International family: India is being considered as a long-term investment destination by offices
International family: According to the organizer of the world’s largest and most exclusive gathering of family wealth, international family offices are increasingly focusing on India as a long-term investment destination due to diaspora-led entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and the nation’s growing role in the global economy.
Anthony Ritossa, founder of the Global Family Office Investment Summit, told IANS in an interview that India is becoming a major focus area for affluent investors who are looking beyond traditional markets, especially as Indian-origin entrepreneurs who established businesses overseas are starting to channel capital and expertise back home.
After the most recent conference in Miami, Ritossa said that his platform, which began in 2016 with a small group of 60 individuals in Dubai, has expanded into a worldwide network of family offices, entrepreneurs, owners of conglomerate businesses, and members of governing and royal families.
The summit series “snowballed since then” and now draws repeat attendees from all around the globe, he said, adding that “it was a relatively small gathering back then.” Ritossa, the chairman of the Ritossa Family Office, is an impact investor and family office influencer.
In what Ritossa called a “safe harbor environment,” the Global Family Office Investment Summit now meets in places like Dubai, Miami, Monaco, Riyadh, and parts of the French Riviera. He pointed out that the conference is “becoming a bridge between the US and the Middle East with Miami and Dubai being the gateway cities,” according to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
According to Ritossa, the perspective and time horizon of the family office community are different from those of conventional venture capital. In contrast to venture capital funds, which often function on shorter cycles and report to limited partners, he said that family office investment capital tends to be more permanent capital and has a much longer-term view.
According to him, family offices have a history of being early adopters of new industries. Along with talks on blockchain and artificial intelligence, the conference presented Bitcoin as an investment option around eight years ago, when the cryptocurrency was valued at roughly $3,000. He said that while AI is now a popular topic, family office discussions have always included it. “We’ve had both digital assets and AI’s dedicated panel sessions for the last eight years,” he stated.
AI, data centers, military technology, longevity healthcare, and real estate development are among the current topics of interest for family offices. Defense technology, in particular, is growing quickly, according to Ritossa, with some investors speculating that it is growing even more quickly than the AI industry.
According to Ritossa, the second term of President Donald Trump has seen a good feeling from Middle Eastern family offices over the overall investment climate in the United States. He pointed to indications that have prompted more private-sector involvement, such as public declarations of significant investments, including pledges to US data centers.
According to Ritossa, investors emphasized the importance of the Indian diaspora, and India was a major topic of conversation during the summit. He cited an increasing number of Indian businesspeople who established unicorns outside coming back to India to start new businesses and incubators. “Now that they’re beginning to return to India, they’re using what they’ve learned to establish a new kind of incubator for entrepreneurs there,” he told IANS.
India is “a massive growth engine” with a “very well educated population,” according to Ritossa, who also said that many family offices are considering ways to include India in their investment portfolios.
Ritossa claims that over the last ten years, the summit series has helped over $4.5 billion in transactions and investments, with over 9,800 people attending events all over the globe. He said that at the previous Miami conference, one business alone was able to acquire a $300 million commitment.
The summit is looking at potential in Morocco and intends to expand to additional locations, such as Bahrain, which is supported by its royal family. Additionally, he said that the platform is emphasizing impact investment and altruism more, including charity dinners and individual donations that have aided humanitarian causes.
Over the last 10 years, family offices have grown in importance in the global financial industry, managing private wealth across generations and often functioning outside of institutional funds’ limitations. Their increasing interest in India is in line with New Delhi’s efforts to draw in long-term foreign investment, especially in industries driven by innovation, infrastructure, and technology.