IFSCA Hosts Payments Forum 2026 at GIFT-IFSC to Boost Payments Ecosystem

Press Release; Dated: 13.02.2026

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) hosted the Payments Forum 2026 at GIFT-IFSC to strengthen the payments and settlement ecosystem and promote collaboration across financial sectors.

The Forum brought together stakeholders from:

• Banking
• Capital markets
• Insurance
• Fund management entities
• Payment Service Providers (PSPs)
• Fintech firms

• Academia

1. Focus on Strengthening IFSC Payments Ecosystem

The Forum aimed to:

• Apprise regulated entities of the evolving payments infrastructure in IFSC
• Highlight recent regulatory and market developments
• Enhance efficiency and reliability of cross-border transactions
• Encourage collaboration among financial sector participants

The discussions focused on building a robust and globally competitive payments ecosystem within GIFT-IFSC.

2. Key Digital and Infrastructure Initiatives Highlighted

IFSCA highlighted several initiatives to strengthen digital onboarding and compliance infrastructure, including:

• Digital onboarding enhancements
• Video-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP)
• Integration with e-KYC Setu
• DigiLocker integration (including passport access)
• CKYCR 2.0 framework
• PAN verification through the Protean portal

These initiatives aim to streamline onboarding, improve compliance efficiency, and support seamless cross-border financial services.

3. Platform for Collaboration and Innovation

The Payments Forum 2026 served as a platform for:

• Dialogue between regulators and industry participants
• Sharing of best practices and innovation
• Identification of opportunities for ecosystem development
• Strengthening partnerships across sectors

4. Regulatory Objective

Through the Forum, IFSCA reaffirmed its commitment to:

• Building a world-class payment and settlement ecosystem
• Promoting technology-driven financial services
• Enhancing cross-border transaction efficiency
• Positioning GIFT-IFSC as a global financial hub

5. Key Takeaway

The Payments Forum 2026 underscored IFSCA’s focus on strengthening digital infrastructure, regulatory coordination, and industry collaboration to develop a modern, efficient, and technology-enabled payments and settlement ecosystem at GIFT-IFSC.

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