The International Financial Services Centres Authority has proposed enabling operating leases, including hybrids of operating and financial leases, for graphics processing units and connected data center equipment as a financial product in GIFT International Financial Services Centre. The proposal would allow businesses to access high-cost computing infrastructure through periodic payments while lessors manage obsolescence, residual-value and asset redeployment risks. The measure is intended to attract GPU leasing activity to GIFT IFSC and support commercial demand from cloud operators, colocation providers, hyperscalers and enterprises. The consultation cites India’s reliance on imported equipment and estimates that deployment of 650,000 to 700,000 GPUs in Indian data centers over the next five years could create a USD 23 billion investment opportunity. Comments are due by Aug. 28, 2026.
2026-08-18India International Financial Services Centres Authority
India's International Financial Services Centres Authority launches consultation on GPU and data center equipment leasing in GIFT IFSC
The International Financial Services Centres Authority has proposed recognizing operating and hybrid leases of GPUs and connected data center equipment as a financial product in GIFT IFSC. The framework would support commercial access to high-cost AI infrastructure and attract leasing activity, with comments due by Aug. 28, 2026.