Winning Bizness Desk
Mumbai: Investor interest in equity mutual funds continues to rise, with investments pouring in for the 42nd consecutive month in August. In a new high, Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contributions reached ₹23,332 crore, setting a new record for monthly SIP inflows. Furthermore, the total number of mutual fund folios has surpassed 20 crore for the first time, with 14.3 crore of those in equity funds. According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), equity funds received total investments of ₹38,239 crore in August, a 3.3% increase from the ₹37,113 crore invested in July. This makes August's inflows the second-largest monthly investment on record, following June's ₹40,608 crore. The mutual fund industry’s total assets under management (AUM) reached an all-time high of ₹66.7 lakh crore in August, up by ₹1.08 lakh crore from ₹65 lakh crore in July.
Equity investments continue to surge, with more than ₹34,000 crore flowing into various equity schemes for the fourth consecutive month. Sectoral and thematic funds led the pack, attracting ₹18,117 crore, while large-cap funds garnered ₹2,637 crore. Mid-cap and small-cap funds saw investments of ₹3,055 crore. Six new fund offerings (NFOs) were launched in August, five of which were sector or thematic funds, raising a collective ₹10,202 crore. Debt schemes, meanwhile, received ₹45,169 crore in investments, down by 62% from July. Among these, overnight funds saw the highest inflows of ₹15,106 crore. Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) also witnessed increased investments, attracting ₹1,611 crore, up from ₹1,337 crore in July.
SIP account numbers have also risen, with a total of 9.61 crore folios now active, contributing to a cumulative AUM of ₹13.39 lakh crore. August alone saw the opening of 63.93 lakh new SIP accounts, with retail investor folios crossing 16.35 crore. This sustained growth highlights the increasing confidence of Indian investors in mutual funds as a reliable investment option for long-term wealth creation.
