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

Aditya Birla SL PSU Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan has a NAV of ₹39.83 as of 01 Sep 2026 and an AUM of ₹5,986 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 15.95%, 21.89% and 24.31%, and it sits in the High Risk category.

Our view is that this is a fund for investors who can accept sharp swings in exchange for strong multi-year compounding. The portfolio is tilted toward financials, power, capital goods and other PSU-linked names, so the journey can differ meaningfully from a broad-market benchmark.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹39.83 as of 01 Sep 2026
AUM	₹5,986 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.56%
Launch Date	30 Dec 2019
Min SIP	₹100
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Equity
Exit Load	1% on or before 30D, Nil after 30D
Fund Managers	Dhaval Gala

The fund is managed by Dhaval Gala.

Source data date: as of 01 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-0.57%	-2.9%
3M	0.89%	2.44%
1Y	15.95%	-2.9%
3Y	21.89%	6.01%
5Y	24.31%	6.43%

The recent pattern has stayed uneven, but the fund has still held up better than the benchmark over the latest 1-month period. A small loss over 1 month after a positive 3-month stretch suggests the path is still choppy, which is consistent with a PSU-oriented equity strategy.

The longer trend is much stronger. The fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are all well ahead of the benchmark’s corresponding returns, which tells us the strategy has delivered meaningful compounding over full market cycles rather than only in short bursts. That outperformance matters because it shows the fund has not relied solely on one favorable quarter or one isolated rally.

Over 3 years and 5 years, the gap with the benchmark remains large, so the core story is one of stronger longer-run growth with intermittent volatility along the way. The 3-month figure is modest, which tempers the recent picture, but it does not change the broader trend that the fund has outpaced the benchmark by a wide margin over medium and longer horizons.

Source data date: as of 01 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Aditya Birla SL PSU Equity?

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 PSU Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan	15.95%	21.89%	24.31%
ICICI Pru Strategic Metal and Energy Equity FoF Direct Growth Plan	69.33%	35.82%	Data not available
SBI Automotive Opportunities Fund Direct Growth Plan	33.54%	Data not available	Data not available
Aditya Birla SL Mfg. Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan	29.18%	22.59%	16.39%
HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund Direct Growth Plan	28.66%	Data not available	Data not available
Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct Growth Plan	28.47%	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, especially the stronger sector-focused strategies that have posted higher recent gains. That said, the current fund’s 3-year return is broadly in line with Aditya Birla SL Mfg. Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan and remains meaningfully ahead of the funds with only shorter-horizon figures available.

The 5-year picture is mixed but still constructive. The fund’s 24.31% 5-year return is higher than the 16.39% shown by Aditya Birla SL Mfg. Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan, which suggests better long-run compounding among the peers with available 5-year data. The short-term comparison and the longer-term comparison therefore tell different stories: recent relative performance is softer, while the multi-year record remains solid.

Source data date: as of 01 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
State Bank of India	Bank	17.55%
NTPC Ltd.	Power	7.65%
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.	Power	6.71%
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.	Capital Goods	6.32%
GAIL (India) Ltd.	Gas Transmission	5.12%
Bharat Electronics Ltd.	Capital Goods	4.63%
Bank of Maharashtra	Bank	4.32%
Union Bank of India	Bank	3.93%
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.	Crude Oil	3.51%
PNB Housing Finance Ltd.	Finance	3.44%

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 63.18% of the portfolio.

To see all holdings, visit the Aditya Birla SL PSU Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan page

The largest position, State Bank of India at 17.55%, is sizeable enough to matter on its own and is likely to have greater influence than any other single holding. After that, weights step down fairly quickly into the 7% to 3% range, which means the top of the portfolio is clearly more important than the lower end of the list.

There is still breadth beyond the first few names, because the disclosed holdings span 32 positions and the top 10 together account for 63.18% of the portfolio. That suggests a noticeable concentration in a relatively small group of PSU-linked and infrastructure-heavy names, while the rest of the portfolio may provide a longer tail of smaller contributors.

For investors, the practical implication is that performance may be influenced more by a handful of large positions than by a fully diversified index-like spread. That does not make the portfolio one-dimensional, but it does mean the fund’s return pattern could stay closely tied to the fortunes of the largest banking, power and industrial holdings.

Source data date: as of 01 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund suits investors who are comfortable with High Risk equity exposure and can hold through uneven returns. The 1-year figure is respectable, but the stronger signal comes from the 3-year and 5-year numbers, which show that the strategy has rewarded patience better than short-term timing.

The main trade-off is that the fund’s PSU and infrastructure tilt can produce periods of sharper movement than a broad market fund, even though it has beaten the benchmark across the longer horizons shown here. Investors who want the possibility of stronger long-run compounding and can accept volatility may find the profile more relevant than someone seeking steady, benchmark-like behavior.

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; no exit load after 30 days.

Source data date: as of 01 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Aditya Birla SL PSU Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan?

The current NAV is ₹39.83 as of 01 Sep 2026.

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

The fund’s returns are 15.95% over 1 year, 21.89% over 3 years and 24.31% over 5 years.

How has the fund performed versus the benchmark?

It has outpaced the benchmark across 1-year, 3-year and 5-year periods. The benchmark figures for those same periods are -2.9%, 6.01% and 6.43%.

How does it compare with the listed peer funds on recent returns?

Its 1-year return is lower than the peer funds shown here with available 1-year figures, but its 3-year and 5-year record is still competitive among the peers with comparable data. The short-term and longer-term pictures are not the same.

Is there a minimum SIP amount?

Yes. The minimum SIP amount is ₹100.

Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?

Dhaval Gala manages the fund. The exit load is 1% if units are sold on or before 30 days and nil after 30 days.

Bottom line

Aditya Birla SL PSU Equity Fund Direct Growth Plan has a weaker recent peer comparison but a much stronger medium- to long-term record, especially versus the benchmark. The High Risk label fits the fund’s PSU-heavy portfolio, where State Bank of India is the largest holding and the top positions carry meaningful influence. For investors who are comfortable with volatility and want a fund whose longer-run return profile has been stronger than the benchmark, the case is clearer than for those focused on short-term consistency.

Published on 2 September 2026 at 4:42 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.