Staggered pull-out will help investors if the market continues to rise.
The payouts were 22 per cent lower than the previous year's tally of Rs 7,938 crore.
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.