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

Topic C of 6 · 14 terms

Fund products and strategies

What does the fund invest in, and how?

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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1 · In one sentence

Loans given to start-ups that are already backed by venture capital.

2 · Think of it like thisThink of a loan given to a student who already has a scholarship. The scholarship shows someone has checked them. Venture debt is a loan to a start-up that has already raised venture capital, often with a small option to buy shares too.

4 · A real-world example

A start-up borrows ₹15 crore to extend its runway between funding rounds.

5 · Why it matters

Start-ups raise money without giving away as much ownership.

6 · How is it different from venture capital?

Venture debtA loan
vs
Venture capitalAn ownership stake

Venture capital takes ownership; venture debt is a loan.

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: Venture debt = loans for VC-backed start-ups.

A start-up backed by VCs takes a ₹10 crore loan from a fund to extend its runway. This 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

Meet the expert

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.