Value in today's money uses 6% inflation. Tax shown is an estimate of long term capital gains tax at 12.5% above ₹1.25 lakh if you sell everything in one year. FD comparison uses 7% a year.
50 Popular Funds, Real Returns
Annualised returns (CAGR) of the direct growth plan, from official NAVs published by AMFI. Data as of 28 Oct 2026. Tap a fund to load it into the calculator.
| Fund | Category | Age | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | 15Y | 20Y |
|---|
R = return from the regular plan of the same fund, because direct plans only began in January 2013. Regular plans charge a higher fee, so a direct plan's long term return would usually be a little higher. A dash means the fund's public NAV record is shorter than that period. Age counts from the earliest NAV in the AMFI record, which starts in 2006, so older funds show "19+ yrs".
Which Category Fits Which Goal
| Category | Ups and downs | Hold for at least | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Cap | High | 5+ years | Top 100 companies by size. Steadier than mid and small caps. |
| Index | High | 5+ years | Copies an index such as the Nifty 50 at low cost. No fund manager bets. |
| Flexi Cap | Very high | 7+ years | Free to move across large, mid and small companies. |
| Multi Cap | Very high | 7+ years | Holds at least 25% each in large, mid and small companies. |
| Large & Mid Cap | Very high | 7+ years | A mix of the top 250 companies. |
| Mid Cap | Very high | 7+ years | Companies ranked 101 to 250. Higher growth, bigger swings. |
| Small Cap | Very high | 10+ years | Companies beyond the top 250. Biggest swings, long horizon only. |
| ELSS | Very high | 5+ years | Tax saving equity fund with a 3 year lock in. |
| Value and Contra | Very high | 7+ years | Buys companies the market currently undervalues. |
| Focused | Very high | 7+ years | Holds 30 stocks or fewer, so results depend more on each pick. |
| Sectoral | Very high | 7+ years | Bets on one sector, such as technology. Use as a small add on. |
| Hybrid | Medium to high | 3+ years | Mixes equity and debt, and in some cases gold, to soften the swings. |
| Debt | Low to medium | 1 to 3 years | Lends to companies or the government for interest income. |
| Liquid | Low | Up to 1 year | Parks money for days or months. Works like a better savings account. |
| Gold | High | 5+ years | Tracks the price of gold. Useful as a hedge, not a core holding. |
Want to know how big your corpus needs to be? Try the FIRE Calculator India.
Common Questions
What is CAGR?
CAGR, or compound annual growth rate, is the average yearly return that turns the starting NAV into today's NAV. A 12% CAGR over 10 years means money roughly tripled.
Why do some funds show no 15 or 20 year return?
The fund, or its data in the public AMFI record, is younger than that period. Direct plans only started in January 2013, so returns longer than that use the regular plan of the same fund, marked with an R.
Direct plan or regular plan?
A direct plan has no distributor commission, so its expense ratio is lower and returns are usually higher than the regular plan of the same fund. You buy direct plans on the AMC website or on direct investing platforms.
Will a fund repeat its past returns?
Not necessarily. Past returns show how a fund behaved, not what it will do. The calculator lets you use a cautious return so you can see a safer case.
How are mutual fund gains taxed?
Equity fund gains on units held over 12 months are taxed at 12.5% above Rs 1.25 lakh a year. Units held 12 months or less are taxed at 20%. Debt fund units bought after 1 April 2023 are taxed at your slab rate.
Is this a recommendation to buy these funds?
No. The list covers large, well known funds across categories for education. It is not a ranking or a recommendation. Syed Hadi is not a SEBI registered investment adviser.
For education only. This page is not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any fund. Syed Hadi is not a SEBI registered investment adviser. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. NAV data from AMFI via mfapi.in, snapshot as of 28 Oct 2026.