Mahindra Manulife Mutual Fund Launches Specialised Investment Fund Platform ‘MPOWER SIF’

Mahindra Manulife Mutual Fund has entered the specialised investment fund (SIF) segment with the launch of its new platform, MPOWER SIF, becoming one of the latest asset managers to join Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (Sebi) newly introduced investment category designed for investors seeking more sophisticated portfolio strategies.

The fund house announced on May 29 that MPOWER SIF will offer investment solutions that go beyond conventional mutual fund structures, including strategies that can use derivatives, tactical asset allocation and more focused portfolio construction. The platform is intended for investors looking to complement their existing mutual fund holdings with products that can deliver different risk-return outcomes.

SIFs were introduced by the Sebi to bridge the gap between traditional mutual funds and Portfolio Management Services (PMS). The framework, which came into effect from April 1, 2025, allows eligible asset management companies to offer more flexible investment strategies while continuing to operate within the mutual fund regulatory structure.

Mahindra Manulife said the SIF category enables strategies such as long-short investing, derivatives-based approaches and concentrated portfolios, giving investors access to a wider range of investment tools than those typically available in conventional mutual funds.

With MPOWER SIF, the fund house plans to launch differentiated offerings across equity, hybrid and fixed-income categories in line with regulatory guidelines and investor suitability norms.

Commenting on the launch, Anthony Heredia, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mahindra Manulife Investment Management, said, "The launch of MPOWER SIF is a significant step forward in expanding our product suite. As investors and their goals and aspirations evolve over time, there is a clear requirement for investment solutions that offer greater flexibility and use the entire range of tools available to deliver consistent outcomes. This approach is complemented by an investment team with extensive experience anchored by a sound risk management framework."

The company said investor preferences are evolving beyond traditional investment products, creating demand for strategies that can potentially generate different outcomes across market conditions. Through the new platform, Mahindra Manulife aims to combine its existing investment capabilities with a broader set of portfolio management tools while maintaining a focus on risk management and consistency of outcomes.

Krishna Sanghavi, chief investment officer (equity) at Mahindra Manulife Investment Management, said the SIF structure would allow the fund house to build more flexible portfolios.

"MPOWER SIF gives us the flexibility to design more agile and outcome-oriented portfolios by leveraging a wider investment toolkit. This platform will enable us to combine fundamental research with tactical allocation strategies, with the objective of delivering superior risk-adjusted returns across market cycles. We believe it is well suited for investors seeking a more nuanced approach to portfolio construction," Sanghavi said.

The launch comes as asset managers increasingly prepare offerings under the SIF framework, which has emerged as a new category for investors seeking advanced strategies without moving fully into PMS or alternative investment products. Under Sebi's rules, SIFs can offer specialised strategies across equity, debt and hybrid segments, including long-short funds and tactical allocation products.

To ensure that the category is aimed at relatively sophisticated investors, Sebi has set a minimum investment requirement of Rs 10 lakh across all SIF strategies offered by a fund house.

Mahindra Manulife said further product launches under the MPOWER SIF platform will be rolled out over time across different asset classes, subject to regulatory guidelines and investor suitability requirements.