iSIFby ICICI Prudential
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund
NFO Open · May 19 – Jun 2Active Asset Allocator

iSIF Active Asset Allocator Long-Short Fund

India's first truly multi-asset SIF — dynamically rotating across equity, debt, gold, silver, and InvITs based on the AMC's active asset-allocation framework. The most differentiated SIF launched in this category.

Active Asset AllocatorMulti-AssetEquity + Debt + Gold + SilverInterval StrategyTwice-Weekly Redemption

NFO Opens

May 19, 2026

NFO Closes

June 2, 2026

NFO Price

₹10 per unit

Min Investment

₹10,00,000

Benchmark

Composite

Risk Band

Level 5

NFO Period: May 19, 2026June 2, 2026. Ongoing strategy reopens shortly after allotment. Redemptions twice a week (Mon + Wed).

Why this fund matters

The first true multi-asset SIF in India

Every other SIF launched so far is equity-focused. iSIF AAA is structurally different — it can dynamically rotate across five distinct asset classes based on market conditions. A genuine asset-allocator product in SIF clothing.

5 asset classes in one SIF

Equity (35–80%), debt (up to 55%), gold + silver via exchange-traded commodity derivatives, and InvITs. Dynamic rotation based on market scenarios.

Composite benchmark — first of its kind

50% Nifty 500 TRI + 40% Composite Debt + 7% Gold + 3% Silver. Reflects the multi-asset nature; no other SIF benchmarks like this.

6-manager team across asset classes

Dedicated PMs for equity (Ihab Dalwai), economics/strategy (Sharmila D'silva), debt (Manish Banthia), credit (Akhil Kakkar), commodities (Gaurav Chikane) — specialists per sleeve.

The strategy

Asset allocation

Wide dynamic range across asset classes. The manager actively rebalances based on market scenarios.

InstrumentMinMax
Equity & equity-related instruments (including derivatives)35%80%
Debt + Money Market + Debt MF + Exchange-traded commodity derivatives10%55%
Units of InvITs0%10%
Overseas securities (within SEBI limits)0%20%
Composite benchmark: 50% Nifty 500 TRI + 40% Nifty Composite Debt Index + 7% Domestic Gold + 3% Domestic Silver. Reflects the multi-asset mandate.
Commodity derivatives: Exchange-traded only (gold + silver futures + options). No physical commodities held. Capped within the debt + commodity sleeve.

The team

Fund managers (6 specialists)

ID

Ihab Dalwai

Equity

Age 37 · CFA, CA, B.Com

With ICICI Prudential AMC since April 2011. Manages multiple equity and hybrid schemes with derivatives exposure. Previously an Investment Analyst in the AMC's Investments department.

SD

Sharmila D'silva

Economics & Strategy

Age 30 · Chartered Accountant, BAF

Joined ICICI Prudential AMC in September 2016. Manages several mutual fund schemes. Specialises in economics research, strategy research, and business cycle research.

MJ

Masoomi Jhurmarvala

Co-Manager

ICICI Prudential AMC team

Fund manager on the iSIF managing team alongside the lead PMs.

MB

Manish Banthia

Debt

Senior fixed-income PM at ICICI Prudential AMC

Manages the debt sleeve. One of ICICI Prudential's senior fixed-income portfolio managers across multiple flagship schemes.

AK

Akhil Kakkar

Credit

ICICI Prudential AMC credit team

Credit & fixed income PM, covering the credit-rated debt portion of the strategy.

GC

Gaurav Chikane

Commodities

ICICI Prudential AMC commodities team

Manages the commodity derivatives sleeve — gold + silver via exchange-traded derivatives.

Fund details

Specification at a glance

Fund nameiSIF Active Asset Allocator Long-Short Fund
AMCICICI Prudential Mutual Fund
CategoryActive Asset Allocator Long-Short
TypeInterval investment strategy
NFO opensMay 19, 2026
NFO closesJune 2, 2026
NFO price₹10 per unit
Min investment₹10,00,000 (aggregate at PAN level across iSIF strategies)
Benchmark50% Nifty 500 TRI + 40% Nifty Composite Debt + 7% Gold + 3% Silver
Liquidity / settlementDaily subscription · Twice-weekly redemption (Mon + Wed) · T+3 settlement
Exit load1.00% within 12 months · Nil after 12 months
Risk band (AMFI)AMFI Level 5 (Highest)
Plans / optionsDirect + Regular · Growth only (no IDCW)

SIFPrime view

How we're thinking about iSIF AAA

iSIF AAA is the second active asset allocator SIF in India, after Dyna AAA from 360 ONE. Both are differentiated from the typical equity LS / hybrid LS structures — but iSIF goes a step further by adding gold and silver via commodity derivatives.

What makes it interesting: the composite benchmark (Nifty 500 + Composite Debt + Gold + Silver) tells you exactly what the strategy is trying to deliver — a diversified multi-asset experience that doesn't just sit in equity-vs-debt. This is the closest a SIF has come to an institutional multi-asset mandate.

