Table of Contents
Passive funds are a type of funds that consistently tracks a market index to allow a fund get maximum gains. It invests in a portfolio that replicates a market index like Nifty, the Sensex, etc. All the securities along with their proportion in the portfolio will be the same as the index the fund is tracking.
In passive funds, the fund manager does not actively choose what stocks will make up the fund. This is one of the reasons passive funds are easier to invest than active funds. Investors buy passive funds when they want their returns to be in line with the market. These funds are low-cost funds as there are no costs involved in selecting stocks and researching.
Passive funds are of two types, such as -
Index Funds are an open-ended scheme where the investors buy and redeem units of the Mutual Funds at the net-asset values. In other words, the performance of an index fund is dependent on the performance of a particular index. Index funds contain shares in a similar proportion as they are in a particular index.
The units of exchange-traded funds are randomly listed on a stock exchange. Investors buy and sell units at real-time prices through Demat account.
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There are specific differences in the way they function and affect the investor.
The tabular differentiates between passive funds and active funds:
Passive Funds | Active Funds |
---|---|
The fund manager does not actively participate in selecting funds | Fund managers commit to a lot of research and take steps accordingly to select funds in various securities based on market performance |
Costs less | Costs more |
Popularity because of the low-expense ratio | Costlier management makes it less popular |
In 2019, Indian investors found that passive mutual funds were trustworthy. The total assets managed by passive funds, including gold and ETFs along with other index funds were huge. It was found that it stood at Rs. 177,181 crore
on November 30, 2019.
The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) stated that index funds had gathered an AUM of Rs. 7717 crore
on November 2019. Passive large-cap ETFs offer returns of 11.53% compared to actively managed Large cap funds that offered 10.19%.
gold ETFs stood at Rs. 5,540.40 crore
as of November 2019. This comes in comparison to Rs. 4,571 crore in December 2018. The AUM of other ETFs
stood at Rs. 1,63,923.66 crore, as compared to Rs. 1,07,363 crore at the end of 2018.
A large part of 2019 witnessed that large-cap schemes were at the top of return charts. Even in 2020, nine out of the top 15 large-cap schemes are passive funds.
With the current situation across the globe, the financial markets are facing issues of deep concern. While investors were willing to take a risk in the past, today’s conditions have pushed the majority of the investors to look for a safe haven. This means they are looking for an investment that will yield higher returns or at least stable returns.
Several investors are now looking to invest through passive modes such as exchange-traded funds or index funds. As per AMFI, Inflow into the index funds faced an all-time high of Rs. 2076.5 crore
in March 2020.
With the growing popularity of passive mutual funds, the chances of gaining higher returns are higher. Here are the best passive mutual funds you can choose to invest:
Fund NAV Net Assets (Cr) 3 MO (%) 6 MO (%) 1 YR (%) 3 YR (%) 5 YR (%) 2020 (%) Nippon India Index Fund - Sensex Plan Growth ₹24.1523
↑ 0.01 ₹128 -0.5 22.1 59.9 12.7 14 16.6 LIC MF Index Fund Sensex Growth ₹90.5988
↑ 0.04 ₹31 -0.6 21.7 58.9 12.6 13.6 15.9 ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund Growth ₹142.115
↑ 0.35 ₹1,375 1.3 24.4 62.6 12 13.6 15.2 UTI Nifty Index Fund Growth ₹96.6323
↑ 0.24 ₹3,292 1.5 24.7 63.8 12.5 14.2 15.5 Franklin India Index Fund Nifty Plan Growth ₹115.327
↑ 0.27 ₹388 1.3 24 61.9 11.5 13.2 14.7 Note: Returns up to 1 year are on absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR basis. as on 16 Apr 21
*Below is the list for Index Mutual Funds having atleast 15 Crore
or more in Net Assets.
