India Infoline is an Indian financial services group, commonly associated with the IIFL brand. The business originated in Mumbai in the mid-1990s as a research and information provider on Indian companies and capital markets, and over time expanded into broking, distribution of financial products, lending, wealth management and asset management. As the group grew, it was reorganised into separate listed entities focused on different lines of business.
| Name | India Infoline (IIFL) |
|---|---|
| Type | Financial services group |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Broking, lending, wealth and asset management, financial product distribution |
| Country of operation | India |
| Founder | Nirmal Jain |
The group was founded by Nirmal Jain, a chartered accountant and cost accountant who had earlier worked in commodity trading and equity research. The original company began as a provider of research reports and a website offering business and market information aimed at retail investors, professionals and institutions. As Indian capital markets opened up to greater retail participation in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the firm extended its services from information into transaction-based businesses.
R. Venkataraman, who joined the founding team in the early years, became closely associated with the group's leadership alongside Jain. The brand "IIFL" came into wider use as the company moved beyond its original information business into a multi-line financial services group.
To give each business focused governance and capital structure, the group undertook a corporate reorganisation in which the listed parent was demerged into separate publicly listed companies. The principal resulting entities are commonly referred to as:
Each of these entities is listed on Indian stock exchanges and operates independently, while continuing to be associated with the IIFL identity.
The group operates a nationwide branch network across Indian states and union territories, complemented by digital channels for trading, lending and product distribution. It serves retail investors, mass affluent and high net worth clients, corporates and institutional investors. Through its NBFC arm, it has a significant presence in retail-secured lending segments such as gold loans and affordable housing finance.
India Infoline is regarded as one of the early Indian firms to combine internet-based financial information with retail-focused capital market services, contributing to the growth of online investing in India. Its later expansion into lending and wealth management made it part of the broader cohort of diversified, non-bank Indian financial services groups that grew alongside reforms in capital markets and the rise of the NBFC sector.