LAMF allows investors to access liquidity while staying invested.
Most actively-managed equity mutual fund schemes outperformed their benchmarks despite volatility across domestic equity markets during the past year.
India's mutual fund industry has significantly increased its share of public trading in the stock market, widening its lead over the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for the fifth consecutive year. While LIC's share of free-float listed shares has fallen to 7.42% as of March 2026, the mutual fund industry's share has surged to 22.92% from 7.06% in 2012.
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.
Equity-oriented mutual fund schemes in India experienced a 5 per cent decline in net inflows in April, reaching Rs 38,440 crore, while monthly Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contributions also saw a decrease.
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.
Hybrid mutual fund schemes attracted significant inflows of Rs 1.55 lakh crore in FY26, a 29 per cent increase, as investors increasingly opted for diversified investment strategies to navigate volatile market conditions and geopolitical tensions.
Markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday proposed introducing gift cards or gift prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) for investments in mutual funds to improve financial inclusion through onboarding of new investors in the space.
Among its 27 recommendations for the Union Budget is this: It has suggested that equity investments held for more than one year and up to three years should be taxed at 12.5 per cent on gains exceeding 2 lakh in a financial year.
Liquidity stress in smallcap funds has fallen to its lowest level since February 2024, with the average time to liquidate 50% of portfolios dropping to 27 days in June from a peak of 44.2 days in January 2026, driven by a sharp recovery in smallcap stocks and increased trading volumes.
Paytm's parent company, One 97 Communications Ltd, has seen its domestic ownership increase to 51.6% in Q1 FY27, solidifying its status as an Indian-Owned and Controlled Company. This rise is driven by increased investments from mutual funds and insurance companies, reflecting growing investor confidence following Paytm's first full-year profit in FY26 and improved operating performance.
Paytm's parent company, One 97 Communications Ltd, has seen its domestic ownership increase to 51.6% in Q1 FY27, solidifying its status as an Indian-Owned and Controlled Company. This rise is driven by increased investments from mutual funds and insurance companies, reflecting growing investor confidence following Paytm's first full-year profit in FY26 and improved operating performance.
The change comes at a time when online MF distributors are increasingly moving investors from the SoA mode to demat holdings.
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs), driven by the popularity of mutual funds, have emerged as significant stabilising forces for Indian capital markets amidst global volatility and foreign portfolio investment (FPI) outflows, according to Sebi whole-time member Amarjeet Singh.
Major fund houses report a sharp rise in online transactions, driven by changing investor habits, distributor behaviour, and fast-growing fintech platforms.
The good news is that you don't need to spend hours manually comparing every scheme. In this article, we have explained how you can shortlist a winning fund in a few minutes by evaluating some crucial parameters.
'Investors spend too much time picking the right mutual fund and too little time choosing the right asset allocation. That's where real wealth is created.'
SBI Funds Management Ltd. is set to list on stock exchanges next week following its Rs 11,692 crore Initial Public Offering (IPO), which involves an Offer for Sale (OFS) of a 10 per cent stake by SBI and Amundi.
The initial public offer (IPO) of SBI Funds Management Ltd was fully subscribed on the second day of bidding, receiving bids for 1.17 times the shares on offer, with strong interest from non-institutional investors and anchor investors.
'Midcaps and smallcaps are the 'go-to segments' for retail investors.'
At Rs 4.07 trillion, gross inflows were just shy of the record Rs 4.34 trillion mobilised in H2 of 2024, making it the second half-yearly period in which inflows crossed Rs 4 trillion.
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.
SBI Funds Management, India's largest asset management company, has set its IPO price band between 545 and Rs 574 per share, valuing the company at 1.2 trillion. The management explained the 'moderate' valuation aims to instil investor confidence amidst market uncertainty, while also highlighting plans for AI integration, expansion into GIFT City, and new alternative investment funds.
Smallcap funds give investors access to businesses that can grow much faster than the broader economy.
An employee whose financial future is 60-80 per cent dependent on a single company's growth trajectory has no genuine safety net.
The Nifty's stunning 200-point jump in the final minute of trading wasn't a glitch. It marked India's shift to a new, globally accepted system of end-of-day price discovery.
'The Rs 30,954 crore inflows recorded in May 2026 reflects around 16 per cent year-on-year rise.'
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.
'It's not about individuals operating the mule accounts being more or less skilled. Instead, 'lower-level' refers to the role the individual account plays in the broader mule network.'
Foreign investors have largely been exiting one part of the market while domestic investors have been enthusiastically accumulating another, points out Debashis Basu.
The tax treatment of equity savings funds makes them appealing, especially to investors in higher income-tax brackets.
'Periods of heightened volatility, driven by global events such as tariffs and geopolitical tensions over the past year-and-a-half, can make some investors pause or discontinue their investments.'
'I don't see fear becoming a dominant factor for retail investors.'
rediffGURU Ulhas Joshi answers your mutual fund queries.
India's market regulator, Sebi, has approved the re-introduction of open-market share buybacks through stock exchanges, effective August 1, 2026, alongside easing debt listing norms for RBI-regulated entities and simplifying rules for mutual funds and alternative investment funds.
Drone technology company ideaForge Technology has successfully raised Rs 500 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP). The funding, which saw strong interest from domestic and international institutional investors, will be used to accelerate innovation, expand its product portfolio into combat drones and autonomous systems, and strengthen its working capital to meet growing demand in defence, homeland security, and civil sectors.
Drone technology company ideaForge Technology has successfully raised Rs 500 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP). The funding, which saw strong interest from domestic and international institutional investors, will be used to accelerate innovation, expand its product portfolio into combat drones and autonomous systems, and strengthen its working capital to meet growing demand in defence, homeland security, and civil sectors.
'Investors shouldn't let fear dictate their decisions. The most important step is simply to begin investing.'
'AIS helps taxpayers check whether all income streams and reportable transactions -- such as interest from old bank accounts, small dividend receipts or transactions across multiple brokers -- have been properly disclosed.' 'Mismatches between these transactions and declared income may trigger automated notices or scrutiny.'
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.
