Arudha Hybrid Long-Short Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Arudha Hybrid Long-Short Fund Direct Growth Plan is at a NAV of ₹10.385 as of 28 August 2026 with scheme AUM of ₹116 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are Data not available, Data not available and Data not available, and the fund is tagged Low Risk. Our view is that the fund’s very short history and low-risk positioning make it more suitable for investors who want a cautious hybrid allocation than for those looking for a long, proven compounding record.

At the same time, the portfolio leans heavily into debt, cash and government securities, which helps explain why the fund has so far behaved more like a steady hybrid structure than an equity-led growth vehicle. The key question for investors is less about long-run track record and more about whether the current mix of lower-volatility assets and modest equity exposure fits their horizon and return expectations.

Quick facts

The fund is managed by Kapil Kankonkar, Nilesh Saha, Brijesh Shah and Debraj Lahiri.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Performance

The most recent one-month pattern looks stable, with the fund staying slightly positive while the benchmark was mildly negative. That suggests the portfolio has so far been able to dampen short-term swings, which fits the Low Risk tag.

The three-month view is more mixed. The fund gained 2.15% versus 3.39% for the benchmark, so it has not matched the benchmark’s stronger recent pace even though both have remained constructive over the period. This is an important read-through because it shows that lower volatility has not automatically translated into higher short-term returns.

What stands out is that the fund does not yet have a long public return history in the visible data window. In that setting, the best interpretation is to focus on the recent tendency rather than on any long-run compounding claim. The pattern so far points to a defensive hybrid profile with modest upside participation rather than a return stream built to outpace equity-led benchmarks in every market phase.

For investors, the benchmark comparison also matters because the Nifty 50 has been the reference point throughout the visible performance set. The fund’s short-term resilience in the one-month period is encouraging, but the three-month lag tells us that the portfolio may trade some upside for steadier behaviour.

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. In the available peer set, the current fund has no published 1-year, 3-year or 5-year return figures to place beside the others, while the conservative hybrid peers show mid-to-high single-digit returns across the visible horizons. That means the short-term comparison currently favours the peer set on available history, but the more important point is that Arudha Hybrid Long-Short Fund Direct Growth Plan still sits at an early stage where meaningful long-horizon comparison is not yet possible. For now, the gap between a brand-new track record and established peer histories is the main takeaway.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

The market-cap mix is 27.86% large-cap, 8.50% mid-cap, 1.93% small-cap and 61.71% other exposure. That makes the portfolio look less like a conventional equity blend and more like a structure anchored by debt, cash and other non-equity positions.

The largest visible allocation is corporate debt at 34.75%, and that is materially higher than every other named sector in the table. In practice, this may make debt-market conditions more influential than equity-market swings when the portfolio’s behaviour is assessed.

The large-caps at 27.86% are the main listed equity-style bucket, but the 61.71% “other” exposure and the substantial cash and debt allocation mean the overall mix is still dominated by lower-volatility instruments. The small-cap slice is only 1.93%, so the portfolio does not look geared toward aggressive growth through smaller companies.

Among the visible sectors, corporate debt is likely to have the greatest influence on portfolio behaviour because it is both the largest named bucket and the clearest single concentration. Cash and cash equivalents also sit at a meaningful 13.16%, which may help keep day-to-day movement more controlled. Overall, the structure looks designed more around stability and liquidity management than around broad equity participation.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Who should invest

This fund appears better suited to investors with a conservative to moderate risk tolerance who are comfortable with a Low Risk profile and want a hybrid allocation that is still early in its return history. The recent numbers show short-term steadiness, but the three-month result also shows that the fund has not consistently outpaced the benchmark in every recent window.

A longer holding period may matter because the current public history is still limited. Investors would need to accept that the trade-off for a more defensive portfolio mix is that return upside may be more restrained than in more equity-oriented hybrid funds. The portfolio’s heavy debt and cash orientation supports that view.

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 Arudha Hybrid Long-Short Fund Direct Growth Plan?

The current NAV is ₹10.385 as of 28 August 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?

The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are Data not available, Data not available and Data not available. The fund was launched on 28 Jan 2026, so the longer published history is still limited.

How has it performed against the benchmark recently?

Over 1 month, the fund returned 0.23% while the benchmark returned -0.85%. Over 3 months, the fund returned 2.15% versus 3.39% for the benchmark.

How does it compare with the peer funds listed here?

The peer funds listed here have published 1-year, 3-year and 5-year return figures, while this fund does not yet have those long-horizon figures available. That makes the current comparison more useful as a peer-history check than as a full performance contest.

What is the minimum SIP amount?

The minimum SIP amount is ₹10,000.

Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?

The fund is managed by Kapil Kankonkar, Nilesh Saha, Brijesh Shah and Debraj Lahiri. The exit load is no exit load.

Bottom line

Arudha Hybrid Long-Short Fund Direct Growth Plan is still building its track record, so the most useful reading today is its low-risk structure and recent short-term behaviour rather than any long-horizon return story. It has been steadier in the one-month window than the benchmark, but it has lagged the benchmark over three months. Compared with the visible peers, it currently lacks published long-term return history. The portfolio’s debt-heavy, cash-supported mix suggests a defensive hybrid profile that may appeal to cautious investors who can accept limited growth visibility.

Published on 31 August 2026 at 5:10 PM IST