It was in these very pages, back in 1993, that Business Today, in partnership with Value Research, asked: which mutual fund schemes are worth investing in?
That question remains as powerful today as it was then. From just 89 schemes then, the universe has now expanded to more than 1,800 as of this September. This freedom of choice empowers investors but also makes choosing right the real challenge.
The partnership between BT and Value Research set a benchmark as the first such ratings in India. Together, we pioneered mutual fund rankings in an era when the private sector was taking its first steps into the world of fund management. Over the years, that collaboration evolved—and with this edition, we renew the relationship, bringing back the same authority and clarity that guided India’s early MF investors.
As Value Research Founder Dhirendra Kumar explains in his personal account, he, and the BT team created a new way for Indian investors to evaluate MFs, driven by the conviction that they deserved a transparent way to understand what they were putting their money into.
Decades later, with refinement and deeper analytics, Value Research has applied that same philosophy to sift through thousands of funds and identify the ones that truly stand out.
This MF investment special issue is a definitive, data-rich edition—one that not only informs but also serves as a ready reckoner for the hundreds of millions of investors navigating the MF landscape today.
At its core is a showcase of 100 best MF schemes. These are not rankings, but a curated selection by Value Research based on consistent performance, portfolio quality, and investor relevance. The process is completely transparent. Each fund has a dedicated page with key metrics, insights, and performance data. Together, they cover every major category, offering something for every kind of investor. In addition, the details of India’s top 1,000 funds by assets under management (AUM) are being made available online at www.businesstoday.in.
The goal is simple: to help investors make informed choices, plan systematically, and build wealth patiently.
The timing could not be better. The Indian MF industry is now a financial powerhouse. As of September, the average AUM stood at nearly Rs 78 lakh crore, a sixfold rise from about Rs 12 lakh crore a decade ago, and nearly threefold since 2020. The number of investor folios has surged to nearly 252 million. This growth is nothing short of transformational, a testament to India’s deepening financial maturity and the steady shift from saving to investing.
Still, the journey is personal. As Rajeev Thakkar, CIO of PPFAS Mutual Fund, says, the first decision for any investor is not about which fund to pick, but how to allocate across assets. His words sum up the spirit of this issue—invest wisely, diversify smartly, and stay disciplined.
Don’t rush. Don’t blindly chase trends. Build a portfolio SIP by SIP.
