The Economic Times · 24 Sep, 01:36 · Finance briefing

SPEC Finance’s Karan Rawat on GIFT City, Global Capital and India’s Finance Ambition | ET WLF 2026

Karan Rawat, Karan Rawat of SPEC Finance, discusses India’s strategic push to establish GIFT City as a global financial hub during the Economic Times Women Leadership Forum 2026.

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28%average pay gap between certified and uncertified finance staff

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

Karan Rawat, Karan Rawat of SPEC Finance, discusses India’s strategic push to establish GIFT City as a global financial hub during the Economic Times Women Leadership Forum 2026. The discussion highlights initiatives to attract international capital and integrate India into global financial markets. This development signals a significant shift in India’s regulatory and infrastructure landscape, aiming to position the nation as a competitive alternative for cross-border investments and financial services, reflecting broader ambitions for economic modernisation.

Employer demand for Finance and Accounting skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

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This shift demands immediate attention from finance professionals seeking global exposure. Roles requiring cross-border regulatory knowledge and international capital markets expertise will surge in value. You should prioritise understanding the specific legal and operational frameworks governing GIFT City. Smart professionals will upskill in compliance and global finance regulations to navigate this new ecosystem. Consider specialising in areas that bridge domestic Indian finance with international standards. Networking within these emerging hubs becomes crucial for career advancement. Focus on acquiring certifications in international financial reporting and regulatory compliance to remain competitive.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Finance and Accounting, Compliance And Governance, Risk Management Strategies and Financial Modeling — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

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