Best Mutual Funds to Invest in 2026
 
Fund Name
|
Category
|
NAV (Rs.)
|
AUM (Cr.)
|
Returns Since
inception (%) |
Past
Avg Rolling
|
CAGR |
Fund DeciZen
P(%)
Q
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid - Balanced Hybrid Fund | 13.60 | 667 |
10.6
25 Sep' 23
|
3.09
9.17
N/A
N/A
8.88
10.97
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
11
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Balanced Hybrid Fund | 12.99 | 667 |
8.9
25 Sep' 23
|
3.09
9.17
N/A
N/A
7.27
9.34
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
9
Q
|
||
| Equity - ELSS - Tax Saver Fund | 12.92 | 65 |
7
28 Dec' 22
|
-7.4
5.52
N/A
N/A
10.93
9.95
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
10
Q
|
||
| Equity - ELSS - Tax Saver Fund | 12.80 | 65 |
6.7
28 Dec' 22
|
-7.4
5.52
N/A
N/A
10.65
9.68
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
10
Q
|
||
| Equity - Flexi Cap Fund | 16.94 | 2,246 |
17.4
30 Jun' 23
|
8.45
14.9
N/A
N/A
15.88
17.91
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
18
Q
|
||
| Equity - Flexi Cap Fund | 16.10 | 2,246 |
15.6
30 Jun' 23
|
8.45
14.9
N/A
N/A
14.08
16.09
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
16
Q
|
||
| Equity - Focused Fund | 54.96 | 6,496 |
15.3
30 Oct' 14
|
2.24
9.37
9.64
14.21
18.18
17.73
18.32
17.55
|
cagr |
18
Q
|
||
| Equity - Focused Fund | 47.90 | 6,496 |
14
30 Oct' 14
|
2.24
9.37
9.64
14.21
16.83
16.34
16.90
16.17
|
cagr |
16
Q
|
||
| Equity - Thematic Fund - Other | 19.08 | 774 |
14.2
29 Nov' 21
|
-5.61
12.14
N/A
N/A
21.26
22.83
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
23
Q
|
||
| Equity - Thematic Fund - Other | 17.94 | 774 |
12.7
29 Nov' 21
|
-5.61
12.14
N/A
N/A
19.73
21.27
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
21
Q
|
||
| Equity - Flexi Cap Fund | 10.78 | 7,844 |
10
29 Dec' 25
|
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
N/A
Q
|
||
| Equity - Flexi Cap Fund | 10.66 | 7,844 |
8.4
29 Dec' 25
|
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
N/A
Q
|
||
| Equity - Large & Mid Cap Fund | 9.43 | 486 |
-26
04 Aug' 26
|
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
N/A
Q
|
||
| Equity - Large & Mid Cap Fund | 9.40 | 486 |
-27.3
04 Aug' 26
|
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
N/A
Q
|
||
| Equity - Small cap Fund | 12.22 | 3,248 |
41.5
17 Mar' 26
|
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
N/A
Q
|
||
| Equity - Small cap Fund | 12.12 | 3,248 |
39.5
17 Mar' 26
|
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
N/A
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Aggressive Hybrid Fund | 1489.75 | 6,831 |
17.1
10 Feb' 95
|
-1.42
8.23
6.67
8.22
11.04
11.14
11.79
12.01
|
cagr |
11
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Aggressive Hybrid Fund | 1684.03 | 6,831 |
