| What the structure is | A fund listed on an exchange, usually tracking an index, bought and sold like a share. | A regulated category positioned between mutual funds and alternatives, with wider strategy freedom than a standard scheme. | A managed portfolio of securities held in your own name and demat account under a stated mandate. | A pooled vehicle registered in a category that may invest in areas such as private markets, structured credit or long short strategies. |
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| Pooled or separately held | Pooled. You hold units of the fund in your demat account. | Pooled, under the scheme structure. | Held separately in your own name, not pooled with other investors. | Pooled, with capital commitments across investors. |
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| Who manages it | The fund house, usually tracking a stated index rather than selecting stocks. | The fund house, under the strategy set out in the scheme documents. | A SEBI registered portfolio management provider, under a discretionary or non discretionary mandate. | The registered fund manager, under the category rules and the fund documents. |
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| Access or regulated minimum | Access needs a demat and trading account rather than a regulated minimum. | A regulated aggregate minimum applies. It is confirmed from the current framework. | A regulated minimum applies. It is confirmed in writing from the current rules. | A regulated minimum commitment applies per investor, with category rules on top. |
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| Liquidity or redemption | Traded during market hours, subject to the spread and the liquidity of the unit on the day. | Depends on the strategy. Subscription and redemption windows can be restricted. | Follows the agreement and the underlying holdings. Not designed for short notice needs. | Often closed ended or restricted over several years, with capital drawn in stages in some categories. |
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| Common fee layers | Low ongoing expenses in most cases, plus brokerage and the spread. | Scheme expenses that are strategy specific and stated in the documents. | Management fees, possible performance fees and transaction costs. | Layered fees and, in some structures, carried interest. |
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| Key complexity or risk | Tracking difference and the risk of transacting away from the underlying value. | Wider strategy freedom means the risk is specific to the strategy, not to the label. | Concentration risk and separate tax reporting on holdings in your own name. | Illiquidity, concentrated strategy risk and reporting that needs attention at tax time. |
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| Document to read | Scheme related documents and the index methodology. | Scheme documents, including the strategy description and risk disclosures. | The disclosure document and the portfolio management agreement. | The private placement memorandum and the contribution agreement. |
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