The primary investment objective of the scheme is to replicate the composition of the Sensex, with a view to generate returns that are commensurate with the performance of the Sensex, subject to tracking errors. Nippon India Index Fund - Sensex Plan is a Others - Index Fund fund was launched on 28 Sep 10. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for Nippon India Index Fund - Sensex Plan Returns up to 1 year are on The main investment objective of the fund is to generate returns commensurate with the performance of the index either Nifty / Sensex based on the plans by investing in the respective index stocks subject to tracking errors. LIC MF Index Fund Sensex is a Others - Index Fund fund was launched on 14 Nov 02. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for LIC MF Index Fund Sensex Returns up to 1 year are on (Erstwhile ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund) An open-ended index linked growth scheme seeking to track the returns of the S&P CNX Nifty index through investment in a basket of stocks drawn from the constituents of the Nifty. ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund is a Others - Index Fund fund was launched on 26 Feb 02. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The principal investment objective of the scheme is to invest in stocks of companies comprising Nifty 50 Index and endeavour to achieve return equivalent to Nifty 50 by “passive” investment. The scheme will be managed
by replicating the index in the same weightage as in the Nifty 50 Index with the intention of minimising the performance differences between the scheme and the Nifty 50 Index in capital terms, subject to market liquidity, costs of trading, management expenses and other factors which may cause tracking error. The
scheme would alter the scrips/weights as and when the same are altered in the Nifty 50 Index. UTI Nifty Index Fund is a Others - Index Fund fund was launched on 6 Mar 00. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for UTI Nifty Index Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The Investment Objective of the Scheme is to invest in companies whose securities are included in the Nifty and subject to tracking errors, endeavouring to attain results commensurate with the Nifty 50 under NSENifty Plan Franklin India Index Fund Nifty Plan is a Others - Index Fund fund was launched on 4 Aug 00. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for Franklin India Index Fund Nifty Plan Returns up to 1 year are on 1. Nippon India Index Fund - Sensex Plan
CAGR/Annualized
return of 8.7% since its launch. Ranked 74 in Index Fund
category. Return for 2020 was 16.6% , 2019 was 14.2% and 2018 was 6.2% . Nippon India Index Fund - Sensex Plan
Growth Launch Date 28 Sep 10 NAV (16 Apr 21) ₹24.1523 ↑ 0.01 (0.06 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹128 on 28 Feb 21 Category Others - Index Fund AMC Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd. Rating ☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 0.81 Sharpe Ratio 0.82 Information Ratio -2.54 Alpha Ratio -0.3 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-7 Days (0.25%),7 Days and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Mar 16 ₹10,000 31 Mar 17 ₹11,684 31 Mar 18 ₹13,056 31 Mar 19 ₹15,312 31 Mar 20 ₹11,753 31 Mar 21 ₹19,740 Returns for Nippon India Index Fund - Sensex Plan
absolute basis
& more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)
basis. as on 16 Apr 21 Duration Returns 1 Month -3.1% 3 Month -0.5% 6 Month 22.1% 1 Year 59.9% 3 Year 12.7% 5 Year 14% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 8.7% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2020 16.6% 2019 14.2% 2018 6.2% 2017 27.9% 2016 2% 2015 -4.7% 2014 28.7% 2013 9.8% 2012 27.3% 2011 -25% Fund Manager information for Nippon India Index Fund - Sensex Plan
Name Since Tenure Mehul Dama 6 Nov 18 2.4 Yr. Data below for Nippon India Index Fund - Sensex Plan as on 28 Feb 21
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 0.94% Equity 99.06% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Reliance Industries Ltd Shs Dematerialised (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 10 | RELIANCE12% ₹16 Cr 76,347
↓ -3,059 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 10 | HDFCBANK12% ₹15 Cr 96,097
↓ -3,850 Infosys Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 10 | INFY8% ₹11 Cr 86,501
↓ -3,466 Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 10 | HDFC8% ₹11 Cr 42,494
↓ -1,702 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 10 | ICICIBANK8% ₹10 Cr 162,941
↓ -6,528 Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 10 | TCS6% ₹7 Cr 24,811
↓ -994 Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Jun 17 | KOTAKBANK4% ₹5 Cr 30,856
↓ -1,236 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 13 | 5322154% ₹5 Cr 62,158
↓ -2,490 Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 10 | 5006964% ₹4 Cr 21,084
↓ -844 ITC Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 29 Feb 12 | ITC3% ₹4 Cr 206,303
↓ -8,265 2. LIC MF Index Fund Sensex
CAGR/Annualized
return of 13.3% since its launch. Ranked 79 in Index Fund
