Aditya Birla SL Retirement Fund-30 Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Aditya Birla SL Retirement Fund-30 Direct Growth Plan had an NAV of ₹24.842 as of 15 Sep 2026 and managed assets of ₹486 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 11.24%, 14.92% and 11.8%, respectively, and the scheme sits in the High Risk category. Our view is that the fund has rewarded patient investors better over multi-year stretches than in the very short term, but the high-risk profile means it suits investors who can accept sharper swings.

The fund has also kept pace better over longer horizons than the benchmark, while the portfolio has a meaningful tilt toward individual equity positions rather than a highly diversified, low-drama profile. That combination can appeal to long-term retirement investors who are comfortable with equity-style volatility and want a solution-oriented fund with a clear growth orientation.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹24.842 as of 15 Sep 2026
AUM	₹486 Cr
Expense Ratio	1.16%
Launch Date	11 Mar 2019
Min SIP	₹500
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Solution Oriented
Exit Load	No exit load
Fund Managers	Jonas Bhutta

The fund is managed by Jonas Bhutta.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-3.29%	-4.81%
3M	2.41%	-3.63%
1Y	11.24%	-8.27%
3Y	14.92%	5.59%
5Y	11.8%	5.58%

The recent picture is mixed but still constructive. Over one month, the fund fell less than the benchmark, which suggests some relative cushion in a weak patch. Over three months, it moved ahead while the benchmark stayed negative, so the short-term trend is better than the index’s.

The 1-year return is especially important here because it shows a clear gap in favour of the fund. That is a better outcome than the benchmark’s negative 1-year return and points to stronger medium-term compounding during a difficult market stretch for the index. The 3-year return keeps that pattern intact, with the fund staying comfortably ahead of the benchmark.

The 5-year number is also ahead of the benchmark, but the advantage is smaller than in the 1-year and 3-year periods. Our read is that the fund has not been a straight-line performer; it has had periods of softness, as the recent month shows, but the longer-run trend remains better than the benchmark. That makes the fund more suitable for investors who can look through shorter dips and focus on cycle-to-cycle compounding.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Aditya Birla SL Retirement Fund-30?

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 Retirement Fund-30 Direct Growth Plan	11.24%	14.92%	11.8%
Tata Retirement Sav Fund – Prog Plan Direct Growth Plan	7.73%	12.85%	11%
Tata Retirement Sav Fund – Mod Plan Direct Growth Plan	7.39%	12.13%	10.87%
ICICI Pru Retirement Fund-Hybrid Aggressive Plan Direct Growth Plan	5.77%	16.4%	14.68%
SBI Retirement Benefit Fund-Aggressive Hybrid Plan Direct Growth Plan	5.21%	9.02%	11.33%

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

The fund’s 1-year return is stronger than every peer shown here, which tells us its recent stretch has been better than the peer set on this measure. Over 3 years, it stays ahead of both Tata retirement funds and the SBI retirement fund, though the ICICI hybrid retirement fund has the stronger 3-year figure. On 5 years, the fund is ahead of the Tata and SBI funds but trails the ICICI hybrid fund. The short-term and longer-term peer picture therefore do not tell exactly the same story: recent relative strength is clear, while multi-year comparison is more mixed.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
ICICI Bank Ltd.	Bank	3.83%
Ather Energy Ltd.	Domestic Equities	3.71%
Aditya Infotech Ltd.	Domestic Equities	3.6%
TREPS	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	3.24%
S.J.S. Enterprises Ltd.	Automobile & Ancillaries	2.66%
Eternal Ltd.	Retailing	2.27%
DR. Lal Path Labs Ltd.	Healthcare	2.21%
Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd.	Automobile & Ancillaries	2.16%
Ajanta Pharma Ltd.	Healthcare	1.96%
HDFC Bank Ltd.	Bank	1.91%

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 27.55% of the portfolio.

To see all holdings, visit the Aditya Birla SL Retirement Fund-30 Direct Growth Plan page

The largest position, ICICI Bank Ltd. at 3.83%, is not especially dominant on its own, but it is still the single biggest contributor among the disclosed holdings. The weight then steps down gradually through the list, with the tenth holding at 1.91%, so the spread between the first and tenth names is noticeable but not extreme.

What matters more is the combined picture. The disclosed top 10 positions add up to 27.55% across 71 holdings, which suggests the portfolio is spread across a fairly long tail rather than being locked into a handful of oversized bets. That may help reduce single-stock dependence, although the presence of active equity names and a cash-equivalent holding also means returns could still be driven by a relatively small set of positions.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund fits investors who can tolerate High Risk and want a retirement-oriented equity strategy with multi-year staying power. The stronger 3-year and 5-year numbers, together with a better showing than the benchmark, point to a fund that may suit a long investment horizon rather than a short holding period.

The trade-off is clear: investors may get better compounding than the benchmark over time, but they must be comfortable with periodic softness such as the recent one-month decline. The portfolio is diversified across many holdings, yet the top positions can still influence outcomes, so the fund is better suited to investors who can hold through volatility and judge it over several years.

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

No exit load.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Aditya Birla SL Retirement Fund-30 Direct Growth Plan?
Its current NAV is ₹24.842 as of 15 Sep 2026.

How has the fund performed over 1 year, 3 years and 5 years?
Its returns are 11.24% over 1 year, 14.92% over 3 years and 11.8% over 5 years.

How does it compare with the benchmark?
It has outpaced the Nifty 50 over 1 year, 3 years and 5 years. The benchmark figures for those periods are -8.27%, 5.59% and 5.58%, respectively.

How does it compare with the peer funds shown here?
It leads the shown peers on 1-year return and stays ahead of most of them over 3 years and 5 years. One peer, ICICI Pru Retirement Fund-Hybrid Aggressive Plan Direct Growth Plan, is ahead on the 3-year and 5-year figures.

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 Jonas Bhutta. There is no exit load.

Bottom line

Aditya Birla SL Retirement Fund-30 Direct Growth Plan has looked stronger over 3-year and 5-year stretches than in the very short term, and it has also held up better than the benchmark across the periods shown. The latest month was weak, so the path is not smooth, but the longer-run trend still favours disciplined investors. Its High Risk label and equity-led portfolio mean it is best viewed as a long-horizon retirement fund with meaningful volatility, not a low-variation income alternative.

Published on 16 September 2026 at 12:14 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.