Page 16 - Banking Finance September 2025

MUTUAL FUND

PMLA court. The ED's action follows an prevailing market conditions. Nand and renewed appetite for risk.
FIR filed by Mumbai Police in Decem- Kishore, MD & CEO of SBI Funds Man- Sectoral/thematic, flexi cap, small-cap,
ber 2024. According to the ED, Joshi agement, said the product is designed and mid-cap funds saw notable trac-
used a Dubai-based terminal and mule to offer a convenient, one-fund solution tion, signaling increased interest in al-
accounts sourced from various brokers that blends active strategies to man- pha-generating segments. Additionally,
to execute trades ahead of Axis Mutual age risk and enhance diversification. digital accessibility and rising financial
Fund's official transactions. The fund literacy contributed to higher partici-
"This scheme reflects our commitment
manages over Rs 2 lakh crore in assets. pation from smaller towns.
to delivering innovative investment
The agency also alleged that other tools that help investors navigate mar- Debt funds also gained from antici-
brokers and traders misused trade in- ket cycles," he added. The fund will be pated liquidity easing, with expecta-
puts from Axis MF, indicating that the suitable for investors seeking a bal- tions of a 100 bps CRR cut. With broad
total illicit gains could exceed the esti- anced, actively managed portfolio diversification across equity, debt, hy-
mated Rs 200 crore. without having to track multiple indi- brid, and passive schemes, the mutual
vidual schemes. fund sector catered to a wide spectrum
SBI Mutual Fund unveils of investors. Overall, the assets under
Mutual fund industry sees management (AUM) expanded to Rs
new dynamic asset alloca- 75.36 lakh crore, reflecting the
264% MoM growth in July
tion FoF scheme industry's continued momentum.
inflows: ICRA Analytics
SBI Mutual Fund has introduced the SBI
Dynamic Asset Allocation Active Fund-of- India's mutual fund industry witnessed Tata AIA Life unveils Mo-
Fund (FoF), an open-ended scheme that a significant surge in July 2025, with mentum 50 Index Fund
will invest in actively managed equity total inflows rising 264% month-on-
and debt-oriented mutual funds. The month to Rs 1.79 lakh crore, accord- with life cover
New Fund Offer (NFO) opens on August ing to ICRA Analytics. Equity mutual Tata AIA Life Insurance has launched
25 and will close on September 8, 2025. funds also registered a robust 81.04% the Tata AIA Momentum 50 Index Fund,
jump in inflows. a unique offering combining equity in-
The scheme aims to generate long-
term capital appreciation by dynami- This record-breaking performance is vestment with life insurance protection.
cally adjusting allocations between attributed to a revival in investor con- The New Fund Offer (NFO) is currently
equity and debt mutual funds based on fidence, particularly in equity markets, open and closes on August 25, with
units priced at Rs 10 during the period.
Demat accounts witness highest monthly growth The fund is linked to the BSE 500 Mo-
since December 2024 mentum 50 Customised Index and is
designed to invest in India's top mo-
India saw a sharp increase in demat account openings in July 2025, adding mentum-driven companies across sec-
nearly 3 million accounts-the highest monthly addition since December
tors. It aims to deliver long-term capi-
2024. This marks the third straight month of growth, pushing the total
tal growth by focusing on high-growth
number of demat accounts to 202.1 million.
businesses while offering diversifica-
However, the count includes multiple accounts per investor, with the num- tion. A key differentiator is the integra-
ber of unique investors estimated at 120 million. Despite volatile market tion of life cover, ensuring both wealth
conditions, including trade tensions with the US and foreign portfolio inves- creation and financial protection for
tor (FPI) outflows of Rs 17,741 crore, domestic participation remained policyholders' families.
strong. July witnessed robust IPO activity, with 13 issues raising Rs 16,125 Harshad Patil, Chief Investment Officer
crore, boosting new account openings.
at Tata AIA, noted the fund's align-
Additionally, SIP inflows hit a new high of Rs 28,464 crore, reflecting sus- ment with India's economic trajectory
tained retail investor interest. Experts attribute the surge to seamless and transformative reforms. He em-
onboarding, IPO excitement, and confidence in systematic investing, though phasized the fund's rule-based strategy
they caution that future growth will depend on global trade dynamics and as a disciplined path to tap into India's
market sentiment. evolving equity market potential.

BANKING FINANCE | SEPTEMBER | 2025 | 15