The payouts were 22 per cent lower than the previous year's tally of Rs 7,938 crore.
Staggered pull-out will help investors if the market continues to rise.
Equity flows have been under pressure since the second half of 2018, after the IL&FS crisis sent shockwaves in both equity and debt markets.
Experts say the trend is worrying as it could take a toll on the pace of equity flows and also hinder the penetration drive of the Rs 24-trillion MF industry.
