Maitri Asset Management Pte. Ltd., (Maitri) a Singapore-based active responsible investment management firm, has launched its first fund – the Sustainable Multi-Asset Absolute Return Strategy Fund (Sustainable M.A.R.S. Fund). Investing across multiple asset classes including fixed income, currencies, commodities and equities globally, the fund is rooted in Maitri’s responsible investment philosophy and aims to deliver stable risk-adjusted returns.

The cornerstone of the fund is the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations across its entire investment process and framework. Actively managed by chief investment officer, Ankit Khandelwal, the fund will see high impetus given to risk management, and the employment of a dynamic ESG-focused proprietary asset allocation model that aligns with the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) along with Maitri’s in-house negative list.

Designed to reduce investment risks by applying ESG considerations, Maitri’s approach of taking a long-term view with active risk management seeks to help investors mitigate short-term volatility and provide a stable income stream by investing in good quality and responsible issuers.

“We have seen growing investor demand for strategies that incorporate an ESG focus and we look forward to meeting this demand through the fund, which uniquely combines both a top-down and bottom-up approach to identify optimal opportunities and deliver long-term value creation,” says Manish Tibrewal, CEO, Maitri.