India’s investment landscape is evolving with the introduction of SEBI’s Specialised Investment Fund (SIF) framework — a category designed to offer strategy-level flexibility while maintaining the regulatory oversight and transparency of mutual funds. As investors navigate sharper market cycles and heightened volatility, there is growing interest in regulated structures that bring discipline, adaptability, and clarity. Against this backdrop, ITI Mutual Fund has launched the Diviniti Equity Long Short Fund, one of the early entrants in the SIF segment, with its New Fund Offer (NFO) open from November 10, 2025, to November 24, 2025.
This launch represents more than just a new offering. It reflects how the industry is responding to investors’ rising preference for strategies that aim to manage the overall investment experience rather than only focusing on upward market participation.
SIFs: A New Avenue Within a Regulated Framework
The SIF framework is among the most significant additions to India’s regulated investment universe in recent years. It allows fund houses to create strategies with features often associated with AIFs and PMS, but within the governance, disclosure, and investor-first controls of the mutual fund structure.
In simple terms, SIFs bring two important dimensions together:
- Flexibility to design differentiated strategies, including long–short models
- Regulated transparency, with the operational oversight associated with mutual funds
This combination creates a new space for advisors and eligible investors — one that sits between traditional long-only schemes and alternative investment products.
For distributors, as the uploaded article notes, SIFs open “a regulated structure with a differentiated strategy suitable for eligible, market-aware investors” . For investors, they provide access to approaches that were previously limited to high-ticket alternative platforms.
Leadership Perspective: Innovation With Responsibility
ITI Mutual Fund’s leadership has positioned this launch as a thoughtful extension of what investors have been seeking.
Jatinder Pal Singh, CEO, ITI Mutual Fund, states:
“With the Specialized Investment Fund platform, ITI Mutual Fund is bridging the gap between traditional mutual funds and alternative investment strategies. SIF offers investors the sophistication of AIFs and PMS, combined with the governance, transparency, and tax efficiency of the mutual fund structure.”
This view highlights the fund house’s intention to bring innovation responsibly, ensuring strategic flexibility while maintaining investor safeguards.
Adding an investment lens, Rajesh Bhatia, CIO, notes:
“In the current market environment, downside risk during downturns is as important as capturing upside in bull phases. The Diviniti Equity Long Short Fund is structured to participate in growth periods while tactically managing risk through short exposures — within SEBI’s prescribed framework. This disciplined approach aims to deliver stable returns and smoother investor experiences across market cycles.”
The emphasis is clear: structure, discipline, and adherence to regulatory guardrails.
“These views are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as guarantees of future performance.”
What makes the Diviniti Long–Short Approach Distinct
Long–short strategies are widely used across global markets to manage volatility and create exposure profiles less tied solely to market direction. Through the SIF framework, Indian investors now see such strategies in a regulated mutual fund format.
Based on insights from the uploaded article, four elements anchor the Diviniti approach:
1. A Tested Investment Framework
The long–short model used in the fund has been built and refined through multiple market cycles, giving it practical grounding rather than academic theory.
2. Clear Regulatory Guardrails
Short exposures are taken strictly within SEBI’s limits, enabling a disciplined, rules-based structure. This avoids the opaque leverage profiles often associated with unregulated alternatives.
3. A Balanced Market Experience
The strategy aims to participate during positive phases while managing exposures during uncertain or volatile conditions. While this does not guarantee outcomes, it offers a structured approach to navigating cycles.
4. Transparency and Oversight
Being housed within the mutual fund ecosystem, the fund follows the governance, disclosures, and reporting standards expected from regulated products.
For advisors and distributors, Diviniti therefore fits between traditional equity schemes and alternative products — offering a regulated, methodical long–short approach with operational clarity.
Who may evaluate this strategy
The Diviniti Equity Long Short Fund may be considered by eligible investors who:
- understand long–short strategies and the SIF framework
- prefer structured models that adapt exposures within defined limits
- look for diversification beyond traditional long-only schemes
- value the transparency of a regulated mutual fund structure
It is not positioned as a replacement for either equity funds or alternative products, but as a complementary strategy that operates in a defined middle ground.
As always, investors should review the Investment strategy Information Document (ISID), Key Information Memorandum (KIM), and risk factors, and assess suitability with a financial or tax advisor.
Why This Launch Is Significant
The introduction of a long–short fund through a regulated SIF structure reflects a maturing investment landscape in India. Investors are increasingly attentive to the experience of investing — including volatility, downside episodes, and consistency — rather than only outcomes.
With SIFs, SEBI has created a pathway for such strategies to be offered with appropriate governance. For the industry, and for investors, this represents a meaningful step forward.
The launch of the Diviniti Equity Long Short Fund marks an important moment in India’s transition toward more structured, risk-aware strategies within regulated boundaries. By offering a long–short approach under the SIF framework, ITI Mutual Fund brings together innovation, discipline, and transparency.
The NFO is open from November 10, 2025, to November 24, 2025, with more information available on the Diviniti SIF website https://sif.itiamc.com/.
SIF Disclaimer
*The Risk Band shall be as specified by AMFI
The above product labelling assigned during the New Fund Offer (NFO) is based on internal assessment of the investment strategy characteristics or model portfolio and the same may vary post NFO when the actual investments are made.
Past performance may or may not be sustained in future and is not a guarantee of future returns. This document is for information purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice.
All figures and data given in the document are dated unless stated otherwise. In the preparation of the material contained in this document, the AMC has used information that is publicly available, including information developed in-house. However, the AMC does not warrant the accuracy, reasonableness and/or completeness of any information.
The information provided is not intended to be used by investors as the sole basis for investment decisions, who must make their own investment decisions, based on their own investment objectives, financial positions and needs of specific investor. Investors are advised to consult their own legal tax and financial advisors to determine possible tax, legal and other financial implication or consequence of subscribing to the units of Diviniti SIF. The information contained herein should not be construed as a forecast or promise nor should it be considered as an investment advice.
The AMC (including its affiliates), the Mutual Fund, Diviniti SIF the trust and any of its officers, directors, personnel and employees, shall not be liable for any loss, damage of any nature, including but not limited to direct, indirect, punitive, special, exemplary, consequential, as also any loss of profit in any way arising from the use of this material in any manner.
Investments in Specialized Investment Funds involves relatively higher risk including potential loss of capital, liquidity risk, and market volatility. Please read all investment strategy related documents carefully before making the investment decision.
The article has been written by Kamal Vaswani, Head of Marketing & Product, ITI AMC.
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