Absolute Return Fund

A regime-aware long-short derivatives strategy on Indian listed equities — designed to systematically capture large directional moves at sentimental extremes while sitting out sideways choppiness. Open to Indian investors via SEBI AIF and to global investors via GIFT City.

Fund Overview

Enter at peak fear. Exit at peak greed.

In this long-short fund we wait for sentimental extremes to build up, then act decisively with concentrated directional positions. At peak fear we go long. At peak greed we go short or move to cash. In between, we sit out sideways choppiness entirely.

The strategy trades in the Indian listed futures universe by creating a composite model based on multiple factors which identifies the regime before each trade. The result is a portfolio with low beta (0.33 full-period), strong convexity, and returns that are structurally uncorrelated to traditional long-only equity.

Strategy

Long-Short

Fund Type

2 Cat III AIFs — India & GIFT City

Universe

Indian Listed Futures

Model

Quant + Discretion

Launch

July 2026

Eligible

Indians & Global

10-year backtested model results.

With minimal leverage and inclusive of transaction costs NAV grows from 100 to 3,505 over 10 years.

41.7%

Net CAGR

Compounded Annual Growth Rate over 10 years

2.6

Sharpe Ratio

Risk-adjusted return — well above industry benchmarks

16.4%

Annual Volatility

Lower volatility than most long-only equity funds

15%

Max Drawdown

Full-period beta to NIFTY 500

Ready to invest in the Absolute Return Fund?

Request the investor deck and speak to our team about onboarding.

Why invest in the Absolute Returns Fund

Three reasons the Absolute Return Fund belongs alongside long-only equity in a sophisticated investor's portfolio.

Returns in Both Directions
01

Returns in Both Directions

A long-only portfolio only makes money when markets go up. This strategy is built to capture directional moves in both directions — profiting from the full bull run on the long side and from market corrections on the short side. The 10-year backtest includes years where markets fell sharply, and the model still delivered positive returns.

Structural Diversification
02

Structural Diversification

With a full-period beta of 0.33 and a near-zero to negative beta during corrections, the Absolute Return Fund provides genuine diversification that a second long-only fund cannot. It earns returns when long-only strategies struggle — making it a natural complement to the India Long-Only Fund in the same portfolio.

Asymmetric Payoff Profile
03

Asymmetric Payoff Profile

The strategy does not trades frequently targeting deep dislocations with asymmetric payoffs. The worst year in the 10-year backtest was -5.3% and the best year was +97.4%. A Sharpe ratio of 2.6 reflects exceptional risk-adjusted performance relative to the return generated.

Fund Documents

Access detailed insights, performance reports, and strategy documents for this fund.

Absolute Returns Fund

Fund strategy & thesis

PDF1.1 MB

Invest in absolute returns.

Request the investor deck, model details and onboarding information from our team.

Questions we get asked.

Everything you need to know before investing with us. Can't find an answer? Reach out directly.

Question markWhat are the asset management services offered by Rational?

As one of the top asset management firms in India, we offer three investment opportunities focused on diversifying investor portfolios. All three follow the same investment philosophy but use different instruments based on investor suitability.

1. India Long-Only Fund — we invest in listed Indian companies.

2. Gold & Silver Miners' Fund — a GIFT City based fund investing in gold & silver mining companies listed in global markets.

3. Absolute Return Fund — we invest in derivatives of publicly listed Indian companies through a long-short strategy.

Question markHow do I invest in Rational's funds?

Click the "Invest with Us" button or fill out the contact form. Our team will reach out to walk you through the onboarding and KYC process, share the Private Placement Memorandum, and answer any questions you may have.

Alternatively, reach out on +91 99119 00096 or +91 99872 61105.

Question markWhat is the minimum investment amount?

India Fund — ₹1 Crore

GIFT City Fund — US$ 150,000

Question markWhich is the regulatory body governing Rational?

Rational is registered with SEBI as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund. Our GIFT City Fund operates under the IFSCA regulatory framework. All funds comply fully with applicable regulations.