{"id":19929,"date":"2021-06-07T10:56:24","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T10:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tatacapital.com\/blog\/?p=15752"},"modified":"2026-01-19T17:38:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T12:08:54","slug":"lets-understand-the-difference-between-pms-and-aif","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tatacapital.com\/blog\/wealth-services\/lets-understand-the-difference-between-pms-and-aif\/","title":{"rendered":"Difference Between PMS and AIF: Comparison, Pros, Cons &#038; Which is Better"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you looking to grow your money by investing in securities beyond mutual funds? Well, look no further than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tatacapital.com\/blog\/wealth-services\/alternate-investment-fund-types-features-benefits-of-aif\/\">Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tatacapital.com\/blog\/wealth-services\/debt-pms\/\">Portfolio Management Services (PMS)<\/a>. These high-risk instruments have recently gained immense popularity among sophisticated investors for wealth creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s understand PMS and AIF in detail and the differences between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are Portfolio Management Services?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>PMS is a tailored <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tatacapital.com\/wealth.html\">investment portfolio<\/a> in fixed income instruments, individual securities, equity, and structured products. It caters to the investment objectives of high-net-worth individuals with a minimum ticket size of Rs. 50 lakhs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PMS offers professional management of your investments and can be discretionary or non-discretionary. In discretionary, the fund or PMS managers manage your portfolio by tracking the market and keeping your investment requirements in mind. Contrarily, in non-discretionary, investors can make the final decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In PMS, you actively monitor your personalised portfolio to track developments and maximise returns. Since experienced portfolio managers handle your investments, all you need to do is review the transactions periodically and get performance updates. Besides, fund managers receive flexibility in selecting stocks, sectoral allocation, and maintaining cash position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, your portfolio is usually concentrated and your stocks are more likely to generate alpha returns in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are Alternative Investment Funds?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>AIFs are pooled investments for investing in hedge funds, venture capital, futures, and private equity. Based on their investment strategies, AIFs, are classified into three categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Category I<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These funds are invested in small businesses, start-ups, social ventures, early-stage ventures, angel funds, etc., with superior growth potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Category II<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This category includes investments in Private Equity (PE) funds, fund of funds, and debt instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Category III<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This AIF aims at generating short-term returns by employing diverse and complex trading strategies. Category-III funds can include hedge funds and Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) Funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">PMS vs AIF: Which One Is Better?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td>AIF<\/td><td>PMS<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pooling of funds<\/td><td>Pooling of funds is the essence of this kind of investment model.<\/td><td>Funds are not pooled, and investors have separate Demat accounts.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Number of Investors<\/td><td>The maximum number of investors to any AIF scheme cannot exceed 1,000<\/td><td>There is no cap specified on the number of investors<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>SEBI-mandated minimum investment amount<\/td><td>Rs. 1 crore<\/td><td>Rs. 50 lakhs<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Minimum corpus&nbsp;<\/td><td>A minimum corpus of Rs. 20 crore is required. For Category-I angel funds, Rs. 10 crore is necessary. &nbsp;<\/td><td>No corpus amount requirements<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Lock-in period&nbsp;<\/td><td>In close-ended AIF, investors must adhere to the lock-in period.&nbsp;<\/td><td>PMS investors can withdraw their funds at any time.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Types<\/td><td>AIFs are grouped into three \u2013 Category I, II, and III, depending on where the funds are invested.<\/td><td>PMS investors can withdraw their funds at any time.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tenure&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><td>Category-I and II AIFs have a minimum tenure of 3 years and a maximum of 5 years. The minimum term is extended when two-thirds of investors by value approve it. Category-III funds have no minimum tenure.&nbsp;<\/td><td>No fixed tenure for securities.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Taxation<\/td><td>Two factors impact the taxation of an AIF: Classification of the fund into one of the 3 categories andLegal form of the fund. SEBI regulations permit an AIF to be set up in the form of a trust, or a company, or a limited liability partnership or a body corporate.<\/td><td>Equity PMS \u2013 Short term capital gains (before 1 yr) will be taxed at 15% and any long term capital gains will be taxed at 10% (after 1 lakh limit per financial year) without indexation benefits. Debt PMS \u2013 For listed securities, you have the benefit of long-term capital gains taxation, after 1 year, 1 day as compared to three years in debt mutual funds<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Types of PMS and AIF: Categories, Structures &amp; Investment Strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding the difference between PMS and AIF starts with knowing their types and structures. Portfolio Management Services (PMS) can be discretionary or non-discretionary. Discretionary PMS allows portfolio managers to actively manage investments in equities, fixed income instruments, and structured products. Non-discretionary PMS gives investors the final decision-making power. PMS portfolios are usually concentrated, aiming for long-term alpha returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) are pooled investment vehicles classified into three categories. Category I targets start-ups and social ventures and Category II focuses on private equity and debt instruments. Category III employs complex strategies like hedge funds for short-term gains. Understanding these helps clarify the difference between PMS and AIF and guides investors in selecting the right structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Should Choose PMS or AIF? Investor Profile &amp; Suitability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding the difference between PMS and AIF helps investors select the solution that aligns with their financial goals and risk appetite. Individuals seeking a personalised investment approach with direct equity exposure may prefer PMS, while those looking for diversified portfolios across asset classes with professional management might opt for AIFs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically, PMS suits high-net-worth investors who want active involvement and customised strategies, whereas AIFs appeal to investors seeking alternative investment opportunities with potentially higher returns and professional oversight. Knowing what is PMS and AIF ensures that investment decisions match your risk tolerance, investment horizon, and financial objectives. Learning the difference between PMS and AIF is key to choosing wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">To Conclude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While AIF gives the investor an avenue to pool in funds with the flexibility to invest in derivatives, listed &amp; unlisted equity shares, real estate, hedge Fund, etc.; PMS permits the investor to actively monitor its personalised portfolio to track developments and maximise returns. Since both AIFs and PMS are high-risk, high-reward instruments, it is crucial to have an excellent management team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you wish to invest in PMS or AIFs, get exceptional financial guidance and leverage wealth management solutions from \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tatacapital.com\/wealth.html\">Tata Capital Wealth<\/a>. Nurture your wealth and become a sophisticated investor with us. Get in touch today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking to grow your money by investing in securities beyond mutual funds? Well, look no further than Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and Portfolio Management Services (PMS). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tatacapital.com\/blog\/wealth-management\/lets-understand-the-difference-between-pms-and-aif\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>PMS vs AIF: Key Differences, Returns, Taxation &amp; Investment | Tata Capital<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the difference between PMS and AIF. 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