Pedigree: ICICI Prudential is India's second-largest AMC, with deep expertise across asset classes. Manish Banthia and Akhil Kakkar are senior fixed-income managers; Gaurav Chikane brings commodity expertise. Ihab Dalwai leads on equity. Six-PM team is unusually large but appropriate given the cross-asset mandate.

Risk band Level 5 (highest). The 35–80% equity range means this isn't a defensive product — but the multi-asset rotation should dampen the worst single-asset drawdowns.

Who should consider it: HNI investors looking for one-stop multi-asset SIF exposure, or those who want to delegate asset allocation entirely to an active manager. Not a substitute for an equity LS SIF if you're specifically targeting hedged equity alpha.

In context

Active Asset Allocator SIFs in India

The asset allocator category is the smallest of the SIF categories. iSIF joins as the third entrant.

FundAMCAsset universeStatus
iSIF Active Asset AllocatorICICI PrudentialEquity + Debt + Gold + Silver + InvITs NFO Open
Dyna Active Asset Allocator360 ONE AssetEquity + Debt + Commodities Live
qSIF Active Asset AllocatorQuantEquity + Debt Live

Disclaimer. The information above is sourced from the iSIF Active Asset Allocator Long-Short Fund Investment Strategy Information Document published by ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited. SIFPrime is an AMFI-registered mutual fund distributor and does not provide investment advice. SIFs are subject to market risk; please read the SID/SAI carefully before investing.

Risk Band: AMFI Level 5 (Highest). Investments in SIFs involve relatively higher risk including potential loss of capital, liquidity risk, and market volatility. Multi-asset funds carry additional commodity-price risk on the gold + silver sleeve.

AMC website: isif.icicipruamc.com

Related SIF Funds

Frequently asked questions

What is iSIF Active Asset Allocator Long-Short?
iSIF Active Asset Allocator Long-Short is an open-ended Specialized Investment Fund that dynamically rotates allocation across equity, debt and arbitrage based on market conditions, with derivative-based hedging, managed by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund. It is a SEBI-regulated Specialized Investment Fund (SIF) — a category introduced in April 2025 that sits between traditional mutual funds and PMS, with a ₹10 lakh minimum investment. The fund is benchmarked to 50% Nifty 500 TRI + 40% Nifty Composite Debt + 7% Gold + 3% Silver. iSIF AAA launched on June 2026 (post-NFO).
What is the minimum investment in iSIF AAA?
The minimum investment in iSIF Active Asset Allocator Long-Short is ₹10,00,000 (10 lakh rupees) — the SEBI-mandated floor for all Specialized Investment Funds in India. There is no upper limit. Subsequent investments through SIP or lumpsum follow the same minimum unit threshold per SEBI rules.
Is iSIF AAA a safe investment?
Lower equity beta than a pure equity SIF because allocation rotates between debt and equity based on signals. Risk profile is moderate; drawdowns are typically smaller but upside in bull markets is also capped relative to long-only equity funds. iSIF AAA is regulated by SEBI under the SIF framework, has the same custodian, audit and disclosure standards as a mutual fund, and the AMC ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund is responsible for managing the fund within its stated mandate. However, "safe" is relative — past returns and crash-period performance are the better guide. See the live performance and Alpha Shield score for iSIF AAA above.
How is iSIF AAA different from a regular mutual fund?
Unlike a mutual fund, iSIF AAA can take unhedged short positions (up to 25% of NAV) using derivatives. This allows the fund manager to profit when stocks fall, not just when they rise. The trade-off is a higher minimum investment (₹10 lakh vs ₹500 for an MF SIP) and slightly higher Total Expense Ratio. SIFs follow daily NAV publication, mutual-fund-level governance, and the same tax treatment as the underlying asset class.
How are iSIF AAA returns taxed in India?
iSIF AAA is taxed based on its underlying portfolio composition, exactly like a mutual fund of the same category. Equity-oriented SIFs (>65% equity) qualify for equity taxation: 12.5% LTCG above ₹1.25 lakh after 12 months, 20% STCG before 12 months. Hybrid and debt-oriented SIFs are taxed at the investor's slab rate as per the post-April-2023 debt fund regime. See the SIFPrime tax guide for worked examples.
What is the expense ratio (TER) of iSIF AAA?
iSIF AAA's TER is published in the latest Scheme Information Document and on the AMC website. Direct plans are always cheaper than Regular plans (typically by 50–100 bps) because they do not include distributor commission. Direct plans are recommended for self-directed investors; Regular plans for investors using an MFD.
How can I invest in iSIF AAA?
You can invest in iSIF AAA directly through the ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund website (Direct plan), via a SEBI-registered Mutual Fund Distributor or RIA (Regular plan), or through online platforms that have onboarded SIFs. SIFPrime does not sell funds — we provide independent comparison and ratings.
Where can I compare iSIF AAA with other SIFs?
Use the SIFPrime side-by-side comparison tool at /sif-compare to compare iSIF AAA against any other live Specialized Investment Fund in India on Alpha Shield (capital protection), since-inception return, March 2026 crash-period alpha, TER, strategy and benchmark. The /all-sifs-india-ranked-explained page also ranks all 24 SIFs end-to-end.
Chat with us