Opening
The real estate corridor between India and the UAE has continued to undergo a structural revolution in a game changer in the year 2026. The spotlight has since changed the focus on straightforward property transacting to the advanced financial framework behind it with news of NBCC (India) Ltd acquiring prime land parcel in the mainland of Dubai at AED 15 million.
To the shrewd investor, this acquisition is not about bricks and mortar in Dubai but a direct indication that there is a strong need to reassess the way in which foreign direct investment between the UAE and India is being conducted.
We are witnessing a colossal shift at GiftCityAdvisor where big ticket cross-border investments are not being stored in the risky mainland, but are being redirected through the GIFT City dollar-denominated tax haven of the GIFT City.
NBCC AED 15M Acquisition: A Strategic Indicator of 2026
It is a historic move that NBCC (India) Limited has made to enter the Dubai real estate market. NBCC, having purchased 15,000 sq. ft. of land to develop into a mixed-use development, NBCC is the first Indian Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) to make it as a developer in the Emirates.
Nevertheless, the actual lesson to the UAE family offices and institutional funds is the deal structure. Implemented under NBCC Overseas Real Estate LLC, this project is an indicator of an emerging trend, namely the use of specialised holding companies to run international portfolios.
The same reasoning applies to investors interested in the so-called reverse process, i.e., the capital inflow to the 500 GW Indian green energy push (or its rapidly expanding commercial market) with an additional potent twist: GIFT City (IFSC).
The Reason Your Next 100M should be in a USD-Denominated Real Estate Fund
In the past, the UAE investors used to be hit with a Return Killer in investing in Indian real estate: Currency Depreciation. Even when an Indian property increased by 10 percent in the Rupee currency, the 4-5 percent per year depreciation of the INR against the Dirham/Dollar had the effect of reducing the net yield by half.
The math is completely different when using a USD-denominated real estate fund in GIFT City:
- Zero Currency Risk: As the UAE Dirham is pegged to USD, and GIFT City is operating in Dollars, your money does not lose its value between entry and exit.
- Lower Cost of Debt: A Gift City Consultant will enable you to borrow from Indian Banking Units (IBUs) at global SOFR rates (around 5%), as opposed to 9-11% rates that are prevalent in the Indian mainland.
- Tax Neutrality: Within the existing framework, your IFSC unit gets tax free status of 10 out of 15 years hugely increasing the Net Present Value (NPV) of your project.
GIFT City vs. DIFC: A New Peer in Global Finance
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) have served as the benchmarks in business in the UAE over a period of ten years. Nowadays, GIFT City has become their counterpart in terms of onshore and offshore.
| Feature | DIFC / ADGM (UAE) | GIFT City (IFSC) |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation | DFSA / FSRA | IFSCA (Unified Regulator) |
| Primary Currency | USD / AED | USD (Dollar) |
| Tax on Profits | 0% – 9% | 0% (10-Year Holiday) |
| Repatriation | Seamless | Seamless (Non-Resident Status) |
We are a specialised Gift City Advisor and we tend to inform our clients that GIFT City is the Dubai in India. It will enable you to have the regulatory ease of a global centre with the operator direct, friction-free access to the fastest-growing major economy in the globe.
IFSCA ancillary services regulations (2025) Pivot: The Regulatory Pivot
The 2026 regulatory shock is based on the updated version of the FAQ on the IFSCA (TechFin and Ancillary Services) Regulations 2025 of December 12, 2025.
This update has radically altered the path of operation of real estate advisory and support services.
- Unified Licensing: The Gone Circulars of old and fragmented circulars in regard to “Ancillary Services” have been abolished. Today, real estate consultancy, bookkeeping, and compliance services are simplified using the TAS (TechFin & Ancillary Services) framework.
- Migration Clarity: Existing units will have 12 months to migrate to the new regime, which will guarantee business continuity among businesses that will support deals such as the NBCC Dubai real estate venture.
- Full-Time Presence: The new regulations explain that the Principal Officer (PO) and the Compliance Officer (CO) are required to be full-time residents of the IFSC, which brings about “High Substance” and international credibility.
De-Risking Your Entry in a Gift City Consultant
Reading about the 500 pages of the IFSCA handbook is not a task for beginners. In this case, a Gift City Advisor is the person who will be of the greatest help to you. Regardless of whether you are an Indian company looking to venture into Dubai, or a UAE company looking to venture into Indian non-fossil fuel capacity, the right consultant will make sure that:
- Structuring: Select an AIF (Category II), a PMS, or a wholly owned subsidiary (WOS).
- Licensing: Accelerating the Certificate of Registration (CoR) using the new TAS portal.
- Compliance: Operating the change to the 2025 TAS regulations without falling out of operation.
The 2026 Strategy of GiftCityAdvisor
We do not just give a suggestion; we construct bridges. To the UAE investors, we make vehicles so that you are enabled to exit your investments in India in USD, repatriating 100 percent of your profits back to Dubai without the customary withholding tax (WHT) of the mainland.
Follow the Smart Capital
NBCC’s AED 15M move into Dubai is just the tip of the iceberg. As Indian PSUs and private developers go global, and UAE capital seeks a safe harbor in Indian growth, the GIFT City gateway is the only platform that offers the efficiency of the DIFC with the scale of India.
If you are a UAE family office, a fund manager, or a real estate developer, the time to calculate your investment plan is now. Don’t let your returns be eroded by “old-way” mainland taxes and currency leaks.