India and Saudi launch $2 billion fund to boost innovation and startups

Saudi Arabia and India have established a joint fund aimed at investing in Indian innovations and the startup ecosystem, with a focus on strategic sectors.

- AMITAV RANJAN

New Delhi recently proposed a Saudi Arabia-India Cooperation Fund (SAICF) of over $2 billion, modelled after the UK-India Development Cooperation Fund.

Last month, India released a blueprint for the SAICF, starting with a $500 million Fund of Funds (FOF). This would be a pooled investment fund where both governments will invest in an agreed proportion. The FOF would then invest an average of $20-25 million in daughter funds, which, in turn, would invest in 15 to 25 startups and growth companies. However, the FOF's commitment to any daughter fund would be capped at one-third of the latter's size to minimise commercial and concentration-related risks. These daughter funds would be managed by reputable fund managers, while both the FOF and the daughter funds will be regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.