SIF Assets Surge Fivefold as Experts Debate Investor Suitability

Specialised investment funds, or SIFs, are a newer type of investment fund.

They started in October 2025 and quickly became much larger by March 2026.

Investors must put in at least ₹10 lakh, so wealthier and more experienced investors are using them first.

SIFs can use more investment strategies than ordinary mutual funds.

Some SIFs buy investments while also using derivatives to reduce risk when markets fall.

This is why hybrid long-short funds are especially popular.

However, SIFs can have risks involving derivatives, trading partners and the ability to sell investments quickly.

Experts say new investors should usually build a simple SIP-based mutual fund portfolio first.

Investors considering an SIF should check whether it adds something different to their existing investments rather than buying one because it recently performed well.