Quant MF files for two new specialized investment funds

Quant Mutual Fund has filed offer documents with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to launch two new schemes under the Specialized Investment Fund (SIF) framework. The proposed products are the qsif Equity Long-Short Fund and the qsif Equity Ex-Top 100 Long-Short Fund. This marks the first product filing under the new SIF framework, which allows fund houses to adopt a variety of strategies across equity, debt and hybrid categories. The minimum investment size for SIF products is set at Rs 10 lakh, making them targeted at high net-worth and sophisticated investors. So far, Sebi has approved seven distinct strategies under the framework, including three in the equity segment — the equity long-short fund, the equity ex-top 100 long-short fund, and the sector rotation long-short fund. Quant has filed for the first two categories. The qsif Equity Long-Short Fund will invest at least 80% of its portfolio across large-, mid- and small-cap equities, while also taking short positions of up to 25% through futures and options. The strategy seeks to generate returns from both rising and falling markets. Up to 20% of the fund may be allocated to debt and money market instruments for liquidity management. The benchmark for the scheme will be the Nifty 500 Total Return Index (TRI). The qsif Equity Ex-Top 100 Long-Short Fund aims to capture opportunities in the mid- and small-cap space by investing at least 65% of assets in companies outside the top 100 by market capitalisation. It may allocate up to 35% in large-cap equities or debt. The scheme will actively use derivative strategies — ranging from short futures to bear spreads and synthetic shorts — to manage risk and enhance returns in a volatile segment. Quant’s dual filings highlight how fund houses are preparing to leverage Sebi's new SIF framework to offer more dynamic, risk-managed strategies beyond traditional long-only equity products. For investors, such funds may open up differentiated opportunities, though they come with higher risk and complexity due to their reliance on derivatives.