Mutual Fund News

The mutual fund operations will be carried out through AlphaGrep Investment Management, which will focus on offering retail investment products based on quantitative and data-driven strategies.

Founded in 2010, AlphaGrep manages more than Rs 8,500 crore in assets globally and about Rs 2,000 crore across its Alternative Investment Fund and Portfolio Management Services platforms in India, including operations in GIFT City.

The firm plans to introduce equity and hybrid mutual fund schemes that use systematic and rules-based investment approaches powered by mathematical models and machine learning.

AlphaGrep Investment Management will be led by chief executive officer Bhautik Ambani, with the company planning to launch its first new fund offers in the coming months.

DSP Large Cap Fund :

Regular Plan ' IDCW: 2.000000

Direct Plan ' IDCW: 2.400000

DSP Banking & Financial Services Fund:

Regular Plan ' IDCW: 1.100000

Direct Plan ' IDCW: 1.100000

DSP US Specific Equity Omni FoF:

Regular Plan ' IDCW: 1.800000

Direct Plan ' IDCW: 3.500000

Change in Fund Manager:

Change in Fund Manager:

The net assets under the management (AUM) of the Indian mutual fund industry at the end of February 2026 stood at Rs 82.02 lakh crore, according to data from the Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI). This is slightly higher as compared with the figure of Rs 81.01 lakh crore recorded in January 2026.

The AUM of open-ended plans rose to Rs 81.77 lakh crore in February 2026 from Rs 80.76 lakh crore in January 2026. The equity plans in this category recorded net inflows of Rs 36,098.17 crore.

Within equity, Flexi Cap Fund drew the most significant inflows in February, attracting Rs 6,924.65 crore. Mid Cap Funds followed suit with inflows of Rs 4,002.99 crore, while ELSS saw net outflows of Rs 650.02 crore.

Debt funds witnessed net inflows in February, totaling Rs 42,106.31 crore. This category had recorded net inflows of Rs 74,827.13 crore in January. Liquid Funds recorded maximum inflows of Rs 59,077.39 crore. While segments like Low Duration Funds and Money Market Funds saw total inflows of Rs 8,595.26 crore, Overnight Funds recorded outflows of Rs 14,006.21 crore.

Hybrid schemes, offering a mix of equity and debt exposure, recorded net inflows of Rs 11,983.37 crore in February 2026. This was largely driven by Multi Asset Allocation Funds, which attracted Rs 8,476.26 crore.

The systematic investment plan (SIP) contributions reportedly stood at Rs 29,845 crore in February 2026, compared with Rs 31,002 crore in January. The number of contributing SIP accounts also rose from 9.92 crore in January to 10.45 crore in February, while SIP assets under management (AUM) were at Rs 16.64 lakh crore.

The facility will be available for both demat and non-demat folios and will initially be offered through the MF Central platform, an interoperable registrar and transfer agent (RTA) system designed to streamline mutual fund service requests.

According to the circular issued on 6 March 2026, the debit freeze option will be available only to investors who are KYC-compliant and have both a registered email ID and mobile number. Investors will be able to activate the lock through RTAs via the MF Central platform in the first phase.

SEBI said the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) will prescribe the detailed procedure for locking and unlocking folios and define the list of financial and non-financial transactions that may be permitted during the freeze period. Asset management companies and RTAs will also be required to disclose the process for opting into the facility and its implications on their websites and in the Statement of Additional Information.

The circular will come into effect from 30 April 2026. SEBI said the measure has been introduced to safeguard investor interests and strengthen the security framework for mutual fund investments.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed actively managed equity mutual funds to invest part of their residual allocation in gold and silver instruments.

The limit is up to 35% of assets and also includes units of infrastructure investment trusts.

This expands the range of non-equity assets available to fund managers.

Under the revised framework, equity schemes can deploy surplus allocations beyond core equity exposure into precious metals.

