Mumbai: The Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA), India’s apex industry body for alternative investments, is set to host the IVCA CAT III Summit 2025 on August 6, 2025, in Mumbai.
The event will bring together over 120 prominent figures from across the alternate investment ecosystem – including fund managers, limited partners (LPs), regulators, and wealth advisors – to explore the rise, innovation, and future of Category III Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).
With Category III AIFs emerging as a dominant force in India’s capital markets, the summit comes at a pivotal moment. The asset class has recorded an impressive 65% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past three years, amassing ₹2.3 lakh crore in capital commitments across 371 registered funds.
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FY25 alone saw the launch of 95 new Category III AIFs, representing an 86% year-on-year growth in registrations and a 58% YoY surge in capital commitments, significantly outperforming the broader AIF market’s 19% growth rate.
Rajat Tandon, President of IVCA, remarked, “Category III AIFs are at the forefront of India’s financial transformation – combining strategic growth with institutional capital. The IVCA CAT III Summit 2025 will catalyze industry-wide dialogue and collaboration to unlock the asset class’s full potential.”
The summit will feature marquee speakers from both the regulatory and investment communities. Key regulators including Pradeep Ramakrishnan of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and Pavan Shah will lead policy-centric sessions.
They will be joined by high-profile fund managers and experts such as:
- Bhautik Ambani, AlphGrep Investment Management
- Siddharth Bhaiya, Aequitas Investments
- Prashant Jain, 3P
- Vikas Khemani, Carnelian Asset Advisors
- Dr Pritesh Majumdar, DSP Mutual Fund
- Vikaas Sachdeva, Co-Chair, IVCA CAT III Council
- Onkarpreet Singh Jutia, Nuvama Private
Highlighting the strategic advantage of long/short equity strategies, Dr Pritesh Majumdar (DSP Mutual Fund) noted: “Indian equity markets display sharp dispersion of returns across sectors. Long/short strategies allow investors to capture these divergences while minimizing net exposure – offering strong risk-adjusted returns and portfolio diversification.”
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Priyam Kedia, Senior Portfolio Manager at Vivriti Asset Management, introduced a novel innovation: “Vivriti AMC has introduced semi-liquid credit funds under the Category III structure – blending periodic liquidity with diversified debt exposure. The IVCA platform is ideal for driving awareness and industry-wide engagement for such products.”
Udit Sureka, EVP & Head of Products at Nuvama Asset Services, added: “Category III AIFs are redefining alpha generation in India. With exposure to derivatives, quant strategies, and public-private market combinations, CAT III funds offer investors a market-agnostic, multi-asset edge. We now need clarity on leverage norms and taxation to further scale this ecosystem.”
IVCA CAT III Summit 2025: Supported by Leading Partners
- 3P, DSP, and Vivriti Asset Management as Knowledge Partners
- Nuvama joins as the Custody and Clearing Partner
Shaping the Future of Category III AIFs
As Category III AIFs attract increased interest from both domestic and global investors, the IVCA CAT III Summit 2025 will serve as a critical forum for driving insights, shaping regulation, and enabling innovation-led growth. The event underscores India’s positioning as a rising global hub for sophisticated, strategy-driven alternative investments.
