Investors looking beyond traditional fixed income options like fixed deposits & postal savings have several options today. Corporate bonds, government securities, NCDs and other fixed-income products have become easier to access- thanks to the rise of new generation fintech platforms.

Altifi is one such platform. It allows retail investors to invest in bonds and other fixed-income products online. In this Altifi review, let us look at the platform in detail, explore the investment product it offers on its platform, charges, safety, returns, advantages, disadvantages, etc.

Table of Contents

What is Altifi?

Altifi is an online investment platform focused mainly on fixed-income investments- primarily bonds. The platform was created to make debt investments more accessible to retail investors. Previously, such products were mainly accessible only to institutional investors and high-net-worth investors. Here you can start investing as low as Rs.10000.

Through Altifi, investors can explore corporate bonds, government securities, commercial papers, NCDs and other fixed-income products from a single platform. The platform also offers mutual funds & very limited fixed deposits as well. The platform is available through its website and mobile app.

Altifi is backed by Northern Arc Group. Northern Arc Capital has been operating in India’s financial services sector since 2009. Northern Arc Securities Private Limited is its wholly owned subsidiary. Altifi benefits from the Northern Arc Group’s established presence in financial services, industry expertise and strong network of borrowers and investors, helping it offer a wider range of curated investment opportunities.

Altifi Investment Options

Following are the fixed-income products available on the Atifi platform.

Corporate Bonds

Altifi offers listed corporate bonds across different issuers, sectors and credit ratings. Current offerings can provide yields of up to 14% XIRR. The platform has several high yield bonds listed on its platform which is one of the USPs of the platform.

NCD IPOs

Investors can apply for public NCD issues through Altifi. The platform provides details such as interest rates, tenure and credit ratings before investment.

Government Securities

Altifi provides access to Central Government securities, offering an option for investors looking for sovereign-backed debt instruments.

Treasury Bills

T-Bills are short-term government securities available on Altifi. They are suitable for investors looking for short-tenure sovereign investments.

Commercial Papers

Commercial Papers are short-term debt instruments issued by companies. Though this section is active on the platform, hardly any opportunities get listed under it.

Fixed Deposits

Altifi does offer fixed deposits- though very limited. At the time of publishing this article, only Mahindra Finance fixed deposits seem to be live on the platform.

Mutual Funds

Altifi has also added mutual funds as an investment option to its kitty. This gives investors access to both market-linked and fixed-income options on the same platform.

KYC & Onboarding at Altifi

Investing on Altifi is a fully digital process. The basic process is:

Create an account on Altifi.
Complete your KYC.
Link your bank and Demat account where required.
Browse the available investment products.
Compare returns, ratings and maturity.
Select an investment.
Make the payment.
Track your investment through the platform.

Click Here to Signup on Altifi

What Makes Altifi Different?

Altifi’s biggest differentiator is its access to deals underwritten and structured by the Northern Arc Group. This can give investors access to niche opportunities in sectors such as microfinance, MSME lending and affordable finance, which may not be commonly available on other retail bond platforms.

This makes Altifi particularly interesting for investors looking beyond the usual corporate bonds and fixed-income products.

Is Altifi Safe?

This is probably the most important question, everyone is looking for an answer to, in this Altifi review. The answer is that Altifi itself is an established and regulated financial platform, but the investments listed still carry risk due to the nature of the investment product. Corporate bonds, NCDs, etc. carry risks which we all are aware of.

Altifi is operated by Northern Arc Securities Private Limited, which lists its SEBI registration and exchange memberships on the platform. One unique feature of this platform is the skin in the game- Northern Arc Capital has invested and conducts a thorough due diligence for all securities listed on Altifi- as mentioned on their website.

Conclusion

Altifi is an option to consider for investors looking to explore bonds and other fixed-income investments online. It has a large number of high yield bonds listed on its platform apart from regular bonds. Its association with the Northern Arc Group, wide range of products and digital investment process are some of its key strengths.

However, do note that bonds are not risk-free. Returns, credit risk and liquidity can vary significantly. Investors should therefore check the issuer, credit rating, tenure and expected returns before investing. Overall, Altifi can be worth considering for investors who understand fixed-income products and want to diversify beyond traditional fixed deposits.