MUMBAI, Dec. 12 -- Axis Asset Management Company (AMC) is set to launch its third private credit alternative investment fund (AIF) next week, aiming to raise up to Rs.2,000 crore, a senior executive told Mint. The move comes as the fund house looks to scale sharply in a private-credit market that is drawing record interest even as traditional lenders pull back. "We are launching the fund next week and expect the first close by end-February," said Nachiket Naik, head of structured credit at Axis AMC. "This fund will be double the size of the previous one because we see adequate demand and a strong pipeline." With its previous fund fully deployed, Axis is moving fast to capture the momentum in structured credit. Private-credit deployment in I...