Aditya Birla SL Consumption Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Aditya Birla SL Consumption Fund Direct Growth Plan has a NAV of ₹242.75 as of 28 August 2026 and a scheme AUM of ₹6,153 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are -2.39%, 10.69% and 11.34%, respectively, and it sits in the High Risk category.

Our view is that this is a consumption-oriented equity fund that has still delivered reasonable medium-term compounding, but the latest 1-year period has been weak. The portfolio leans heavily to large caps, yet it also carries meaningful mid- and small-cap exposure, so it can suit investors who can tolerate volatility and want a long holding period rather than a near-term return story.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹242.75
AUM	₹6,153 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.76%
Launch Date	01 January 2013
Min SIP	₹100
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Equity
Exit Load	1% if units are sold on or before 30 days; nil after 30 days
Fund Managers	Chanchal Khandelwal

The fund is managed by Chanchal Khandelwal.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	0.03%	-0.85%
3M	8.12%	3.39%
1Y	-2.39%	-2.29%
3Y	10.69%	6.40%
5Y	11.34%	7.13%

The short-term picture is mixed rather than smooth. Over 1 month, the fund stayed slightly positive while the benchmark was slightly negative, which points to some near-term resilience. Over 3 months, the fund moved ahead more clearly, suggesting a stronger recovery phase than the benchmark.

The 1-year figure is the weaker part of the record. The fund and benchmark are both negative, and the fund is only marginally below the benchmark, so the recent setback looks broad rather than fund-specific. That matters because the path over the last year shows clear swings, not a straight line.

The longer view is more constructive. The 3-year and 5-year returns are both above the benchmark, which tells us the fund has created more value than the index over medium- and longer-term holding periods. The pattern also suggests that the fund has tended to reward patience more than short-horizon entry points.

In our view, the gap between the weak 1-year result and the stronger 3-year and 5-year numbers is the key takeaway. This is not a defensive, low-volatility profile; it is a higher-risk equity strategy that has still compounded better than the benchmark over longer periods, but with enough short-term variability to test investor discipline.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Aditya Birla SL Consumption?

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.

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Peer comparison

Fund	1Y return	3Y return	5Y return
Aditya Birla SL Consumption Fund Direct Growth Plan	-2.39%	10.69%	11.34%
ICICI Pru Strategic Metal and Energy Equity FoF Direct Growth Plan	74.63%	37.41%	Data not available
SBI Automotive Opportunities Fund Direct Growth Plan	36.18%	Data not available	Data not available
Aditya Birla SL Mfg. Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan	31.21%	23.54%	17.08%
Motilal Oswal Active Momentum Fund Direct Growth Plan	30.79%	Data not available	Data not available
Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct Growth Plan	29.80%	Data not available	Data not available

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

The current fund’s 1-year return is much softer than the strongest peer figures in this set, which all show clearly positive recent momentum. That said, the fund’s 3-year and 5-year returns are more balanced, and the 5-year outcome is ahead of the available manufacturing peer while also holding up better than the current 1-year stretch would suggest.

The comparison tells two different stories. In the short run, peers with thematic exposure to metals, automotive, momentum and healthcare have posted much stronger gains, but the longer-term picture is less one-sided because several peers do not have available 3-year or 5-year figures. Against the peer group with longer-horizon data, this fund’s medium-term track record is respectable rather than standout, and that makes its recent weakness easier to contextualise.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

The market-cap mix is 67.97% large cap, 19.39% mid cap, 11.55% small cap and 1.09% other. That gives the portfolio a clear large-cap core, but the mid- and small-cap sleeves are still meaningful enough to add return variability.

Sector	Weight	Top holdings
BANK	35.23%	KOTAK MAHINDRA BANK LIMITED (14.76%), CITY UNION BANK LIMITED (2.34%)
RETAILING	19.79%	TRENT LIMITED (9.48%), ETERNAL LIMITED (2.39%)
FMCG	10.41%	ITC LIMITED (1.83%), HINDUSTAN UNILEVER LIMITED (1.28%)
AUTOMOBILE & ANCILLARIES	7.47%	MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LIMITED (2.02%), MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED (1.85%)
HEALTHCARE	5.78%	THYROCARE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED (2.05%), TORRENT PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED (0.67%)

The sector mix is clearly led by BANK at 35.23%, and that is materially larger than RETAILING at 19.79%. Together with the 14.76% holding in Kotak Mahindra Bank and the 9.48% holding in Trent, the fund’s behaviour may be influenced by a small number of large positions more than by broad sector spread.

FMCG, automobile and healthcare are present, but each is much smaller than the top two sectors. That means the fund is not a pure consumption basket in the narrow sense of just one subsector; instead, it combines financials, retail and consumer-linked businesses in a way that could make performance depend on both discretionary demand and the banking cycle.

Our view is that BANK is likely to have the greatest influence on portfolio behaviour because of its size, followed by RETAILING. The large-cap bias may help stability relative to a more small-cap-heavy portfolio, but the mid- and small-cap slice is still large enough to keep the risk profile elevated.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Who should invest

This fund is better suited to investors who are comfortable with High Risk equity exposure and can stay invested for at least a few years. The 1-year number shows that the fund can go through weak stretches, while the 3-year and 5-year figures suggest that patience has been more rewarding than a short holding period.

It fits investors who want a benchmark-aware equity fund with a large-cap core but are willing to accept extra volatility from its mid- and small-cap allocation. The main trade-off is straightforward: you get the chance for better medium-term compounding than the benchmark, but you also have to accept periods when returns fall behind and the journey is uneven.

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: 1% if units are sold on or before 30 days; nil after 30 days.

Source data date: as of 28 Aug 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Aditya Birla SL Consumption Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The NAV is ₹242.75 as of 28 August 2026.

What are the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
The 1-year return is -2.39%, the 3-year return is 10.69% and the 5-year return is 11.34%.

How has the fund done versus the benchmark?
It is ahead of the benchmark over 3 years and 5 years, while the 1-year result is slightly weaker than the benchmark. Over 1 month and 3 months, it has also been ahead.

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

What is the risk category of this fund?
It is classified as High Risk. The portfolio combines a large-cap core with meaningful mid- and small-cap exposure, so volatility can be part of the journey.

Who manages the fund?
The fund is managed by Chanchal Khandelwal.

Bottom line

The fund’s latest 1-year result is weak, but its 3-year and 5-year returns are better than the benchmark and point to stronger medium-term compounding. That contrast matters: the fund has not been smooth in the short run, yet the longer record is more constructive. Its heavy BANK exposure, with RETAILING also sizable, gives it a clear portfolio tilt that may shape performance. For investors who can accept High Risk and a longer horizon, this is a fund where patience has been more important than timing.

Published on 31 August 2026 at 4:15 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.