Which mutual funds did investors prefer in 2020?

Published: January 25, 2021 at 11:57 am

Last Updated on January 25, 2021 at 11:57 am

In this article, we list the mutual funds investors preferred in 2020 by estimating fund inflows. Yesterday, we discussed the AUM change in Parag Parikh Flexicap Fund: and how it grew by 147% in 2020! Today we considered the AUM change of 746 mutual funds in 2020. As many as 133 funds registered a 100% plus increase in AUM.

The NAV of 40 mutual funds grew by more than 25% in 2020 (Dec 31st 2019 to Dec 31st 2020).  With these nine funds registered a 50% plus annual return.

  1. DSP Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)
  2. Quant Small Cap Fund(G)
  3. Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)
  4. PGIM India Global Equity Opp Fund(G)
  5. ICICI Pru Technology Fund(G)
  6. Aditya Birla SL Digital India Fund(G)
  7. IDBI Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)
  8. Aditya Birla SL Pharma & Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)
  9. Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF-Reg(G)

As pointed out in yesterday’s article Quant Small Cap Fund registered a 4708% increase in inflow (4783% increase in AUM minus 75% increase in NAV). PGIM Indian Global Equity and Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF also saw a heavy inflow of funds which is hardly surprising. Read more: PGIM India Global Equity Opportunities Fund Review: Should You Invest?

Scheme Name% increase in inflow
Quant Small Cap Fund(G)4708%
PGIM India Global Equity Opp Fund(G)1832%
Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF-Reg(G)990%
DSP Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)252%
Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)156%
ICICI Pru Technology Fund(G)119%
Aditya Birla SL Pharma & Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)114%
IDBI Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)61%
Aditya Birla SL Digital India Fund(G)42%

Investors’ also bet big on pharma in the year of the pandemic. Another 33 funds returned between 50% to 25%.

List of funds with annual returns between 25% to 50%

Scheme Name% increase in inflow
Quant Active Fund(G)1123%
Quant Multi-Asset Fund(G)1103%
Quant Consumption Fund(G)493%
ICICI Pru Commodities Fund(G)425%
ICICI Pru Regular Gold Savings Fund(FOF)(G)385%
Motilal Oswal Nifty Smallcap 250 Index Fund-Reg(G)361%
Quant Absolute Fund(G)325%
JM Low Duration Fund(G)317%
PGIM India Midcap Opp Fund-Reg(G)307%
Parag Parikh Tax Saver Fund-Reg(G)282%
PGIM India Diversified Equity Fund-Reg(G)265%
HDFC Gold Fund(G)263%
Kotak Gold Fund(G)261%
DSP Quant Fund-Reg(G)260%
Axis Gold Fund-Reg(G)236%
Quantum Gold Saving Fund(G)-Direct Plan220%
Motilal Oswal Nifty Midcap 150 Index Fund-Reg(G)215%
Kotak Global Emerging Mkt Fund(G)203%
Quant Tax Plan(G)192%
Invesco India Gold Fund(G)168%
Quant Infrastructure Fund(G)163%
Aditya Birla SL Gold Fund(G)161%
SBI Technology Opp Fund-Reg(D)127%
Kotak Asset Allocator Fund(G)126%
DSP World Gold Fund-Reg(G)116%
Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Fund-Reg(G)115%
Quant Mid Cap Fund(G)102%
Axis Growth Opp Fund-Reg(G)98%
SBI Gold-Reg(G)96%
DSP World Mining Fund-Reg(G)93%
Franklin India Feeder – Franklin U.S. Opportunities Fund(G)92%
Axis Midcap Fund-Reg(G)80%
SBI Small Cap Fund-Reg(G)76%

Quant funds, gold funds and mid/small cap funds are some prominent entries.

List of funds with the highest increase in inflows

Suppose we sort by the increase in inflow, as many as 47 funds registered more than 200% increase! Notice debt funds (driven by banks?) in the top 10.