12.1
01 Jan' 13
|
-1.42
8.23
6.67
8.22
12.04
12.18
12.00
11.96
|
cagr |
12
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Balanced Advantage | 110.70 | 9,836 |
9.5
25 Apr' 00
|
4.55
9.93
8.56
9.26
11.20
11.07
11.15
10.51
|
cagr |
11
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Balanced Advantage | 127.36 | 9,836 |
11.8
01 Jan' 13
|
4.55
9.93
8.56
9.26
12.43
12.24
11.92
11.92
|
cagr |
12
Q
|
||
| Equity - Sectoral Fund - Banks & Financial Services | 68.94 | 3,406 |
16.2
14 Dec' 13
|
-0.52
7.4
8.61
9.04
16.48
15.53
14.04
14.55
|
cagr |
16
Q
|
||
| Equity - Sectoral Fund - Banks & Financial Services | 60.77 | 3,406 |
15.1
14 Dec' 13
|
-0.52
7.4
8.61
9.04
15.31
14.38
12.89
13.39
|
cagr |
14
Q
|
||
| Equity - Thematic Fund - Other | 16.42 | 1,725 |
10.7
03 Dec' 21
|
6.05
10.86
N/A
N/A
13.64
14.60
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
15
Q
|
||
| Equity - Thematic Fund - Other | 15.46 | 1,725 |
9.4
03 Dec' 21
|
6.05
10.86
N/A
N/A
12.28
13.26
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
13
Q
|
||
| Equity - Thematic Fund - Other | 10.36 | 1,495 |
2
27 Dec' 24
|
-1.91
N/A
N/A
N/A
3.48
N/A
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
N/A
Q
|
||
| Equity - Thematic Fund - Other | 10.10 | 1,495 |
0.6
27 Dec' 24
|
-1.91
N/A
N/A
N/A
2.06
N/A
N/A
N/A
|
cagr |
N/A
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Conservative Hybrid Fund | 69.27 | 1,467 |
9
22 May' 04
|
3
7.42
6.89
6.77
8.50
8.89
9.41
9.60
|
cagr |
9
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Conservative Hybrid Fund | 78.25 | 1,467 |
10
01 Jan' 13
|
3
7.42
6.89
6.77
9.53
9.92
9.77
9.79
|
cagr |
10
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Conservative Hybrid Fund | 69.27 | 1,467 |
9.1
03 May' 04
|
3
7.42
6.89
6.77
8.50
8.89
9.46
9.72
|
cagr |
9
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Conservative Hybrid Fund | 78.25 | 1,467 |
10
02 Jan' 13
|
3
7.42
6.89
6.77
9.53
9.92
9.77
9.79
|
cagr |
10
Q
|
||
| Equity - Sectoral Fund - Consumption | 228.05 | 5,697 |
15.3
01 Jan' 13
|
-8.98
6.51
7.51
11.46
16.27
16.98
17.01
16.97
|
cagr |
17
Q
|
||
| Equity - Sectoral Fund - Consumption | 196.90 | 5,697 |
15.1
05 Aug' 05
|
-8.98
6.51
7.51
11.46
14.96
15.68
16.47
16.47
|
cagr |
16
Q
|
||
| Equity - Sectoral Fund - Technology | 172.75 | 3,617 |
17.7
01 Jan' 13
|
-8.21
2.32
2.03
16.8
20.19
18.90
20.54
20.06
|
cagr |
19
Q
|
||
| Equity - Sectoral Fund - Technology | 151.58 | 3,617 |
10.7
15 Jan' 00
|
-8.21
2.32
2.03
16.8
18.96
17.72
18.84
16.58
|
cagr |
18
Q
|
||
| Equity - Dividend Yield Fund | 476.56 | 1,382 |
12.4
01 Jan' 13
|
0.3
10.02
11.57
10.88
15.48
14.45
13.65
13.49
|
cagr |
14
Q
|
||
| Equity - Dividend Yield Fund | 429.51 | 1,382 |
17.2
26 Feb' 03
|
0.3
