ICICI Prudential’s first SIF NFOs open Jan 16: long-short funds, Rs 10 lakh minimum

Both strategies will be available under Regular and Direct plans with a growth option, and will offer lump sum as well as SIP investments, subject to the minimum investment requirement. An exit load of 1% will apply on redemptions made within 12 months from allotment.

• ICICI Prudential AMC to launch first SIF NFOs from Jan 16-30, 2026
• iSIF Hybrid Long-Short and iSIF Equity Ex-Top 100 funds offer advanced tactics
• Minimum investment for SIFs set at ₹10 lakh, with 1% exit load within 12 months

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ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company (AMC) will launch NFOs for their first offerings under the Specialised Investment Fund (SIF) framework, iSIF Hybrid Long-Short Fund and iSIF Equity Ex-Top 100 Long-Short Fund from January 16, 2026. The NFOs will close on January 30, 2026.

The launch marks ICICI Prudential AMC’s entry into the SIF segment, a new category introduced by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to bridge the gap between traditional mutual funds and Portfolio Management Services (PMS). SIFs allow fund houses to deploy advanced strategies such as long-short and derivative-based approaches, while remaining within the mutual fund regulatory framework. The minimum investment amount for SIFs is Rs 10 lakh. "We think investors who are long term investors who are looking for returns in a market that is not so cheap would find it interesting to consider such investments," CIO S Naren said in video shared by the AMC on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

The iSIF Hybrid Long-Short Fund will be managed by Rajat Chandak and Ayush Shah on the equity side, and Manish Banthia and Akhil Kakkar on the debt side. The strategy will invest across equity, debt, and derivatives, aiming to generate risk-adjusted returns through dynamic asset allocation, hedging, and selective short exposure in both equity and debt instruments.

The iSIF Equity Ex-Top 100 Long-Short Fund will be managed by CIO Sankaran Naren along with Manan Tijoriwala, and Divya Jain. The strategy will focus on companies outside the top 100 by market capitalisation, largely mid- and small-cap stocks, while using long and short positions to manage volatility. The fund will be permitted to take unhedged short exposure of up to 25% through equity derivatives.

Both strategies will be available under Regular and Direct plans with a growth option, and will offer lump sum as well as SIP investments, subject to the minimum investment requirement. An exit load of 1% will apply on redemptions made within 12 months from allotment.