Nippon India Nifty Bank Index Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?
- September 18, 2026
- Posted by: Chaitanya Auti
- Category: Mutual Funds
Nippon India Nifty Bank Index Fund Direct Growth Plan is priced at ₹12.1136 as of 17 Sep 2026, with scheme AUM of ₹232 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 1.98%, 0% and 0%, and it sits in the High Risk category. Our view is that it is a focused bank-index fund suited to investors who are comfortable with sharp swings and want bank-sector exposure rather than broad market diversification.
The fund has stayed close to its benchmark over some stretches, but the recent pattern is softer than the 1-year figure suggests. That mix matters: the portfolio is heavily tilted to a small set of large bank names, so outcomes will depend strongly on how the banking basket moves. For investors who understand that concentration and can hold through uneven phases, the fund can serve as a targeted allocation.
Quick facts
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| NAV | ₹12.1136 as of 17 Sep 2026 |
| AUM | ₹232 Cr |
| Expense Ratio | 0.2% |
| Launch Date | 22 Feb 2024 |
| Min SIP | ₹100 |
| Risk Category | High Risk |
| Benchmark | Nifty 50 |
| Fund Category | Index Funds |
| Exit Load | No exit load |
| Fund Managers | Jitendra Tolani |
The fund is managed by Jitendra Tolani.
Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026
Performance
| Period | Fund return | Benchmark return |
|---|---|---|
| 1M | -2.13% | -3.66% |
| 3M | -2.88% | -3.71% |
| 1Y | 1.98% | -7.13% |
| 3Y | Data not available | Data not available |
| 5Y | Data not available | Data not available |
Over the last month, the fund has fallen, but it has still held up better than the benchmark over the same stretch. The 3-month period shows a similar pattern: both the fund and the benchmark were under pressure, yet the fund’s decline was milder. That suggests the fund has recently been less weak than the broader benchmark, even though the path has not been smooth.
The 1-year figure is much more important for reading the fund’s current state. The fund is in positive territory over 1 year, while the benchmark is still negative over the same period. That gap points to a better recent recovery for the fund than for the benchmark. At the same time, the 3-month and 1-month numbers show that the improvement has not been linear, so short-term momentum remains fragile.
Because the fund was launched in February 2024, longer holding-period returns are not available yet. That limits how much we can say about compounding across full market cycles. Even so, the available pattern is clear enough: the fund has recently been more resilient than the benchmark, but the shorter windows still show day-to-day volatility that investors in bank-focused strategies should expect.
Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026
Should you BUY or HOLD Nippon India Nifty Bank Index?
A fund’s past returns alone don’t tell you whether you should buy it today or continue holding it.
The right decision depends on factors such as your current allocation, purchase price, risk profile, investment horizon and the role this fund plays in your overall portfolio.
Already holding Nippon India Nifty Bank Index? Thinking of investing now?
Peer comparison
| Fund | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nippon India Nifty Bank Index Fund Direct Growth Plan | 1.98% | Data not available | Data not available |
| ICICI Pru NASDAQ 100 Index Fund Direct Growth Plan | 29.31% | 30.01% | Data not available |
| Tata Nifty Capital Markets Index Fund Direct Growth Plan | 21.45% | Data not available | Data not available |
| Motilal Oswal Nifty Capital Market Index Fund Direct Growth Plan | 21.13% | Data not available | Data not available |
| Motilal Oswal Nifty MidSmall Financial Services Index Fund Direct Growth Plan | 20.68% | Data not available | Data not available |
| ICICI Pru Nifty Pharma Index Fund Direct Growth Plan | 17.57% | 18.84% | Data not available |
This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639. The fund’s 1-year return is far below the stronger 1-year figures available in the peer set, although the comparison set itself spans very different themes. That means the short-term picture is clearly softer than several peers, but the longer windows do not yet offer a fair like-for-like comparison because 3-year and 5-year figures are missing for the fund.
