Aditya Birla SL Bal Bhavishya Yojna Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Aditya Birla SL Bal Bhavishya Yojna Direct Growth Plan currently has a NAV of ₹23.97 as of 28 Aug 2026 and scheme AUM of ₹1,242 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 10.87%, 13.20% and 11.28%, and the fund is placed in the High Risk category.

Our view is that this is a solution-oriented fund with a meaningful equity exposure mix, so the return profile should be read alongside the 5-year lock-in, sector concentration and the fact that recent returns have been steadier than the benchmark in several periods. It may suit investors who can stay invested for the long term and who want a fund whose longer-run compounding has been better than the benchmark, even if near-term movements can remain uneven.

Quick facts

The fund is managed by Harshil Suvarnkar and Chanchal Khandelwal.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Performance

The recent picture is constructive. Over 1 month and 3 months, the fund has held up better than Nifty 50, which suggests it has not been overly dependent on a single short-lived market move. The 1-year return also stays comfortably ahead of the benchmark, so the medium-term track record is still in better shape than the index.

The longer view is stronger than the benchmark as well. The 3-year return of 13.20% and 5-year return of 11.28% both exceed Nifty 50’s 6.40% and 7.13%, which tells us the fund has compounded more effectively over full market cycles than the headline index. That is important for a solution-oriented product because investors are usually looking for consistency over a stretched holding period rather than a single sharp run.

The monthly and quarterly pattern shows some unevenness, especially over the 1-year window, but the broader direction remains positive. Our view is that this fund has combined a reasonable short-term recovery with a clearer longer-term edge over the benchmark, even though it still carries the higher volatility that comes with a High Risk mandate.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Peer comparison

This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639.

On the latest 1-year figure, this fund trails SBI Children’s Fund Investment Plan Direct Growth Plan and LIC MF Children’s Fund Direct Growth Plan, while it remains ahead of Baroda BNP Paribas Children’s Fund Direct Growth Plan and SBI Children’s Fund-Savings Plan Direct Growth Plan. That places the short-term return picture in the middle of the group rather than near the most aggressive recent performers.

The longer-term picture is more balanced. Its 3-year return is ahead of LIC MF Children’s Fund Direct Growth Plan and SBI Children’s Fund-Savings Plan Direct Growth Plan, but below SBI Children’s Fund Investment Plan Direct Growth Plan. The 5-year return shows the same shape: better than LIC MF and SBI Children’s Fund-Savings Plan, but still behind SBI Children’s Fund Investment Plan. So the fund looks steadier than some peers over the medium term, but not the strongest compounding option in this set.

That combination suggests the short-term and longer-term comparisons tell slightly different stories: recent returns are decent, while the 3-year and 5-year numbers show a more dependable but not dominant track record.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

The market-cap mix is 50.49% large cap, 18.13% mid cap, 27.41% small cap and 3.97% other. That gives the fund a fairly balanced structure, but with a noticeable tilt toward small-cap exposure alongside a large-cap base.

The sector mix is clearly led by BANK at 34.29%, which is materially larger than the next sector, IT at 8.03%. That gap means banking is likely to have the greatest influence on day-to-day portfolio behaviour, especially because the largest single holding, Kotak Mahindra Bank, is itself substantial at 19.15%.

Beyond banking, the exposure is spread across IT, healthcare, capital goods and retailing, but each of those sectors sits in the mid-single digits. That gives the portfolio some diversification outside finance, yet it does not dilute the importance of the banking sleeve. Small-cap exposure of 27.41% also means the fund may still move with a stronger risk profile than a more conservative hybrid mix.

Our view is that the fund’s structure blends a large-cap anchor with meaningful smaller-company participation. That can support upside over time, but it can also bring sharper swings than a simpler large-cap-oriented profile.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Who should invest

This fund is better aligned with investors who are comfortable with High Risk exposure and can remain invested through ups and downs. The 1-year result is solid, but the stronger message comes from the 3-year and 5-year numbers, which indicate that the fund has compounded better than Nifty 50 across longer periods.

It is most suitable for a long investment horizon because the scheme has a 5-year lock-in and a portfolio that includes both large-cap stability and a meaningful small-cap allocation. The main trade-off is that the same structure that supports long-run participation can also create sharper short-term variation, especially when banking and smaller companies move unevenly.

Tax and exit load

Exit load: No exit load.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Aditya Birla SL Bal Bhavishya Yojna Direct Growth Plan?
The current NAV is ₹23.97 as of 28 Aug 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
Its returns are 10.87% over 1 year, 13.20% over 3 years and 11.28% over 5 years.

How does the fund compare with Nifty 50?
It has outpaced Nifty 50 across 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years. That suggests a stronger compounding pattern than the benchmark over both recent and longer periods.

How does it compare with the listed peer funds?
Its 1-year return is below SBI Children’s Fund Investment Plan Direct Growth Plan and LIC MF Children’s Fund Direct Growth Plan, but it is ahead of Baroda BNP Paribas Children’s Fund Direct Growth Plan and SBI Children’s Fund-Savings Plan Direct Growth Plan. The 3-year and 5-year numbers sit in the middle of the group.

What is the minimum SIP amount?
The minimum SIP is ₹500.

What makes the portfolio important for investors?
The fund has 34.29% in banking, with Kotak Mahindra Bank alone at 19.15%, and it also carries 27.41% small-cap exposure. That mix can support long-term growth, but it can also lead to sharper movement than a more conservative equity mix.

Bottom line

Aditya Birla SL Bal Bhavishya Yojna Direct Growth Plan shows a clearer long-term edge than its benchmark, while recent returns remain acceptable rather than exceptional. Against the listed peer set, it is competitive but not the strongest on available 1-year, 3-year or 5-year figures. The fund carries a High Risk profile, a 5-year lock-in and a portfolio led by banking, so it may fit investors who want long-horizon equity participation and can tolerate periods of uneven performance.

Published on 31 August 2026 at 3:08 PM IST