Ahmedabad: The second edition of the GIFT International Banking Forum (GIBF) 2025 concluded at GIFT City Club, bringing together senior regulators, global bank CEOs, and thought leaders to deliberate on how Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) can anchor India’s global financial ambitions.

The event highlighted opportunities to unlock global flows, including bank credit accounting for 86% of world GDP, $34 trillion in cross-border lending potential, $860 billion in remittances, and the possibility of capturing 15–25% of treasury operations in bonds, forex, derivatives, and investments through GIFT City. This positions GIFT City as a potential USD 500 billion multi-asset financial hub, underscoring India’s transition from a delivery hub to a strategic global financial centre.

The forum saw strong participation, with over 50 banks and 150 senior leaders from across the country. With the theme “Powering India’s Global Financial Leadership”, it featured a full-day agenda of keynotes, presentations, and panel discussions, highlighting how GIFT City is positioned to drive innovation across banking—covering wholesale banking, retail wealth, and treasury—while shaping a unified vision for India as a global financial hub.

Sanjay Kaul, MD & Group CEO, GIFT City, said, “GIFT City is at the forefront of India’s ambition to emerge as a global banking and financial powerhouse. With 34 IFSC Banking Units (IBUs) already operational, we are witnessing the creation of a vibrant ecosystem that is seamlessly connecting India with global financial markets. The IBUs here are driving innovation in cross-border financing, foreign currency lending, trade finance, treasury operations, and wealth management — areas critical for India’s growth story and global integration.”

Kaul further emphasised, “As India transitions from being a delivery hub to a strategic centre of global finance, GIFT City will continue to anchor this transformation — serving as the launchpad for innovation, capital flows, and financial leadership on the world stage.”

Adding to this, Pratik Shah, Partner & National Leader – Financial Services, EY India said,“GIFT City is India’s bold platform to bring global capital closer home and channel India’s capital to global markets. The opportunity is immense, powered by India’s unique strengths — the world’s fastest-growing large economy, unmatched digital infrastructure, and deep pools of talent. With aligned regulation, strong liquidity, and corporate adoption, GIFT is set to be the global hub of choice for investors and a key driver of India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 journey.”

Few Session Highlights:

• Strategic Agenda: Opening session emphasized how India can harness regulatory foresight, digital public infrastructure, and global linkages to become a trusted international hub.
• Wholesale & Transaction Banking: Leaders discussed GIFT’s role in cross-border corporate banking, foreign currency lending, and trade finance — positioning India as a bridge between East and West.
• Retail Wealth: Panel highlighted how rising Indian aspirations can be matched with global investment products, inbound/outbound flows, and next-gen wealth innovation through GIFT IFSC, overlaying with legal requirements on KYC to improve efficiency.
• Treasury in Real Time: Discussions revealed how India can power multi-currency pooling, deep FX markets, and automated treasury centres at global scale.
• CEO Roundtable: Top Indian and international CEOs charted a shared vision for scaling GIFT, aligning regulation, and accelerating innovation for global competitiveness.

GIBF 2025 also celebrated excellence with awards including “Bank of the Year” to HSBC, “Innovative Bank of the Year” to Bank of Baroda, and “Digital Bank of the Year” to Standard Chartered Bank. DeshGujarat