Scheme Name% increase in inflow
Kotak Floating Rate Fund-Reg(G)54536%
Quant Small Cap Fund(G)4708%
PGIM India Emerging Markets Equity Fund(G)2381%
Axis Corp Debt Fund-Reg(G)2150%
PGIM India Global Equity Opp Fund(G)1832%
Quant Active Fund(G)1123%
Quant Multi-Asset Fund(G)1103%
Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 FOF-Reg(G)990%
Quant Consumption Fund(G)493%
DSP World Energy Fund-Reg(G)460%
ICICI Pru Commodities Fund(G)425%
Axis Dynamic Bond Fund-Reg(G)420%
ICICI Pru Regular Gold Savings Fund(FOF)(G)385%
IDFC G-Sec-Invest-Reg(G)366%
Motilal Oswal Nifty Smallcap 250 Index Fund-Reg(G)361%
HSBC Overnight Fund-Reg(G)338%
Axis Money Market Fund-Reg(G)331%
Canara Rob Bluechip Equity Fund-Reg(G)331%
Quant Absolute Fund(G)325%
Invesco India Corporate Bond Fund(G)319%
JM Low Duration Fund(G)317%
Edelweiss Money Market Fund-Reg(G)313%
PGIM India Midcap Opp Fund-Reg(G)307%
ICICI Pru Global Advantage Fund(FOF)(G)289%
Axis Gilt Fund-Reg(G)282%
Parag Parikh Tax Saver Fund-Reg(G)282%
ICICI Pru Constant Maturity Gilt Fund(G)276%
PGIM India Diversified Equity Fund-Reg(G)265%
HDFC Gold Fund(G)263%
Kotak Gold Fund(G)261%
DSP Quant Fund-Reg(G)260%
Motilal Oswal Nifty 500 Fund-Reg(G)256%
ICICI Pru Sensex Index Fund(G)253%
DSP Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)252%
Axis Overnight Fund-Reg(G)244%
BNP Paribas Short Term Fund(G)243%
SBI Banking and PSU Fund-Reg(G)242%
L&T Arbitrage Opp Fund-Reg(G)238%
Axis Gold Fund-Reg(G)236%
Axis Short Term Fund-Reg(G)230%
Edelweiss Banking and PSU Debt Fund-Reg(G)226%
Quantum Gold Saving Fund(G)-Direct Plan220%
Motilal Oswal Nifty Midcap 150 Index Fund-Reg(G)215%
Motilal Oswal Nifty Bank Index Fund-Reg(G)207%
Parag Parikh Liquid Fund-Reg(G)205%
Kotak Global Emerging Mkt Fund(G)203%
Mirae Asset Dynamic Bond Fund-Reg(G)202%

The market crash and the pandemic possibly triggered the increase in gold AUM.

Index funds

Finally, we list the increase in the inflow of index funds.

Scheme Name% increase in inflow
Motilal Oswal Nifty Smallcap 250 Index Fund-Reg(G)361%
Tata Index Fund-Nifty Plan(G)352%
Motilal Oswal Nifty 500 Fund-Reg(G)256%
ICICI Pru Sensex Index Fund(G)253%
Motilal Oswal Nifty Midcap 150 Index Fund-Reg(G)215%
Motilal Oswal Nifty Bank Index Fund-Reg(G)207%
Tata Index Fund-Sensex Plan(G)195%
Nippon India Index Fund – Sensex Plan(G)177%
DSP NIFTY 50 Index Fund-Reg(G)154%
HDFC Index Fund-Sensex(G)140%
ICICI Pru Nifty Index Fund(G)124%
Motilal Oswal Nifty Next 50 Index Fund-Reg(G)114%
HDFC Index Fund-NIFTY 50 Plan(G)110%
Motilal Oswal Nifty 50 Index Fund-Reg(G)79%
SBI Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G)66%
UTI Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G)58%
DSP NIFTY Next 50 Index Fund-Reg(G)55%
Aditya Birla SL Index Fund-Reg(G)42%
LIC MF Index Fund-Sensex Plan(G)27%
IDFC Nifty Fund-Reg(G)22%
UTI Nifty Next 50 Index Fund-Reg(G)20%
Franklin India Index Fund-NSE Nifty(G)16%
ICICI Pru Nifty Next 50 Index Fund(G)15%
LIC MF Index Fund-Nifty Plan(G)9%
Principal Nifty 100 Equal Weight Fund(G)6%
Taurus Ethical Fund-Reg(G)3%
Sundaram Smart NIFTY 100 Eq Weight Fund-Reg(G)-1%
IDBI Nifty Index Fund(G)-3%
DSP Equal Nifty 50 Fund-Reg(G)-4%
Taurus Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G)-7%
IDBI Nifty Junior Index Fund(G)-21%
Axis Nifty 100 Index Fund-Reg(G)-22%

The drop in inflow to Axis NIfty 100 and equal-weight index funds is conspicuous. Sensex funds seem to have increased in popularity in 2020. Established funds from ICICI (NN50) and UTI registered healthy but smaller increases. How will the AUM of these funds change in 2021?

Do share this article with your friends using the buttons below.

🔥Enjoy massive discounts on our courses, robo-advisory tool and exclusive investor circle! 🔥& join our community of 7000+ users!
Use our Robo-advisory Tool for a start-to-finish financial plan! More than 2,500 investors and advisors use this!
Track your mutual funds and stock investments with this Google Sheet!
We also publish monthly equity mutual funds, debt and hybrid mutual funds, index funds and ETF screeners and momentum, low-volatility stock screeners.
Follow Freefincal on Google News
Follow Freefincal on Google News
Subscribe to the freefincal Youtube Channel. Subscribe button courtesy: Vecteezy.
Subscribe to the freefincal Youtube Channel.
Follow freefincal on WhatsApp Channel
Follow freefincal on WhatsApp
Podcast: Let's Get RICH With PATTU! Every single Indian CAN grow their wealth! 
Listen to the Lets Get Rich with Pattu Podcast
Listen to the Let's Get Rich with Pattu Podcast
You can watch podcast episodes on the OfSpin Media Friends YouTube Channel.
Lets Get RICH With PATTU podcast on YouTube
Let's Get RICH With PATTU podcast on YouTube.
🔥Now Watch Let's Get Rich With Pattu தமிழில் (in Tamil)! 🔥
  • Do you have a comment about the above article? Reach out to us on Twitter: @freefincal or @pattufreefincal
  • Have a question? Subscribe to our newsletter using the form below.
  • Hit 'reply' to any email from us! We do not offer personalized investment advice. We can write a detailed article without mentioning your name if you have a generic question.

