India, Nov. 30 -- Starting January 1, 2026, any investment made by Mutual Funds (MFs) and Specialised Investment Funds (SIFs) in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) will be considered as an investment in equity-related instruments , Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said in a statement.

With a view to facilitating enhanced participation by MFs and SIFs in REITs, SEBI had made amendments to the SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996, to reclassify REITs as equity-related instruments.

Any inclusion of REITs in the equity indices shall be carried out only after a period of 6 months, i.e., July 1, 2026. InvITs (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) shall continue to be classified as hybrid instruments for investments by Mutual Fund...