Aditya Birla SL BSE 500 Quality 50 Index Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Aditya Birla SL BSE 500 Quality 50 Index Fund Direct Growth Plan has a NAV of ₹10.5099 as of 16 Sep 2026 and a scheme AUM of ₹64 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are -0.55%, 0% and 0% respectively, and it sits in the High Risk category. Our view is that this is a benchmark-linked equity index strategy that has not yet built a long return history, so it suits investors who can tolerate near-term volatility and are comfortable with a quality-focused equity basket rather than a smoother return path.

The fund’s current numbers show modest recent pressure, while the portfolio structure and short track record suggest that outcomes may stay uneven before a longer pattern becomes visible. The current setup looks more appropriate for investors who want an equity allocation with a quality tilt and are willing to hold through short-term swings.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹10.5099 as of 16 Sep 2026
AUM	₹64 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.25%
Launch Date	08 Aug 2025
Min SIP	₹500
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Exit Load	0.10% on or before 15D, Nil after 15D
Fund Managers	Mehul Dama, Priya Sridhar

The fund is managed by Mehul Dama and Priya Sridhar.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-5.2%	-4.41%
3M	-3.58%	-3.6%
1Y	-0.55%	-7.76%
3Y	Data not available	Data not available
5Y	Data not available	Data not available

The recent picture has been weak, with the fund falling over 1 month and 3 months. Even so, the 3-month move is very close to the benchmark, which tells us the fund has broadly tracked the market direction rather than behaving like a defensive buffer. That matters because an index fund is meant to mirror the chosen index closely, and here the short-term deviation has been small.

The 1-year figure is more interesting. The fund is still negative, but it has held up much better than the benchmark over the same span. That points to relative resilience rather than strong absolute growth. In other words, the fund did better than the benchmark in a difficult year, but the return was still not positive enough to call the experience comfortable for a new investor.

The longer pattern is constrained by the fund’s short life. There is no meaningful 3-year or 5-year record yet, so we cannot treat the current phase as a mature cycle. The main takeaway is that the recent decline has not broken the basic benchmark linkage, but it has also not yet produced a convincing upward compounding path.

For investors, that means the fund is still in the early stage of proving its longer-term behaviour. We would read the current performance as a signal to expect index-like equity volatility, with only limited evidence so far on how the quality filter may behave across a full market cycle.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Aditya Birla SL BSE 500 Quality 50 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 Aditya Birla SL BSE 500 Quality 50 Index? Thinking of investing now?

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Peer comparison

Fund	1Y return	3Y return	5Y return
Aditya Birla SL BSE 500 Quality 50 Index Fund Direct Growth Plan	-0.55%	Data not available	Data not available
Baroda BNP Paribas Gold ETF FoF Direct Growth Plan	34.39%	Data not available	Data not available
HDFC Innovation Fund Direct Growth Plan	14.3%	Data not available	Data not available
Bajaj Finserv Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan	13.33%	Data not available	Data not available
Quant Equity Savings Fund Direct Growth Plan	8.75%	Data not available	Data not available
Kotak Active Momentum Fund Direct Growth Plan	6.31%	Data not available	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 trails several of the peer funds listed here, which indicates that the recent stretch has been relatively softer than other equity-oriented options in the comparison set. That does not automatically make the strategy unsuitable, but it does mean the short-term payoff has been limited so far.

Because the 3-year and 5-year figures are not available for the current fund or these peers, the comparison is mostly about near-term behaviour. On that basis, the fund looks less compelling on recent return momentum than the higher-return peers, while still remaining a plain equity index option rather than a more thematic or high-turnover style.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd.	Finance	4.77%
HCL Technologies Ltd.	IT	4.47%
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.	Capital Goods	4.39%
Hero Motocorp Ltd.	Automobile & Ancillaries	4.37%
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.	IT	4.24%
Nestle India Ltd.	FMCG	3.96%
Britannia Industries Ltd.	FMCG	3.92%
Infosys Ltd.	IT	3.8%
Hindustan Unilever Ltd.	FMCG	3.55%
Cummins India Ltd.	Automobile & Ancillaries	3.52%

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 40.99% of the portfolio.

To see all holdings, visit the Aditya Birla SL BSE 500 Quality 50 Index Fund Direct Growth Plan page

The largest holding is Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. at 4.77%, so no single position dominates the portfolio on its own. The drop from the first holding to the tenth is only about 1.25 percentage points, which suggests the visible holdings are fairly close in size.

That pattern may support a more balanced exposure across the leading names, although the fund is still not broadly diversified within the disclosed top slice because the top 10 together make up just over two-fifths of the portfolio. With 39 holdings disclosed and more holdings beyond the table, the structure looks spread across a longer tail rather than concentrated in only a few positions.

For investors, that kind of spread may soften the influence of any one holding while still keeping the portfolio tied to a relatively focused quality screen. The main thing to note is that the fund’s visible core is neither extremely concentrated nor widely diluted; it sits somewhere in the middle.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund fits investors who can accept High Risk and do not mind short-term drawdowns. The current return pattern shows a weak recent stretch, while the benchmark linkage remains evident, so the product is better viewed as a long-horizon equity allocation than as a near-term return source.

The main trade-off is that you get a quality-tilted index strategy with a low expense ratio, but you also have to live with equity volatility and a limited performance history. That makes it more suitable for investors who want benchmark-style exposure and can stay invested long enough for the strategy to work through a full market cycle.

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: 0.10% on or before 15D, Nil after 15D.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Aditya Birla SL BSE 500 Quality 50 Index Fund Direct Growth Plan?
Its NAV is ₹10.5099 as of 16 Sep 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
The fund’s 1-year return is -0.55%, while the 3-year and 5-year returns are 0% on the current record. The fund is still very young, so the longer figures are not yet meaningful for a full-cycle view.

How has the fund compared with its benchmark?
Over 1 year, the fund has done better than the benchmark, with -0.55% versus -7.76%. Over 3 months, it was very close to the benchmark, which shows the fund has largely moved with the market direction.

How does it compare with the peer funds listed here?
Its 1-year return is lower than several of the peer funds shown, including Baroda BNP Paribas Gold ETF FoF Direct Growth Plan, HDFC Innovation Fund Direct Growth Plan and Bajaj Finserv Small Cap Fund Direct Growth Plan. The short-term comparison therefore looks softer than the peer set.

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

Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?
The fund is managed by Mehul Dama and Priya Sridhar. The exit load is 0.10% on or before 15D, and Nil after 15D.

Bottom line

This fund’s recent performance is weak in absolute terms, but it has held up better than its benchmark over 1 year. The peer comparison also shows softer near-term returns than several listed alternatives, while the portfolio remains a quality-screened equity basket with a fairly even spread among the leading holdings. That combination makes it more suitable for long-horizon investors who can accept High Risk and want index-style equity exposure rather than a smoother short-term ride.

Published on 17 September 2026 at 10:06 AM 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.