New Delhi, Dec. 18 -- Mutual funds, whose plans to launch specialized investment funds (SIFs) are progressing slowly due to a shortage of skilled managers, are hiring expertise for running long-short strategies from alternative investment funds (AIFs), showed a Mint analysis.

Suraj Nanda, the fund manager for equity and hybrid SIF at Tata Mutual Fund, was earlier running a long-short AIF at ICICI Prudential AMC. Rajesh Aynor, the investment lead for SIF at Union Mutual Fund, was the head of equities at Prajana Advisors, which runs two long-short AIFs. Axis Mutual Fund hired Nandik Mallik to spearhead its equity and hybrid SIF division from Avendus Capital Alternate Strategies. Others moved the talent from their existing AIF business unde...