Bandhan Focused Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Bandhan Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan had a NAV of ₹106.096 as of 28 Aug 2026 and managed ₹2,086 Cr in scheme assets. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 5.5619%, 15.8597% and 13.2512% respectively, and the scheme sits in the High Risk category.

Our view is that this is a focused equity fund with a clear mid- to small-cap tilt inside a diversified large-cap base. The longer-term numbers are stronger than the recent 1-year reading, while the benchmark has lagged the fund over 3Y and 5Y. That makes it more suitable for investors who can tolerate equity swings and want a portfolio that may behave differently from a broad index fund.

Quick facts

The fund is managed by Manish Gunwani, Kirthi Jain and Rahul Agarwal.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Performance

The recent picture is mixed but not weak. Over 1 month, the fund stayed positive while the benchmark was slightly negative, which suggests some near-term resilience. Over 3 months, the gap is small, so the fund has not been sharply ahead in the latest quarter.

The bigger story sits in the longer periods. The 1-year return is modest, but it is still better than the benchmark’s negative reading over the same horizon. Over 3 years and 5 years, the fund has compounded meaningfully ahead of the benchmark, which points to a stronger long-term payoff from its active stock selection than from the index itself.

The pattern across the time periods also suggests a fund that can experience stretches of softness before recovering. The 3-year and 5-year paths indicate that the compounding trend has been constructive overall, even if the 1-year result is far less exciting than the longer-run figures. For investors, that means the fund has rewarded patience more than short holding periods.

Compared with NIFTY 50, the fund has delivered better outcomes across the longer horizons that matter most for equity compounding. The benchmark’s weaker 1-year figure also underlines that the fund has not simply benefited from a strong index backdrop; it has had to do more of the work itself. That supports an active-fund case, but only for investors comfortable with uneven near-term results.

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 1-year returns, the fund trails several peers that have posted much stronger recent gains, especially Motilal Oswal Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan, SBI Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan, Quant Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan and ITI Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan. That means the recent snapshot is not especially compelling versus the peer set.

The longer-term picture is steadier. Its 3-year return is close to Motilal Oswal Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan and Quant Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan, though it remains below SBI Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan and ITI Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan on the available numbers. Over 5 years, it sits ahead of Motilal Oswal Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan but behind Quant Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan and SBI Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan. So the peer comparison tells two different stories: weaker recent momentum, but a more competitive long-run profile.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

The market-cap mix is split across large-cap 40.23%, mid-cap 20.97%, small-cap 35.06% and other cap 3.74%. That is a broad spread, but the small-cap share is still sizeable, so the fund may move more sharply than a large-cap-heavy portfolio during market stress.

The BANK allocation is materially larger than every other sector in the list, and it is more than double the next-largest FINANCE exposure. That makes financials the main driver of sector behaviour inside the fund, especially because the BANK bucket alone carries 30.58% and includes large weights in Kotak Mahindra Bank and HDFC Bank.

Beyond banks, the portfolio spreads across finance, healthcare, retailing and FMCG, which gives it some balance outside one theme. Still, the BANK and FINANCE buckets together create a clear financial-services tilt, while RETAILING and FMCG add consumer exposure. In our view, the BANK sector is likely to have the greatest influence on performance because its allocation is both the largest and the most concentrated among the visible sectors.

This mix suggests a fund that is not narrowly pure on one style, but it is not defensive either. The large-cap anchor may help stability, while the mid-cap and small-cap exposure can add return potential and volatility. That combination fits a fund whose long-term behaviour can be stronger than its short-term swings suggest.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Who should invest

This fund suits investors who are comfortable with High Risk equity exposure and who can stay invested through uneven shorter-term results. The 1-year return is much softer than the 3-year and 5-year outcomes, so the fund is better aligned with a longer horizon than with near-term goals.

It may appeal to investors who want active exposure beyond the NIFTY 50 and who can accept a portfolio with meaningful small-cap and sector concentration. The trade-off is clear: the fund has shown better long-run compounding than the benchmark, but it can also be more variable in the shorter run and less consistent against strong peer momentum in recent periods.

Tax and exit load

Exit load: Nil upto 10% of investment and 1% for remaining investment on or before 365D, Nil after 365D.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Bandhan Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The NAV is ₹106.096 as of 28 Aug 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
Its 1-year return is 5.5619%, its 3-year return is 15.8597% and its 5-year return is 13.2512%.

How does it compare with the NIFTY 50 benchmark?
It has beaten the benchmark over 1 year, 3 years and 5 years. The gap is widest over the longer periods, which points to stronger active compounding than the index.

What is the minimum SIP amount?
The minimum SIP is ₹100.

How risky is this fund?
It is classified as High Risk. The portfolio also has meaningful small-cap exposure, so short-term volatility can be part of the experience.

Who manages the fund?
The fund is managed by Manish Gunwani, Kirthi Jain and Rahul Agarwal.

Bottom line

Bandhan Focused Fund Direct Growth Plan shows a clear split between weaker recent momentum and stronger long-term compounding. It has stayed ahead of the NIFTY 50 over 3 years and 5 years, but its 1-year result is far more subdued and trails several peers that have had a much sharper recent run. The portfolio leans heavily on banks, with additional finance and consumer exposure, and the risk label is High Risk. That makes it a better fit for investors who can hold through swings and value active equity exposure over a long horizon.

Published on 31 August 2026 at 1:52 PM IST