For families who think in generations and currencies.
GIFT IFSC gives an Indian family something it has not had at home: a regulated, foreign-currency jurisdiction for global wealth, inside India. We advise principals and their family offices on using it well, and on when not to.
The questions families ask us
Family investment funds
A regulated, single-family fund in GIFT IFSC that pools resident, NRI and OCI capital in foreign currency.
Read more →Investing through the LRS
How resident individuals invest in IFSC funds, securities and foreign-currency accounts within RBI's scheme.
Read more →NRI and OCI investment
Foreign-currency investing for the global Indian family, outside rupee routes.
Read more →Portfolio management
Discretionary and advisory mandates run from GIFT City.
Read more →Foreign-currency banking
Accounts with IFSC banking units for residents and non-residents.
Read more →Succession and trusts
Placing GIFT structures inside a family's wills, trusts and governance.
For a family whose members live in several countries, GIFT IFSC offers something new: a foreign-currency, regulated structure within India through which the whole family can invest abroad together.
The family investment fund is the centrepiece, but most families also need advice on how it fits with their wills, trusts, holding companies and the next generation.
A resident family pooling its global investments
Parents and adult children in India want to invest abroad together rather than through separate LRS remittances.
A family investment fund in GIFT IFSC.
The steps
- Confirm who counts as family under the Regulations.
- Choose a family-controlled FME or a third-party manager.
- Contribute within each member's LRS limit.
- Adopt an investment policy and a family charter.
Points that need care
- LRS limits and tax collected at source on remittances.
- Tax for resident members on distributions and exit.
A global family with members in India and abroad
Some members are resident, others are NRIs or OCIs, and the family wants one vehicle.
A family investment fund that accepts both resident and non-resident contributions.
The steps
- Map each member's residence and tax position.
- Structure contributions in foreign currency.
- Agree voting and distribution rights.
Points that need care
- Each member is taxed by their own residence.
A foreign family office setting up in GIFT City
A family office based abroad wants an Indian base. IFSCA registered the first foreign family office in April 2026.
An FME or family investment fund, depending on the activity.
The steps
- Decide what the GIFT entity will actually do.
- Register and place people in GIFT City.
- Plan how it relates to the family's other offices.
Points that need care
- Substance in GIFT City.
Succession and the next generation
A patriarch or matriarch wants the family's GIFT structure to pass smoothly.
Interaction between the fund, wills, trusts and family arrangements.
The steps
- Review how interests in the fund pass on death.
- Align with existing trusts and holding companies.
- Write governance for the next generation's entry.
Points that need care
- Succession law of each member's domicile.
An HNI investing personally through GIFT City
An individual wants foreign-currency deposits, funds and global market access without a family structure.
Direct investment through IBU accounts, IFSC funds and IFSC brokers.
The steps
- Open a foreign-currency account with an IBU.
- Invest through IFSC funds or brokers with global access.
- Keep LRS records for each remittance.
Points that need care
- Residents are taxed on worldwide income.
Philanthropy alongside the family fund
A family wants to direct part of its wealth to charitable purposes.
A separate charitable structure working alongside the family's GIFT arrangements.
The steps
- Separate philanthropic capital from investment capital.
- Choose the right charitable vehicle in India or abroad.
Points that need care
- Charitable structures are not IFSC vehicles; they need their own analysis.
Quiet, structured, documented.
A private first conversation; no documents needed.
Conflict check and a written engagement letter.
A structure paper: options, rules that apply, open questions.
Implementation with your bankers, auditors and foreign counsel.
Ongoing regulatory and tax support as the family's needs change.
GIFT City is a tax architecture, not a shelter.
The benefits depend on substance, eligible income and the rules in force on the day. Where a family's goals are better served elsewhere, or onshore, we say so. The firm's Publication Series Vol. III, Family Offices at GIFT IFSC, sets out the analysis in full.
Arrange a private conversation.
A first conversation needs no documents. Tell us, in a few lines, what the family is considering.
Arrange a consultation →