Increasing awareness about mutual funds, ease of transactions through digitisation and sharp surge in equity markets have aided asset management companies to add a staggering 3.17 crore investor accounts in 2021-22, with experts saying the trend is likely to continue this fiscal as well. This was a significant rise from 2020-21 when 81 lakh accounts (or folios in mutual fund parlance) were opened, data with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed. The ongoing financial year too appears to be promising in terms of folios as increase in investor accounts will enable people to move beyond fixed deposits and savings accounts, said Priti Rathi Gupta, founder of LXME, a financial platform for women.
'Equities may not outperform every year, but if they do so seven times out of 10, it's an asset class worth relying on.'
Paisa Bazaar, which recently forayed into online mutual fund distribution, has come out with a 20-second video clip featuring Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. The ad, which talks about the benefits of investing in direct plans, has already got 1.6 million views on YouTube.
Top officials said asking employees other than the fund management team to mandatorily invest a fifth of their salary goes against the principle of natural justice.
Equity flows turning positive could give fund managers firepower to invest in the markets. This could come in handy as flows from foreign investors have tapered off amid rising bond yields in the US.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) could soon issue interim orders imposing a market ban on the two former fund managers of Axis Mutual Fund (MF) for suspected front-running of trades, said people with knowledge of the development. "The market regulator has gathered prima facie evidence that demonstrates that the duo has violated the integrity of the market. "While a detailed investigation is still pending in the matter, Sebi could take action under Section 11 (4) to prevent further harm to the investors and the securities market," said a source.
The Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) has already taken up the matter with the market regulator and the finance ministry.
Inflow in equity mutual funds dipped 3.24 per cent to Rs 24,269 crore in April amid continued market volatility against the backdrop of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. This was the fourth consecutive month of decline in inflow in equity funds.
Investor interest in the mutual fund industry as an avenue to generate long term wealth creation is rising with SIP's asset base touching an all-time high of Rs 4.67 lakh crore at May-end. Over the past five years, the systematic investment plan or SIP AUM has grown 30 per cent annually, twice as fast as the growth in the overall mutual fund industry's assets under management (AUM). According to data released by Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) on Wednesday, SIP AUMs have seen a close to four-fold jump to Rs 4,67,366 crore as of May this year from Rs 1,25,394 crore as of August 2016.
Retail investors now own a bigger slice of small-cap companies than a couple of years earlier, attributable to their growing conviction in mutual fund (MF) schemes focused on this space. Data from Capitaline shows MFs' average holding in the National Stock Exchange Nifty Smallcap 250 rising to 8.67 per cent, from 7.67 per cent in the past two financial years, with the number of companies with over 20 per cent MF holdings, rising from 15 to 24. At the end of May, the top five small-cap firms with the highest MF holdings were Carborundum Universal, Blue Star, Cyient, Gujarat State Petronet, and Cholamandalam Finance.
HNI equity folios up 46% in the first half of FY15.
The share of investments held by the top 10 investors across smallcap mutual fund schemes has been on a decline, falling to a 14-month low in March 2025, shows an analysis of data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). The median smallcap scheme has 2.03 per cent of its investments coming from the top 10 investors, compared to 2.43 per cent a year ago.
The country's 44 fund houses together garnered an average Asset Under Management) of Rs 9.04 lakh crore (Rs 9.04 trillion) during the January-March quarter of 2013-14, up from Rs 8.76 lakh crore (Rs 8.76 trillion) in the previous three-month period, Crisil said attributing the data to the Association of Mutual Funds in India.
IOC resumes funding to IOA after "corrective measures" to resolve disputes and governance issues
'They are positioned as defensive products and can potentially give marginally higher returns than liquid funds.'
The time is ripe for a merger of eight fund houses indirectly owned and controlled by the central government, says N Sundaresha Subramanian.
Investors who issued units in liquid and overnight funds, as well as those with a short-term holding of less than 30 days, are likely to be impacted the most, say experts.
'Such stocks may be useful for aggressive portfolios, but should not be part of the core holdings.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
The ratio of MF assets under management to total bank deposits has more than doubled in 10 years.
The 44-player industry logged assets under management of Rs 26.33 lakh crore in October-end, as compared to Rs 27.04 lakh crore by November end, representing a growth of 3 per cent. Among debt-oriented schemes, overnight funds received flows worth about Rs 20,650 crore, the highest among the fixed-income segment last month.
Bihar is now among the top 10 states in terms of investor base, surging past better-off states like Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab.
The assets in control of MFs soared to a record high of Rs 17.9 lakh crore last month
Debt-oriented mutual funds witnessed an outflow of Rs 6,525 crore in February, a sharp reversal from the strong inflow of Rs 1.28 lakh crore in the preceding month, chiefly due to redemptions in short-duration funds. Notably, 10 of 16 debt mutual fund categories reported net outflow during the month, data with Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'They are ideal for short-term financial goals like children's education or a down payment for a house.' 'They are also useful for transitional savings, such as during job switches or while starting a business.'
'Increasingly, they treat gold as a financial asset in their portfolio rather than just as jewellery.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Inflows into mutual funds' equity schemes increased by over 14 per cent on-month to Rs 41,156 crore in December, even as market volatilities continued. The small and midcap schemes of mutual funds continued to attract investor interest with inflows touching record highs during the month, despite the concerns being expressed about the two segments for the risk they portend, industry body Amfi said.
'MFs have a combined exposure of Rs 3.2 lakh crore to NBFCs, out of which Rs 1.1 lakh crore matures by September 2019.'
In 5 years, the AMC has clocked a growth rate of 40% with its AUM up nearly 4 times.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Milind Vadjikar your insurance, stocks, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Among Sensex firms, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank, Maruti, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra declined. Tech Mahindra, Tata Motors, Infosys, HCL Tech, IndusInd Bank and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers.
The 100 per cent withdrawal provision and the 25 per cent minimum balance provision have led to some confusion.
Equity-focused schemes may perform better in a bull market, while debt-oriented ones may offer greater stability during volatile periods.
'For those seeking regular income, these funds provide a steady stream of income through dividends.'
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The country's 44 fund houses together had an average AUM of Rs 9.85 lakh crore during April-June quarter of 2014-15, up from Rs 9.05 lakh crore (Rs 9.05 trillion) in the preceding three months, according to the latest data available with Association of Mutual Funds in India.
Inflows into equity mutual fund (MF) schemes declined for a fourth consecutive month in April, even as systematic investment plan (SIP) inflows reached a record high of about Rs 26,632 crore.
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From appointment letters becoming mandatory to gig workers receiving social security to enhanced rights for women and contract labour, the changes reflect India's attempt to balance ease of doing business with stronger worker welfare.
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