category. Return for 2020 was 15.9% , 2019 was 14.6% and 2018 was 5.6% . LIC MF Index Fund Sensex
Growth Launch Date 14 Nov 02 NAV (16 Apr 21) ₹90.5988 ↑ 0.04 (0.05 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹31 on 28 Feb 21 Category Others - Index Fund AMC LIC Mutual Fund Asset Mgmt Co Ltd Rating ☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1.03 Sharpe Ratio 0.8 Information Ratio -3.57 Alpha Ratio -0.93 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 1,000 Exit Load 0-1 Months (1%),1 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Mar 16 ₹10,000 31 Mar 17 ₹11,642 31 Mar 18 ₹12,893 31 Mar 19 ₹15,094 31 Mar 20 ₹11,609 31 Mar 21 ₹19,409 Returns for LIC MF Index Fund Sensex
absolute basis
& more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)
basis. as on 16 Apr 21 Duration Returns 1 Month -3.2% 3 Month -0.6% 6 Month 21.7% 1 Year 58.9% 3 Year 12.6% 5 Year 13.6% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 13.3% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2020 15.9% 2019 14.6% 2018 5.6% 2017 27.4% 2016 1.6% 2015 -5.4% 2014 29.3% 2013 9.2% 2012 26.3% 2011 -24.4% Fund Manager information for LIC MF Index Fund Sensex
Name Since Tenure Ritu Modi 1 Nov 19 1.41 Yr. Data below for LIC MF Index Fund Sensex as on 28 Feb 21
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 0.47% Equity 99.53% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Reliance Industries Ltd Shs Dematerialised (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 09 | RELIANCE13% ₹4 Cr 18,591
↓ -334 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 09 | HDFCBANK12% ₹4 Cr 23,418
↓ -398 Infosys Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 09 | INFY9% ₹3 Cr 21,051
↓ -322 Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 09 | HDFC8% ₹3 Cr 10,326
↓ -159 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Apr 09 | ICICIBANK8% ₹2 Cr 39,755
↓ -607 Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 09 | TCS6% ₹2 Cr 6,025
↓ -93 Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Jun 17 | KOTAKBANK4% ₹1 Cr 7,522
↓ -115 Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 31 Oct 11 | 5006964% ₹1 Cr 5,147
↓ -80 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 13 | 5322154% ₹1 Cr 15,063
↓ -231 ITC Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 30 Sep 11 | ITC3% ₹1 Cr 49,808
↓ -767 3. ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund
CAGR/Annualized
return of 14.9% since its launch. Ranked 71 in Index Fund
category. Return for 2020 was 15.2% , 2019 was 12.8% and 2018 was 3.4% . ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund
Growth Launch Date 26 Feb 02 NAV (16 Apr 21) ₹142.115 ↑ 0.35 (0.25 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹1,375 on 28 Feb 21 Category Others - Index Fund AMC ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 0.46 Sharpe Ratio 0.84 Information Ratio -6.14 Alpha Ratio -0.86 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load NIL Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Mar 16 ₹10,000 31 Mar 17 ₹11,882 31 Mar 18 ₹13,119 31 Mar 19 ₹15,108 31 Mar 20 ₹11,272 31 Mar 21 ₹19,276 Returns for ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund
absolute basis
& more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)
basis. as on 16 Apr 21 Duration Returns 1 Month -2% 3 Month 1.3% 6 Month 24.4% 1 Year 62.6% 3 Year 12% 5 Year 13.6% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 14.9% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2020 15.2% 2019 12.8% 2018 3.4% 2017 28.7% 2016 3.6% 2015 -3.6% 2014 32.5% 2013 7.9% 2012 26.5% 2011 -23.6% Fund Manager information for ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund
Name Since Tenure Kayzad Eghlim 1 Aug 09 11.67 Yr. Nishit Patel 18 Jan 21 0.2 Yr. Data below for ICICI Prudential Nifty Index Fund as on 28 Feb 21
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 0.54% Equity 99.46% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Reliance Industries Ltd Shs Dematerialised (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 05 | RELIANCE11% ₹147 Cr 706,303
↑ 15,000 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 05 | HDFCBANK11% ₹146 Cr 949,818
↑ 20,186 Infosys Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 05 | INFY7% ₹101 Cr 809,003
↑ 17,193 Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 12 | HDFC7% ₹100 Cr 392,325
↑ 8,342 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 05 | ICICIBANK7% ₹90 Cr 1,506,641
↑ 32,029 Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 05 | TCS5% ₹66 Cr 229,529
↑ 4,876 Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 29 Feb 12 | KOTAKBANK4% ₹57 Cr 319,972
↑ 6,795 Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 05 | 5006963% ₹42 Cr 195,048
↑ 4,141 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 09 | 5322153% ₹39 Cr 541,508
↑ 11,501 ITC Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 29 Feb 12 | ITC3% ₹39 Cr 1,908,564
↑ 40,537 4. UTI Nifty Index Fund
CAGR/Annualized
return of 11.3% since its launch. Ranked 68 in Index Fund
category. Return for 2020 was 15.5% , 2019 was 13.2% and 2018 was 4.3% . UTI Nifty Index Fund