Even so, the recent shape of returns suggests the fund has been less powerful than some of the other index strategies in the table. For an investor comparing only the available numbers, the fund’s main appeal is not absolute return strength; it is the specific bank-basket exposure. The short-term peer comparison points to weaker momentum, while the longer-term comparison is incomplete and should be treated cautiously.
Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026
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Portfolio: where your money goes
| Holding | Sector | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| HDFC Bank Limited | Bank | 17.01% |
| ICICI Bank Limited | Bank | 14.84% |
| State Bank of India | Bank | 10.26% |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited | Bank | 9.87% |
| Axis Bank Limited | Bank | 9.19% |
| The Federal Bank Limited | Bank | 7.14% |
| Indusind Bank Limited | Bank | 5.44% |
| AU Small Finance Bank Limited | Bank | 4.82% |
| IDFC First Bank Limited | Bank | 4.67% |
| Bank of Baroda | Bank | 3.47% |
The top 10 holdings account for approximately 86.71% of the portfolio.
To see all holdings, visit the Nippon India Nifty Bank Index Fund Direct Growth Plan page
The largest holding, HDFC Bank Limited, is 17.01%, so it is likely to have the greatest influence on day-to-day movements among the disclosed positions. The weight then drops to 14.84% for ICICI Bank Limited and 10.26% for State Bank of India, which shows that the fund’s exposure is anchored in a small number of large bank names rather than evenly spread across the basket.
The decline from the first holding to the tenth is still meaningful, but it is not extreme; even the tenth holding remains above 3%. That points to a portfolio where several positions may contribute in a material way, yet the leading names remain dominant. Because the top 10 disclosed holdings already account for 86.71% of the portfolio and there are 14 disclosed holdings in total, the fund appears concentrated in a fairly tight group of bank stocks with a shorter tail behind them.
Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026
Who should invest
This fund suits investors who are comfortable with High Risk exposure and want a bank-focused equity allocation rather than a broad market fund. The 1-year return is positive, but the 1-month and 3-month figures show that the path has been uneven, so a short holding period may not be the right fit.
It is better suited to an investor with a medium-to-long horizon who can tolerate sharp sector-led swings and does not need smoother month-to-month outcomes. The main trade-off is straightforward: you get targeted exposure to banking names, but that also means returns can move very differently from the broader market and can lag in weaker phases for the sector.
Tax and exit load
| Holding period | Tax rate | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Units held less than 1 year | 20% | Short-term capital gains tax |
| Units held more than 1 year | 12.5% | Long-term capital gains tax |
Exit load: No exit load.
Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the current NAV of Nippon India Nifty Bank Index Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The current NAV is ₹12.1136 as of 17 Sep 2026.
What are the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
The 1-year return is 1.98%, while the 3-year and 5-year returns are not available because the fund has not been running long enough for those periods.
How does the fund compare with its benchmark?
The fund has done better than the benchmark over 1 month, 3 months and 1 year. The benchmark was still negative over 1 year, while the fund stayed in positive territory.
How does it compare with the peer funds listed here?
The fund’s 1-year return is much lower than several of the peer funds listed here, although those peers follow different themes. Its longer-term comparison remains incomplete because 3-year and 5-year figures are not available for this fund.
What is the minimum SIP amount?
The minimum SIP amount is ₹100.
Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?
The fund is managed by Jitendra Tolani. There is no exit load.
Bottom line
Nippon India Nifty Bank Index Fund Direct Growth Plan has a mixed but readable profile: the recent 1-year return is positive, yet the shorter windows show weakness and unevenness, while the benchmark comparison is more supportive than the fund’s absolute return level. The portfolio is tightly concentrated in large banking names, so the fund’s behaviour is likely to remain closely tied to the sector. On the available numbers, it fits investors who want concentrated bank exposure and can stay patient through volatile phases rather than those seeking smoother diversification.
Published on 18 September 2026 at 12:29 PM IST
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RIA disclosure
Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Read all scheme-related documents carefully before investing. This review is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. (earlier known as Uniapps Global Research Pvt. Ltd.) under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639 for general informational purposes and is not personalized investment advice.