Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC) Listings Through IFSCA At Gift City: A Regulatory Opportunity Or A Systemic Risk
- IJLLR Journal
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Aditya Francis, Amity Law School Noida, Amity University Uttar Pradesh
ABSTRACT
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies have emerged as a significant alternative to traditional Initial Public Offerings allowing for companies to adopt a more simplified and expedient approach for mergers and public listings. While jurisdictions like the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom already have dedicated regulatory frameworks for SPACs, India has recently implemented its own SPAC framework through the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) which serves as the sole regulatory body for all transactions which take place in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). The introduction of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (Issuance and Listing of Securities) Regulations, 2021 represents a significant shift in India’s regulatory approach by formally permitting SPAC listings under the IFSCA framework.
The paper examines whether SPAC listings through GIFT City presents opportunities for India to strengthen its position in the global capital markets or whether they create broader systemic and regulatory risks. Furthermore, this paper conducts a comparative analysis of SPAC frameworks of the United States, Singapore and the U.K and how these compare to the IFSCA framework. The paper also evaluates how the IFSCA framework balances an innovative listing model with investor protection. Additionally, the paper highlights key issues related to regulatory arbitrage, tax implications, sponsor conflict of interest and conflict with domestic laws. The paper argues while the IFSCA framework provides India with a strategic opportunity to retain capital formation and corporate growth, the success of the SPAC framework depends upon developing it in a way that ensures investor protection and market stability.
Keywords: SPACs, GIFT City, IFSCA, Capital Markets, SEC, IFSCA (Issuance and Listing of Securities) Regulations, 2021, Investor Protection, Mergers, IPOs.
