namely,–
“Provided that a large value fund for accredited investors may be permitted to extend its tenure up to five years subject to the approval of two-thirds of the unit holders by value of their investment in the large value fund for accredited investors:
Provided further that the extension in tenure of any existing scheme of a large value fund for accredited investors shall be subject to such conditions as may be specified by the Board from time to time.”
III. In regulation 16, in sub-regulation (1), clause (c) shall be substituted with the following, namely,–
“(c) Category I Alternative Investment Funds shall not borrow funds directly or indirectly or engage in any leverage for the purpose of making investments or otherwise, except for borrowing funds to meet temporary funding requirements and day-to-day operational requirements for not more than thirty days, on not more than four occasions in a year and not more than ten percent of the investable funds and subject to such conditions as may be specified by the Board from time to time:
Provided that Category I Alternative Investment Funds may create encumbrance on equity of investee company, which is in the business of development, operation or management of projects in any of the infrastructure sub-sectors listed in the Harmonised Master List of Infrastructure issued by the Central Government, only for the purpose of borrowing by such investee company and subject to such conditions as may be specified by the Board from time to time.”
IV. In regulation 17, clause (c) shall be substituted with the following, namely,–
“(c) Category II Alternative Investment Funds shall not borrow funds directly or indirectly or engage in any leverage for the purpose of making investments or otherwise, except for borrowing funds to meet temporary funding requirements and day-to-day operational requirements for not more than thirty days, on not more than four occasions in a year and not more than ten percent of the investable funds and subject to such conditions as may be specified by the Board from time to time:
Provided that Category II Alternative Investment Funds may create encumbrance on equity of investee company, which is in the business of development, operation or management of projects in any of the infrastructure sub-sectors listed in the Harmonised Master List of Infrastructure issued by the Central Government, only for the purpose of borrowing by such investee company and subject to such conditions as may be specified by the Board from time to time.”
BABITHA RAYUDU, Executive Director
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./362/2024-25]
Footnote:
1. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012 were published in the Gazette of India on May 21, 2012 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2012-13/04/11262.
2. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012 were subsequently amended on, –
(a) 16th September, 2013 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2013 vide No. LAD-NRO/GN/2013-14/24/6573.
(b) 23rd May, 2014 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Payment of Fees) (Amendment) Regulations, 2014 vide No. LAD-NRO/GN/2014-15/03/1089.
(c) 26th September, 2014 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Real Estate Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014 vide No. LAD-NRO/GN/2014-15/11/1576.
(d) 14th August, 2015 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2015 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2015-16/011.
(e) 4th January, 2017 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2016 vide No. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2016-17/026.
(f) 6th March, 2017 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Payment of Fees and Mode of Payment) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 vide No. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2016-17/037.
(g) 1st June, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide No. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2018/19.
(h) 10th May, 2019 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2019 vide No. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2019/16.
(i) 17th April, 2020 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Regulatory Sandbox) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2020/10.
(j) 19th October, 2020 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 vide No. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2020/37.
(k) 8th January, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 vide No. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2021/01.
(l) 5th May, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2021 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2021/21.
(m) 3rd August, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Regulatory Sandbox) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2021/30.
(n) 3rd August, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2021 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2021/33.
(o) 13th August, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2021 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2021/41.
(p) 9th November, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2021 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2021/57.
(q) 24th January, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2022/68.
(r) 16th March, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2022 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2022/75.
(s) 25th July, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2022 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2022/89.
(t) 15th November 2022, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2022 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2022/105.
(u) 9th January 2023, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2023/113.
(v) 18th January 2023, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Change in Control in Intermediaries) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2023/115.
(w) 7th February 2023, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Payment of Fees and Mode of Payment) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2023/121.
(x) 15th June 2023, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2023/132.
(y) 3rd July 2023, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2023/137.
(z) 17th August 2023, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Facilitation of Grievance Redressal Mechanism) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2023/146.
(aa) 5th January 2024, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2024/163.
(bb) 25th April 2024, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2024 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2024/168.
(cc) 18th July, 2024, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2024 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2024/194.
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