Sebi grants allotment exemptions for InvITs, Reits in schemes for employees

Markets regulator Sebi on Wednesday exempted InvITs and REITs from specific lock-in and allotment restrictions when issuing units to an employee benefit trust under unit-based employee benefit (UBEB) schemes.

This will facilitate easier acquisition and distribution of units to employees.

"In order to promote ease of doing business and to facilitate the acquisition of units by the employee benefit trust and the subsequent transfer of units to the employees as per the terms of the UBEB scheme, it is proposed that the ... lock-in and allotment related restrictions shall not apply to the employee benefit trust," Sebi said in separate circulars.

Standardizing quarterly reporting format, Sebi has mandated that Bharat InvITs Association and Indian REITs Association specify a uniform format for quarterly reports and compliance certificates.

These updates are to ensure that all InvITs and REITs comply with the set format, which will be publicly available on the associations' websites.

These measures are aimed at promoting operational efficiency, transparency, and consistency across the infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) and real estate infrastructure trust (REIT) sectors.

REITs allow investors to pour funds in commercial real estate options, while the InvIT provides the option of investing in a portfolio of infrastructure assets.