Top 10 Mutual Funds to Invest in India

Indian economy is quite resilient and has robustly bounced back after the global economic recession – though many countries are still struggling to stage a comeback. Many foreign investors are investing in the Indian stock markets which are experiencing a bullish trend. As there are a lot of mutual fund companies in India, it is difficult to name the top 10 Indian mutual funds. However, an attempt can be made:

The HDFC mutual fund that was approved by SEBI in June 2000 offers Equity Funds, Balanced Funds, and Debt Funds schemes. HDFC Mutual Fund has witnessed significant growth in the past few years. It is regulated by HDFC Asset Management Company Limited which is a Joint Venture between India’s largest housing finance company HDFC and British investment firm Standard Life Investments Limited. The HDFC Asset Management Company Limited manages the assets of various mutual fund schemes and has assets over Rs. 25000 crores.

ABN AMRO Bank, N.V. and Deutche Bank are the other custodians of Tata Mutual Fund and that speaks volumes for its reliability. It is widely acknowledged that Tata Asset Management Limited is one of the most rapidly growing fund management firms in India and the AMC of Tata Mutual Fund has consistently performed well and provided ample returns to its investors. Tata Mutual Fund offers a wide range of investment products for both institutional and individual investors and has assets exceeding Rs. 13000 crores.

The State Bank of India (SBI) is India’s largest bank and SBI Mutual Fund is sponsored by the bank. SBI Mutual Fund has an excellent track record in creating wealth for its members. Interestingly SBI Mutual Fund is a joint venture between the State Bank of India and Société Générale Asset Management, one of the world’s leading fund management companies that manages over US$ 500 Billion internationally. During the 20 years since inception, SBI Mutual Fund has launched 38 schemes and successfully redeemed fifteen of them. Today, SBI Mutual Fund manages over Rs. 40000 crores of assets and has a diverse profile of members with investments across 38 active schemes.

Reliance Mutual Fund, a part of the Industrial giant Reliance (Ambani Group) and is arguably one of the fastest growing mutual funds in the country. RMF offers investors a wholesome portfolio of products to meet the diverse investor requirements. Reliance Mutual Fund schemes are managed by Reliance Capital Asset Management Limited., a subsidiary of Reliance Capital Limited. Reliance Capital Ltd. ranks among the top 3 private sector financial services and banking companies, in terms of net worth.

DSP BlackRock Investment Managers Pvt. Ltd. is the investment manager to DSP BlackRock Mutual Fund. It can be said that at DSP BlackRock Investment Managers Pvt. Ltd has some seasoned investment professionals who deploy an array of analytical tools, to successfully and consistently add value to client portfolios. DSP BlackRock Mutual Fund has an enviable track record and investors have amply benefited over the years.

Kotak Mutual Fund is sponsored by Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited that is emerging as one of India's fastest growing banks. Kotak Mutual Fund has grown from humble beginnings and Kotak Mutual Fund today offers a total array of products and services suiting the varying needs of its investors. Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited is the Asset Manager for Kotak Mahindra Mutual and it has over 13 Lac investors in various schemes.

Principal Mutual Fund has been functioning successfully with the principal goal of mobilizing savings from the public, providing investment expertise and achieving optimal returns to its members. The Fund was initially set up by Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) in 1994 and on March 31, 2000, Principal Financial Services Inc. USA became its sponsor. The Principal Financial Services Inc. USA thereafter became the sole sponsor by acquiring 100% stake in IDBI-PRINCIPAL Asset Management Company Limited. In May 2004, Principal admitted Punjab National Bank and Vijaya Bank into the venture. The Mutual Fund has been growing at an enviable rate and unfailingly rewarding its investors.

Sundaram BNP Paribas Mutual Fund investments are managed by Sundaram BNP Paribas Asset Management Company Limited. The sponsor of the fund, however, is the trusted SUNDARAM Finance, one of India’s frontline financial services companies. The Asset Management Company was started in 1996 as a joint venture between SUNDARAM Finance (61%) and Newton Investment Management (39%). In 2002, SUNDARAM Finance acquired the 39% stake of Newton in the AMC. Sundaram BNP Paribas Asset Management is one of the largest and reputed fund houses in India. This is understandable as the fund is sponsored by two giants of the financial services industry – Sundaram Finance Group and BNP Paribas Asset Management.

Franklin Templeton is a widely talked-about Mutual Fund in India with offices in 33 locations across the country and having assets worth exceeding Rs. 35000 crores and over 23 lakh investors. Franklin Templeton Mutual Funds are managed by Franklin Templeton Investments - a global investment management major. Franklin Templeton Asset Management (India) Private Limited acts as the asset management company with Templeton holding a majority of 75 per cent of the equity. Since inception in India, Franklin Templeton has devoted ample resources towards investor education and has strived incessantly to achieve optimum gains for both its individual and organizational investors.

Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund is a joint venture between the giant Aditya Birla Group and Sun Life Financial. Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth creation products worldwide. The mutual fund is managed by Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company Ltd. which is joint venture between the Aditya Birla Group and the Sun Life Financial Services Inc. of Canada. Lately, Birla Mutual Fund crossed AUM of Rs. 10,000 crores.