Jain dharma values guide ethical investing in a simple way: avoid harm to living beings, practice restraint in ownership, and act truthfully with clear intentions. When you look for mutual funds in India that align with Jain principles, keep these points in mind:

• Core Jain ethics to apply

- Ahimsa (non-violence): prefer funds that exclude companies involved in animal cruelty, factory farming, and other activities causing suffering. - Aparigraha (non-possessiveness): seek investments that don’t promote excessive risk or speculation; aim for steady, transparent growth rather than aggressive leverage. - Satya (truthfulness) and transparency: choose funds with clear, publicly stated ethical exclusions and a transparent investment process. - Asteya (non-stealing): avoid schemes that hide fees or have misleading practices; prefer funds with clear fee structures and disclosures.

• Common exclusions you can look for

- Alcohol, tobacco, meat/animal product industries - Gambling, weapons/defense sectors, adult entertainment - Animal testing and cruel farming practices - Companies with questionable labor practices or severe environmental harm

• How to evaluate a fund for Jain alignment

- Ethical exclusions: check the fund’s policy for sector exclusions (does it specifically exclude alcohol, tobacco, meat, gambling, weapons, etc.?) - ESG integration: see how the fund evaluates environmental, social, and governance factors, and whether Jain-specific concerns are addressed (e.g., non-violence toward animals, fair labor practices). - Disclosure and governance: read the fund’s annual report or fact sheet for clarity on holdings, turnover, and rationale behind exclusions. - Simplicity and clarity: prefer funds with straightforward strategies rather than complex, opaque instruments. - Tradition note: in Jain tradition, both Digambar and Shwetambar communities generally share the same core ethical framework for investments; the practical fund selections usually align with the same broad exclusions. If a practitioner or spiritual guide in your tradition has a specific list of preferred exclusions, follow that guidance alongside these general principles.

• Practical approach you can take now

- Start with a shortlist of large Indian mutual funds that publish an explicit ethical/exclusion policy and a dedicated ESG or responsible investing section. - Read the fund’s policy document to confirm which sectors are excluded and how rigidly they are applied (permanent bans vs. restrictions). - Compare a few options on risk, return, and expense ratios, but weigh these against how well each fund’s exclusions and governance match Jain principles. - If you have a preferred guru or Jain advisor, consult them about any additional, tradition-specific criteria you should apply.

If you’d like, I can guide you step by step to check specific funds you’re considering against these Jain-principles criteria.