Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has launched India's first small cap fund in the Unit-linked insurance plan (Ulip) segment.

The small-cap fund will offer customers an opportunity to achieve capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of small-cap stocks, the insurer said in a statement.

The new fund offer (NFO) for Bajaj Allianz Life's Small Cap Fund opened on May 18, 2023 and will close on May 23, 2023. The benchmark index is Nifty Small Cap 100 index. The net asset value (NAV) is Rs. 10. The insurer has categorised the fund in the very high risk category, according to information on the insurer's website.

Customers can invest in the fund through these seven Ulip offerings from the insurer, namely, Future Wealth Gain, Smart Wealth Goal, Magnum Fortune Plus, Future Gain, Goal Assure, Invest Protect Goal and LongLife Goal.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance said that, the equity investment strategy revolves around identifying companies with a competitive advantage, good corporate governance, high ROE/ROCE, robust free cash flow, growth visibility and attractive valuations.

"The underlying philosophy is to uncover businesses with large market opportunities and prioritise growth at a reasonable price from a valuation perspective. Bajaj Allianz Life Small Cap Fund will invest minimum 60% in small cap stocks, and market-cap exposure is based on equity exposure re-scaled to 100%," the insurer said in a statement.

Sampath Reddy, chief investment officer, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, said in a statement: "We are thrilled to launch the first-of-its-kind small-cap fund in the life insurance industry, with the focus on long-term wealth creation for our customers. We are confident that this fund will strongly resonate with investors and support them in the journey towards achieving their life goals."