ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company (AMC) is set to launch two Initial Fund Offers (IFOs) under the Specialized Investment Funds (SIF) category.
The two funds are iSIF Hybrid Long-Short Fund and iSIF Equity Ex-Top 100 Long-Short Fund. These IFOs will open for investment on January 16, 2026, and will close on January 30, 2026.
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What Is a Specialized Investment Fund (SIF)?
This launch marks ICICI Prudential AMC’s entry into the SIF segment, which is a new investment category approved by SEBI. SIFs act as a middle ground between traditional mutual funds and portfolio management services (PMS).
They allow fund houses to use advanced investment strategies such as long-short positions and derivative-based methods.
Minimum Investment Requirement
The minimum investment amount for any SIF is ₹10 lakh. Speaking on the social media platform X, S. Naren, CIO of ICICI Prudential AMC, said that investors who are looking to invest for the long term
and want returns even when markets are not very cheap may consider investing in SIFs.
Key Features of iSIF Hybrid Long-Short Fund
The equity portion of the iSIF Hybrid Long-Short Fund will be managed by Rajat Chandak and Ayush Shah, while the debt portion will be handled by Manish Banthia and Akhil Kakkar.
This fund will invest across equities, debt instruments, and derivatives. Its main goal is to generate risk-adjusted returns by using dynamic asset allocation, hedging strategies, and selective short-term investments in both equity and debt.
Key Features of iSIF Equity Ex-Top 100 Long-Short Fund
The iSIF Equity Ex-Top 100 Long-Short Fund will be managed by CIO S. Naren, along with Manan Tijoriwala and Divya Jain.
The fund will focus on investing in companies outside the top 100 by market capitalization, mainly mid-cap and small-cap stocks.
To manage market volatility, the fund will use a combination of long and short positions. It will be allowed to take up to 25% unhedged short exposure through equity derivatives.
Investment Options and Exit Load
Both funds will be available in direct and regular plans with a growth option. Investors can invest through lump sum or SIP, provided the minimum investment requirement is met.
An exit load of 1% will be charged if the investment is redeemed within one year from the allotment date.