10.02
11.57
10.88
14.62
13.60
12.98
11.97
|
cagr |
14
Q
|
||
| Equity - ELSS - Tax Saver Fund | 58.21 | 13,559 |
10
10 Mar' 08
|
-2.68
8.93
6.45
8.17
11.51
11.87
12.95
13.20
|
cagr |
12
Q
|
||
| Equity - ELSS - Tax Saver Fund | 65.55 | 13,559 |
13.1
01 Jan' 13
|
-2.68
8.93
6.45
8.17
12.51
12.87
12.78
12.75
|
cagr |
13
Q
|
||
| Equity - ELSS - Tax Saver Fund | 58.21 | 13,559 |
9.9
10 Mar' 08
|
-2.68
8.93
6.45
8.17
11.51
11.87
12.95
13.20
|
cagr |
12
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Equity Savings | 25.78 | 1,116 |
8.3
28 Nov' 14
|
4.09
7.13
5.72
6.68
8.99
8.59
8.55
8.57
|
cagr |
9
Q
|
||
| Hybrid - Equity Savings | 23.12 | 1,116 |
7.3
28 Nov' 14
|
4.09
7.13
5.72
6.68
8.00
7.56
7.51
7.54
|
cagr |
8
Q
|
||
| Equity - Thematic Fund - Other | 18.65 | 542 |
11.3
24 Dec' 20
|
-1.38
8.86
5.34
N/A
11.58
13.81
10.73
N/A
|
cagr |
14
Q
|
||
| Equity - Thematic Fund - Other | 17.23 | 542 |
9.8
24 Dec' 20
|
-1.38
8.86
5.34
N/A
10.10
12.33
9.26
N/A
|
cagr |
12
Q
|
||
| Equity - Flexi Cap Fund | 2130.54 | 27,982 |
15.9
01 Jan' 13
|
6.19
13.03
10.03
11.87
16.58
15.93
15.69
15.63
|
cagr |
16
Q
|
||
| Equity - Flexi Cap Fund | 1888.09 | 27,982 |
20.5
27 Aug' 98
|
6.19
13.03
10.03
11.87
15.53
14.87
15.55
14.48
|
cagr |
15
Q
|
||
| Equity - Focused Fund | 140.57 | 7,512 |
13.4
24 Oct' 05
|
1.17
10.62
8.62
10.86
13.81
13.30
13.86
13.40
|
cagr |
13
Q
|
||
| Equity - Focused Fund | 160.16 | 7,512 |
14
01 Jan' 13
|
1.17
10.62
8.62
10.86
14.93
14.42
14.32
14.26
|
cagr |
14
Q
|
||
| Equity - Sectoral Fund - Infrastructure | 105.10 | 1,220 |
12.1
17 Mar' 06
|
13.14
15.61
16.21
12.79
18.03
15.67
14.95
11.93
|
cagr |
16
Q
|
||
| Equity - Sectoral Fund - Infrastructure | 117.17 | 1,220 |
15.4
01 Jan' 13
|
13.14
15.61
16.21
12.79
18.98
16.59
15.40
15.18
|
cagr |
17
Q
|
||
| Equity - Large & Mid Cap Fund | 1023.33 | 5,603 |
14.2
01 Jan' 13
|
2.91
9.57
6.16
9.02
14.51
14.09
13.99
13.91
|
cagr |
14
Q
|
||
FAQs
Professionally managed: By opting for a mutual fund, you choose a professional money manager, who invests a pool of money after thorough research and based on well thought strategy.
Diversified & many investment options: Mutual Fund saves you a lot of time and helps you quickly get exposed to large number of stocks and bonds. Limited capital restricts you to a handful of investment ideas. With large pool of money, a mutual fund helps you take exposure to all types of assets including corporate bonds, pure gold and 100s of stocks.
Liquidity: Mutual funds are liquid investments unless they have a specific lock-in period. This means you can redeem your units at any time and access your money when needed.
Ease of investment: It is quite easy to invest in mutual funds. And, you can start with amounts as low as Rs. 500.
