New Delhi, March 12 -- As Indian capital markets mature, so do the investment products available to serious investors.

One of the more recent additions to this evolving landscape is the Specialized Investment Fund (SIF)-a structure designed for investors seeking access to advanced techniques such as derivatives, short positions and concentrated bets, but without the full complexity of portfolio management services (PMS) or alternative investment funds (AIFs).

To understand where SIFs sit in the investment universe, consider the minimum ticket sizes.

A mutual fund can be started with as little as Rs.100.

A PMS requires a minimum of Rs.50 lakh.

An AIF demands Rs.1 crore.

An SIF sits between these options, with a minimum investment of ...