To facilitate ease of doing business, markets regulator Sebi on Friday allowed AIFs (alternative investment funds) to pledge their shares in investee companies in the infrastructure sector. The regulator has also provided additional flexibility to AIFs and their investors to deal with unliquidated investments of their schemes. "Category I and Category II AIFs may create an encumbrance on equity of investee company, which is in the business of development, operation or management of projects in any of the infrastructure sub-sectors," Sebi said in a circular. The move will provide ease of doing business and flexibility to such AIFs. Experts believe that allowing AIFs to create an encumbrance on their equity investments in infrastructure sector companies for the purpose of project finance is essential for infrastructure development. Earlier, pledging of securities held by an AIF in investee companies for loans availed of by the investee companies violates provisions of the AIF ...