3 min readAhmedabadJan 24, 2026 10:05 AM IST
First published on: Jan 24, 2026 at 10:05 AM IST
Participating in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos for the first time, a Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) delegation leveraged the four-day global forum to position India’s maiden International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) as a scalable, regulation-ready destination for banking, capital markets, insurance, fintech, and advanced digital operations.
GIFT City’s MD and Group CEO Sanjay Kaul said, “India is at a defining stage in its economic journey, with global institutions increasingly viewing the country not just as a market, but as a base for sophisticated financial and technology operations. The discussions at Davos reflect growing confidence in GIFT City’s regulatory framework and operating environment, and its ability to offer global firms a competitive, internationally aligned platform within India’s jurisdiction to participate in the country’s long-term growth.”
The GIFT City delegation held a series of structured discussions with senior leadership from leading global financial institutions. Officials shared that meetings with Euroclear, Marsh McLennan, Invesco, Visa, and Nasdaq centred on the evolution of India’s capital markets, cross-border fund flows, and the operational advantages of the IFSC ecosystem.
“GIFT City is steadily strengthening its position as India’s only International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) aligned with the country’s long-term economic goals. The ecosystem currently supports around 27,000 professionals, and we expect this number to reach 100,000 jobs by 2030. This growth is being driven by sustained interest from global financial institutions across banking, fund management, leasing and allied sectors, supported by a stable regulatory framework, strong infrastructure, and a growing social ecosystem. In parallel with business expansion, GIFT City is developing quality housing, healthcare, education and urban amenities to support a thriving workforce,” Kaul added.
Strategic conversations were also held with global advisory and institutional stakeholders including Egon Zehnder, APCO Worldwide, Laurel Strategies, IMD Business School, and Surfin, underlining the growing global interest in GIFT City as a long-term institutional and innovation destination.
Beyond one-to-one meetings, GIFT City participated in curated roundtables at the GIFT Pavilion focusing on India’s GCC opportunity, the future of global capital flows, and technology-driven enterprise transformation. The delegation also joined exclusive sessions hosted by the Swiss Embassy, Swiss India Chamber of Commerce, and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The GIFT City delegation held a series of structured discussions with senior leadership from leading global financial institutions. (File) 
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