Growth Launch Date 6 Mar 00 NAV (16 Apr 21) ₹96.6323 ↑ 0.24 (0.25 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹3,292 on 28 Feb 21 Category Others - Index Fund AMC UTI Asset Management Company Ltd Rating ☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 0.17 Sharpe Ratio 0.84 Information Ratio -2.62 Alpha Ratio -0.63 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load NIL Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Mar 16 ₹10,000 31 Mar 17 ₹11,951 31 Mar 18 ₹13,325 31 Mar 19 ₹15,456 31 Mar 20 ₹11,530 31 Mar 21 ₹19,845 Returns for UTI Nifty Index Fund
absolute basis
& more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)
basis. as on 16 Apr 21 Duration Returns 1 Month -1.9% 3 Month 1.5% 6 Month 24.7% 1 Year 63.8% 3 Year 12.5% 5 Year 14.2% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 11.3% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2020 15.5% 2019 13.2% 2018 4.3% 2017 29.7% 2016 4% 2015 -3.3% 2014 31.8% 2013 6.9% 2012 28.3% 2011 -24.8% Fund Manager information for UTI Nifty Index Fund
Name Since Tenure Sharwan Kumar Goyal 1 May 19 1.92 Yr. Data below for UTI Nifty Index Fund as on 28 Feb 21
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Equity 101.76% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Reliance Industries Ltd Shs Dematerialised (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 03 | RELIANCE11% ₹361 Cr 1,729,226
↑ 21,972 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 10 | HDFCBANK11% ₹357 Cr 2,327,151
↑ 29,573 Infosys Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 03 | INFY8% ₹248 Cr 1,982,037
↑ 25,190 Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 12 | HDFC7% ₹244 Cr 961,187
↑ 12,219 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 03 | ICICIBANK7% ₹221 Cr 3,692,242
↑ 46,904 Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 28 Feb 05 | TCS5% ₹163 Cr 561,948
↑ 7,140 Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Dec 10 | KOTAKBANK4% ₹140 Cr 783,576
↑ 9,960 Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 03 | 5006963% ₹102 Cr 477,530
↑ 6,074 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 09 | 5322153% ₹96 Cr 1,326,182
↑ 16,835 ITC Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 03 | ITC3% ₹95 Cr 4,672,744
↑ 59,359 5. Franklin India Index Fund Nifty Plan
CAGR/Annualized
return of 12.5% since its launch. Ranked 76 in Index Fund
category. Return for 2020 was 14.7% , 2019 was 12% and 2018 was 3.2% . Franklin India Index Fund Nifty Plan
Growth Launch Date 4 Aug 00 NAV (16 Apr 21) ₹115.327 ↑ 0.27 (0.24 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹388 on 28 Feb 21 Category Others - Index Fund AMC Franklin Templeton Asst Mgmt(IND)Pvt Ltd Rating ☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 1 Sharpe Ratio 0.83 Information Ratio -3.61 Alpha Ratio -1.26 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load 0-30 Days (1%),30 Days and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Mar 16 ₹10,000 31 Mar 17 ₹11,869 31 Mar 18 ₹13,069 31 Mar 19 ₹15,006 31 Mar 20 ₹11,160 31 Mar 21 ₹18,935 Returns for Franklin India Index Fund Nifty Plan
absolute basis
& more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)
basis. as on 16 Apr 21 Duration Returns 1 Month -2% 3 Month 1.3% 6 Month 24% 1 Year 61.9% 3 Year 11.5% 5 Year 13.2% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 12.5% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2020 14.7% 2019 12% 2018 3.2% 2017 28.3% 2016 3.3% 2015 -3.6% 2014 31.2% 2013 6.9% 2012 27.7% 2011 -24.4% Fund Manager information for Franklin India Index Fund Nifty Plan
Name Since Tenure Varun Sharma 30 Nov 15 5.34 Yr. Mayank Bukrediwala 23 Aug 20 0.6 Yr. Data below for Franklin India Index Fund Nifty Plan as on 28 Feb 21
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 0.49% Equity 99.51% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Reliance Industries Ltd Shs Dematerialised (Energy)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 03 | RELIANCE11% ₹42 Cr 200,903 HDFC Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 03 | HDFCBANK11% ₹42 Cr 271,286 Infosys Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 29 Feb 12 | INFY7% ₹29 Cr 228,375 Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Apr 09 | HDFC7% ₹28 Cr 111,903 ICICI Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 10 | ICICIBANK7% ₹26 Cr 430,892 Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (Technology)
Equity, Since 28 Feb 05 | TCS5% ₹19 Cr 64,223 Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 12 | KOTAKBANK4% ₹16 Cr 91,938 Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 31 Jan 03 | 5006963% ₹12 Cr 55,978 Axis Bank Ltd (Financial Services)
Equity, Since 30 Jun 09 | 5322153% ₹11 Cr 153,822 ITC Ltd (Consumer Defensive)
Equity, Since 31 Mar 11 | ITC3% ₹11 Cr 542,707
Passive funds are definitely proving to be a ray of hope for investors, especially in the current financial crisis. Before Investing in any passive mutual fund, make sure to read all schemes related documents carefully. This will help you gain an understanding of what to expect and what to give along with a sense of security.