FME Regulatory Intelligence, Learning & Practice · IFSCA (Fund Management) Regulations, 2025

Topic F of 6 · 11 terms

India and cross-border

Where are the money, the fund and the investors?

Tap any term to open its full explanation: the meaning, an everyday comparison, how it works, a real example, why it matters, look-alike terms, what the rules say and a practice question.

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83terms
6topics
13comparisons

1 · In one sentence

Onshore investing means investing within the country; offshore investing means investing outside it.

2 · Think of it like thisThink of shopping in your own city versus shopping abroad. Where a fund is set up and where it invests are two separate questions: an Indian fund can invest abroad, and a foreign fund can invest in India.

4 · A real-world example

An Indian AIF buying Indian shares is onshore investing; buying US shares is offshore investing.

5 · Why it matters

Investing abroad from India is subject to limits and conditions. For SEBI AIFs, see Reg 15(1)(a) and the Master Circular's Chapter 5.

6 · How is it different from fund location?

Onshore and offshore investingWhere the money is invested
vs
Fund locationWhere the fund is set up

Where the fund is located and where it invests are two separate questions.

7 · Regulatory meaning

A general fund-industry term. It is not separately defined in the SEBI AIF or IFSCA Fund Management Regulations covered on this site.

8 · Explain it to someone else

Remember it this way: Onshore = at home; offshore = abroad.

An IFSC fund buying shares of a US company is:

Plain-English explanations to aid understanding. Regulatory points cite their source; general finance concepts are explained as commonly used. Not legal or tax advice.

Prashant Kumar

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CS Prashant Kumar

Company Secretary & Compliance Officer
Global Horizons Capital Advisors (IFSC) Private Limited — an IFSCA-licensed investment banker

13+ years of experienceFCS Fellow member, ICSIAuthor Audit Under Fire

Published in The Chartered Accountant (Jun 2025, Jan 2025, Mar 2024) and Chartered Secretary (Aug 2023)

Prashant Kumar is a seasoned Company Secretary and corporate governance strategist with more than 13 years of experience advising large corporates, promoter-led groups and global businesses on compliance, regulatory risk and board governance. In GIFT IFSC, the IFSCA regime is his day job rather than a research topic.