Investor interest in precious metal exchange-traded funds (ETFs) rebounded sharply in June, with silver ETFs attracting an estimated 4,900 crore and gold ETFs around 2,900 crore in net inflows, following a significant correction in gold and silver prices.
International mutual fund schemes have seen a significant resurgence in investor interest, attracting approximately Rs 7,600 crore in net inflows over the past year, a stark reversal from previous outflows, driven by their strong outperformance against domestic markets and limited AI-linked investment opportunities in India.
'The Rs 30,954 crore inflows recorded in May 2026 reflects around 16 per cent year-on-year rise.'
Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) returns for smallcap and midcap mutual funds have seen a significant rebound, with average one-year SIP returns now at 19.1 per cent for smallcap funds and 13.5 per cent for midcap funds, according to Value Research data. This recovery is expected to revive momentum in the retail mutual fund industry, which had experienced a moderation in growth indicators.
Despite the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) and the government's recent initiatives to attract foreign capital, which are expected to alleviate pressure on long-duration bonds, most debt fund managers are maintaining a cautious stance, favouring shorter-duration papers due to global uncertainties and potential future rate hikes.
Net mutual fund inflows into active equity schemes in India plummeted by 40 per cent month-on-month in May, reaching a one-year low of 22,908 crore, primarily due to weaker lump-sum investments and increased redemptions amidst significant market volatility and global uncertainties.
The SIF vertical, which allows MFs to offer complex products to relatively sophisticated investors, has managed to garner scale in just seven months of the launch of the first products.
Most actively-managed equity mutual fund schemes outperformed their benchmarks despite volatility across domestic equity markets during the past year.
Indian mutual funds have significantly reduced their exposure to the information technology (IT) sector, with holdings now at an eight-year low of 6.7% in April 2026, driven by weak earnings growth, global demand slowdown, and concerns over AI-led disruption.
Investments under the framework would remain voluntary for employees.
Net investments into equity mutual fund schemes in India remained elevated at approximately 38,440 crore in April, despite a slight dip from March's high and a 3% month-on-month decline in Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) inflows.
'As re-industrialisation gathers pace across regions like Asia, Europe and the US, a wide range of products and inputs will see demand.'
Direct plans of mutual fund schemes added nearly 21 million individual investor folios in FY26 (as of February), surpassing regular plans' 15 million net additions, marking only the second time direct plans have outpaced regular plans in annual folio growth, despite turbulent equity markets.
Net inflows into equity mutual fund schemes moderated in FY26, falling by 27 per cent to about 3 trillion till February, as choppy markets and global uncertainties prompted investors to shift towards safer options like hybrid funds and gold ETFs.
Uncertainty stemming from the US-Iran conflict has significantly impacted India's mutual fund industry, leading to a sharp decline in new fund offers (NFOs) in March, despite numerous regulatory approvals. This geopolitical tension, coupled with existing market strain and distributor hesitation, has dampened investor sentiment and affected overall inflows.
Analysts say long-term investors may still benefit, but recommend limiting bullion exposure to around 10 per cent.
The highlight in January, with no surprise, has been flows into gold and silver ETFs.
Domestic gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw their holdings jump 65 per cent to 95 tonnes in 2025, elevating Indian ETFs to sixth place globally, going by holdings of the yellow metal. At the end of 2024, they ranked eighth with 57.5 tonnes of holding, according to an analysis of data from the World Gold Council (WGC).
'Multi-asset funds have cornered 30 per cent of hybrid fund inflows in 2025, reflecting a growing preference for diversified portfolios that combine equity, debt and commodities.'
'The bigger unknown remains global geopolitics, which is inherently unpredictable, including developments in our neighbourhood.' 'Another concern is the increasing tilt of government finances towards welfare subsidies, especially at the state level.' 'This could constrain capital expenditure, which is critical for long-term growth.'
