Who regulates Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) in

Solution

Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) are privately pooled investment vehicles that collect funds from sophisticated investors (domestic or foreign) and invest according to a pre-defined investment policy. • The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulatory authority for AIFs in India. • SEBI introduced the AIF Regulations, 2012, categorizing AIFs into: o Category I (e.g., venture capital funds, SME funds, infrastructure funds, Special Situation Funds), o Category II (e.g., private equity funds, debt funds), and o Category III (e.g., hedge funds). • Recently, SEBI approved Special Situation Funds (SSFs) under Category I, which are allowed to invest in stressed or bad debt assets. This regulatory framework ensures investor protection, transparency, and structured growth of the alternative investment ecosystem in India.