These investments will typically be made through ETFs or related instruments. Earlier, this portion of the portfolio was largely parked in cash, liquid securities, or money-market instruments.

The change gives fund managers an additional tool to manage volatility and diversify portfolios.

Gold is widely used as a hedge during market stress. Silver offers both safe-haven characteristics and exposure to industrial demand.

Media reports suggest that most funds are expected to use this newly granted flexibility selectively. Allocations to metals are likely to remain small and tactical.

As a result, the overall risk'return profile and equity orientation of most schemes is unlikely to change materially.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a voluntary debit freeze facility for mutual fund folios to strengthen investor security.

The feature will allow investors to lock their holdings and prevent any debit transactions such as redemptions or transfers. The circular will take effect from 30 April 2026.

The facility will apply to both demat and non-demat mutual fund folios. Investors will initially be able to activate the lock through the MF Central platform. Once activated, no units can be redeemed or transferred until the folio is unlocked by the investor.

MF Central is an industry platform jointly managed by Computer Age Management Services and KFin Technologies. The feature will initially be available only to KYC-compliant investors with registered mobile numbers and email IDs.

SEBI has tasked the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) with defining the operational framework. AMFI will outline the process for locking and unlocking folios and specify which transactions remain permitted during the freeze period.

Asset management companies and registrars will disclose operational details on their websites and in scheme documents.

The measure adds a security layer for mutual fund investors. It is designed to reduce the risk of unauthorized transactions and fraudulent redemptions.

The mechanism is similar to debit freeze facilities already available in bank and demat accounts.

ICICI Prudential Equity - Arbitrage Fund:

Regular Plan ' IDCW: 0.0500

Direct Plan ' IDCW: 0.0500

ICICI Prudential Multi - Asset Fund:

Regular Plan ' IDCW: 0.1600

Direct Plan ' IDCW: 0.1600

Nippon India Balanced Advantage Fund - Regular Plan ' IDCW 0.2200

Nippon India Balanced Advantage Fund - Direct Plan ' IDCW: 0.2200

Nippon India Multi Asset Allocation Fund - Regular Plan ' IDCW 0.1500

Nippon India Multi Asset Allocation Fund - Direct Plan ' IDCW: 0.1500

Change in Fund Manager:

Invesco India Balanced Advantage Fund ' Regular IDCW Option & Direct IDCW Option: 0.15

Name: Ms. Anand Upadhyay

Designation: Research Associate - Equity

Details of Mr. Ajay Rotti Jayathirtha

Age: 46 years

Designation: Independent Director

Qualification: Bachelor of Commerce from Bangalore University (2001)

FCA from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (2002)

Bachelor of Law from Karnataka State Law University (2024) .

Tata Aggressive Hybrid Fund ' Regular Plan & Direct Plan: 0.36 each.

Change in Exit Load:

DSP Flexi Cap Fund - Regular Plan ' IDCW: 5.100000

DSP Flexi Cap Fund - Direct Plan ' IDCW: 7.500000

DSP Natural Resources and New Energy Fund - Regular Plan ' IDCW: 3.400000

DSP Natural Resources and New Energy Fund - Direct Plan ' IDCW: 2.800000

DSP Value Fund - Regular Plan - IDCW: 1.400000

DSP Value Fund - Direct Plan - IDCW: 1.600000

Nippon India Growth Mid Cap Fund - Regular Plan ' IDCW: 9.0000

Nippon India Growth Mid Cap Fund - Direct Plan ' IDCW: 14.0000

Nippon India Growth Mid Cap Fund - Inst (IDCW) - Direct Plan ' IDCW: 85.0000

HDFC Flexi Cap Fund:

Regular Plan ' IDCW: 7.00

Direct Plan ' IDCW: 7.00

HDFC Multi Cap Fund:

Regular Plan ' IDCW: 0.75

Direct Plan ' IDCW: 0.75

HDFC Small Cap Fund:

Regular Plan ' IDCW: 4.00

Direct Plan ' IDCW: 4.00