- What is the Right Fund? - Check quality of Holdings, consistency of returns, expense
- What is the Right Time to buy? - Check portfolio valuation and fund manager investment strategy
- What is the Right Allocation? - Check if the fund suits your risk profile
Read our blog , 'If not past returns, then how do you select the right Equity Mutual Fund to invest in?' for details
While the best mutual funds to invest keep changing from time to time. Here are a few funds that are currently doing well:
| Fund Name | Category | AUM (Cr.) | Returns Since inception | 3 yr Avg Rolling | Quality | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirae Asset Emerging Bluechip Fund | Equity - Large & Mid Cap Fund | 11,929 | 19.8 | 23.21 | Somewhat Good | Very Good |
| Canara Rob Emerg Equities Fund-Reg(G) | Equity - Large & Mid Cap Fund | 6,126 | 16.6 | 20.15 | Somewhat Good | Very Good |
| Axis Midcap Fund | Equity - Mid Cap Fund | 6,949 | 16.9 | 19.32 | Very Good | Not Good |
| Aditya Birla Sun Life MNC Fund | Equity - Thematic Fund - MNC | 3,708 | 16 | 19.3 | Somewhat Good | Not Good |
| Nippon India Pharma Fund | Equity - Sectoral Fund - Pharma & Health Care | 3,900 | 20.8 | 18.69 | Very Good | Not Good |
| HDFC Mid-Cap Opportunities Fund | Equity - Mid Cap Fund | 21,817 | 14.2 | 18.51 | Somewhat Good | Very Good |
| Principal Emerging Bluechip Fund | Equity - Large & Mid Cap Fund | 2,120 | 23 | 18.3 | Somewhat Good | Not Good |
| Invesco India Multicap Fund | Equity - Multi Cap Fund | 933 | 13.9 | 18.21 | Somewhat Good | Not Good |
| ICICI Prudential Technology Fund | Equity - Sectoral Fund - Technology | 832 | 10.9 | 17.99 | Risky | Very Good |
| ICICI Prudential FMCG Fund | Equity - Sectoral Fund - Consumption | 516 | 16 | 17.98 | Very Good | Not Good |
- Have your emergency fund in place before you start investing.
- Have an adequate term and health insurance plan
- Never invest any money you will need in the near future.
- Diversify your investment portfolio by investing across sectors and asset classes.
- Build an investment portfolio that matches your appetite for risk.
Do your own research before you invest in these funds, so you know which funds would make a better choice. Read, ‘If not past returns, then how do you select the right Equity Mutual Fund to invest in?' to know how to choose the best mutual fund for you.
Key advantages of such a fund are (1) lower costs as there is no fund manager and (2) lower efforts to identify best fund or fund manager (3) Exposure to large section of market, guaranteeing average stock market returns.
Index fund is an equity fund, so it also comes with volatility but it is a simplest form of equity investing.
If your goals are more than 5-7 years away, you must consider investing in Equity Mutual Funds to earn equity-linked returns (significantly higher than FD). This will also help you reach your financial goals faster or on lower amount of savings. Those who are already investing in stocks directly can consider investing in equity MFs to complement your investment strategy/style/biases and also be confident about committing a larger portion of your Investable Surplus to equities.
You must select at least 4-5 funds whose strategy complements each other. Every Fund Manager chooses a strategy, such that it will work best only in some market situations. So, when investing in equity mutual funds, if you own different combination of mutual funds, they will work better together, in good times and bad.
Ideally, you should invest at least 25% of your portfolio in debt. This can be through FDs, PPFs or debt funds. Since this part of your portfolio is your safety net, we usually advise clients to stick to safer category of debt funds, i.e. Liquid funds. For portfolios smaller than Rs. 50 Lakhs can choose simple Fixed Deposits in Top 5 banks of India for this portion of portfolio.
- Consistent Outperformers : Track record of having generated returns above a benchmark on a 3-year rolling basis. Consistent performers are Green, followed by Orange. Red have an inconsistent track record on outperforming the index.
- The average 3-year rolling returns number appears in the first button.
- Quality of Portfolio is assessed based on the quality of each stock held. Predominantly high quality stocks get a Green second button, followed by Orange and Red (large amount of risky stocks).
- Upside Potential: Every fund is assessed on what returns it could deliver in the next 5 years based on it.
- Core Funds: Choose from Large cap, Large and Mid cap and Flexicap funds.
- Booster Funds
- Choose from Mid and Small cap funds.
- Select a Sector or Thematic Fund that is likely to outperform in the long term.