Join 32,000+ readers and get free money management solutions delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to get posts via email! (Link takes you to our email sign-up form)


About The Author

Pattabiraman editor freefincalDr M. Pattabiraman(PhD) is the founder, managing editor and primary author of freefincal. He is an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has over ten years of experience publishing news analysis, research and financial product development. Connect with him via Twitter(X), Linkedin, or YouTube. Pattabiraman has co-authored three print books: (1) You can be rich too with goal-based investing (CNBC TV18) for DIY investors. (2) Gamechanger for young earners. (3) Chinchu Gets a Superpower! for kids. He has also written seven other free e-books on various money management topics. He is a patron and co-founder of “Fee-only India,” an organisation promoting unbiased, commission-free investment advice.
Our flagship course! Learn to manage your portfolio like a pro to achieve your goals regardless of market conditions! More than 3,000 investors and advisors are part of our exclusive community! Get clarity on how to plan for your goals and achieve the necessary corpus no matter the market condition is!! Watch the first lecture for free!  One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos! Reduce fear, uncertainty and doubt while investing! Learn how to plan for your goals before and after retirement with confidence.
Our new course!  Increase your income by getting people to pay for your skills! More than 700 salaried employees, entrepreneurs and financial advisors are part of our exclusive community! Learn how to get people to pay for your skills! Whether you are a professional or small business owner who wants more clients via online visibility or a salaried person wanting a side income or passive income, we will show you how to achieve this by showcasing your skills and building a community that trusts and pays you! (watch 1st lecture for free). One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos!   
Our new book for kids: “Chinchu Gets a Superpower!” is now available!
Both boy and girl version covers of Chinchu gets a superpower
Both the boy and girl-version covers of "Chinchu Gets a superpower".
Most investor problems can be traced to a lack of informed decision-making. We made bad decisions and money mistakes when we started earning and spent years undoing these mistakes. Why should our children go through the same pain? What is this book about? As parents, what would it be if we had to groom one ability in our children that is key not only to money management and investing but to any aspect of life? My answer: Sound Decision Making. So, in this book, we meet Chinchu, who is about to turn 10. What he wants for his birthday and how his parents plan for it, as well as teaching him several key ideas of decision-making and money management, is the narrative. What readers say!
Feedback from a young reader after reading Chinchu gets a Superpower (small version)
Feedback from a young reader after reading Chinchu gets a Superpower!
Must-read book even for adults! This is something that every parent should teach their kids right from their young age. The importance of money management and decision making based on their wants and needs. Very nicely written in simple terms. - Arun.
Buy the book: Chinchu gets a superpower for your child!
How to profit from content writing: Our new ebook is for those interested in getting side income via content writing. It is available at a 50% discount for Rs. 500 only!
Do you want to check if the market is overvalued or undervalued? Use our market valuation tool (it will work with any index!), or get the Tactical Buy/Sell timing tool!
We publish monthly mutual fund screeners and momentum, low-volatility stock screeners.
About freefincal & its content policy. Freefincal is a News Media Organization dedicated to providing original analysis, reports, reviews and insights on mutual funds, stocks, investing, retirement and personal finance developments. We do so without conflict of interest and bias. Follow us on Google News. Freefincal serves more than three million readers a year (5 million page views) with articles based only on factual information and detailed analysis by its authors. All statements made will be verified with credible and knowledgeable sources before publication. Freefincal does not publish paid articles, promotions, PR, satire or opinions without data. All opinions will be inferences backed by verifiable, reproducible evidence/data. Contact information: letters {at} freefincal {dot} com (sponsored posts or paid collaborations will not be entertained)
Connect with us on social media
Our publications

You Can Be Rich Too with Goal-Based Investing

You can be rich too with goal based investingPublished by CNBC TV18, this book is meant to help you ask the right questions and seek the correct answers, and since it comes with nine online calculators, you can also create custom solutions for your lifestyle! Get it now.
Gamechanger: Forget Startups, Join Corporate & Still Live the Rich Life You Want Gamechanger: Forget Start-ups, Join Corporate and Still Live the Rich Life you wantThis book is meant for young earners to get their basics right from day one! It will also help you travel to exotic places at a low cost! Get it or gift it to a young earner.

Your Ultimate Guide to Travel

Travel-Training-Kit-Cover-new This is an in-depth dive into vacation planning, finding cheap flights, budget accommodation, what to do when travelling, and how travelling slowly is better financially and psychologically, with links to the web pages and hand-holding at every step. Get the pdf for Rs 300 (instant download)