| Minimum Entry Barrier | ₹100 (SIP) / ₹500 (Lump Sum) | ₹10 Lakhs (Across strategies in an AMC) | ₹50 Lakhs (PMS) / ₹1 Crore+ (AIF) |
| Investment Strategies | Long-only equity, standard debt, hybrid asset allocation | Long-short equity, inverse strategies, sector rotation, derivative hedging | Bespoke equity, unlisted equity, private credit, structured debt |
| Derivative / Shorting Exposure | Hedging & rebalancing only (no unhedged shorting) | Permitted for tactical alpha; unhedged shorting capped up to 25% | Substantial leverage & long-short allowed (Cat III AIF) |
| Taxation Mechanism | Mutual Fund regime (Taxed only on unit redemption) | Mutual Fund regime (Taxed only on unit redemption; zero portfolio churn tax) | PMS: Tax on each individual stock trade; AIF: Fund-level or pass-through |
| Regulatory Framework | SEBI (MF) Regulations; Scheme Information Document (SID) | SEBI (MF) Regulations; Investment Strategy Information Document (ISID) | SEBI (PMS Regulations) / SEBI (AIF Regulations); PPM |
| Target Investor Profile | Retail & mass-affluent long-term compounders | Emerging HNIs & executives seeking non-linear alpha & downside hedge | Ultra HNIs, family offices, institutional capital |