- Category III AIF to unlock high-value opportunities in special situations, structured credit and distressed assets
- Five-year USD 60-million fund leverages GIFT City’s global investment ecosystem for cross-border capital participation
- Founder Manish Lalwani sees India’s evolving regulatory landscape driving the next wave of institutional special-situations investing
NE BUSINESS BUREAU
MUMBAI, JUNE 26
Areion Assets Management Private Limited (AAMPL), the investment management arm of Areion Group, has launched the Areion Growth Fund – GIFT City, a Category III Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) registered under the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) Regulations, 2025, to tap India’s rapidly expanding special situations investment landscape.
The fund has a target corpus of USD 60 million (around ₹570 crore) and a five-year tenure, extendable by up to two years. It is designed to provide sophisticated domestic and global investors with tax-efficient access to India’s growing opportunities in special situations, structured credit and distressed assets through the internationally recognised GIFT City platform.
The investment mandate covers opportunities across India’s credit spectrum, including Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)-led resolutions, one-time settlements, stressed asset acquisitions and strategic exits. The fund will evaluate opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, hospitality, financial services and real estate-linked assets.
Its strategy will focus on recovery-led value creation through active resolution management, operational turnaround initiatives, negotiated settlements and strategic asset monetisation, enabling investors to participate in value unlocked from distressed and underperforming assets.
Commenting on the launch, Manish Lalwani, Founder, Areion Group, said, “The launch of the Areion Growth Fund – GIFT City comes at a pivotal moment, as India’s special situation market is transitioning into a more institutionalised and structured investment opportunity. While participation in special situations strategies has historically been limited to institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals, we believe the next phase of growth will see broader participation, supported by an increasingly conducive regulatory environment. Areion Group is well-positioned to capitalise on this evolving investment landscape.”
Established in the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) space since 2019, AAMPL has built a diversified multi-fund platform comprising Category I and Category II funds. Since inception, the firm has deployed nearly ₹3,000 crore across special situation assets, establishing a strong track record in identifying and managing complex investment opportunities.
With the launch of its GIFT City platform, Areion aims to deepen institutional participation in India’s rapidly maturing distressed asset ecosystem while positioning itself at the forefront of the country’s next phase of alternative investment growth.
