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

Aditya Birla SL Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan has a NAV of ₹55.3472 as of 10 Sep 2026 and an AUM of ₹5,782 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 6.13%, 7.74% and 6.88% respectively, and the scheme is placed in Balanced Risk.

Our view is that this is a steady short-duration debt fund for investors who want moderate return visibility rather than sharp upside. The benchmark has been choppy across shorter periods, while the fund’s longer record is more even, which makes it more suitable for patient investors who can accept interest-rate and credit-selection swings.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹55.3472 as of 10 Sep 2026
AUM	₹5,782 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.37%
Launch Date	01 Jan 2013
Min SIP	₹1,000
Risk Category	Balanced Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Debt
Exit Load	No exit load
Fund Managers	Kaustubh Gupta, Mohit Sharma

The fund is managed by Kaustubh Gupta and Mohit Sharma.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	0.16%	-4.06%
3M	1.79%	1.37%
1Y	6.13%	-7.31%
3Y	7.74%	6.07%
5Y	6.88%	5.91%

The short-term picture is constructive. The fund was positive over 1 month and 3 months, while the benchmark was weaker over 1 month and only mildly positive over 3 months. That pattern suggests the scheme has held its ground better than the index when near-term market conditions turned uneven.

The 1-year return is especially notable because the fund stayed positive while the benchmark was negative. That gap matters for debt-oriented investors, since it shows the scheme has recently been more stable than a broad equity benchmark, even though the benchmark itself is not a like-for-like debt yardstick.

Over 3 years and 5 years, the fund has continued to compound at 7.74% and 6.88%. Those figures are above the benchmark’s 6.07% and 5.91% in the same windows, so the longer record still looks better than the index. Our read is that the fund has not depended only on a single strong year; instead, the medium-term path looks reasonably consistent.

The time pattern is also useful. The 3-year and 5-year movement shows a fund that has advanced in a fairly measured way, with some pauses but without the sharp drawdowns that typically worry conservative investors. That is in line with a short-term debt strategy that aims for smoother compounding, though the return profile still leaves room for fluctuations when rates move.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Aditya Birla SL Short Term?

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 Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	6.13%	7.74%	6.88%
Tata Ultra Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	7.13%	7.55%	6.77%
Aditya Birla SL Ultra Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	6.79%	7.52%	6.75%
ICICI Pru Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	6.57%	7.91%	7.18%
Mahindra Manulife Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	6.22%	7.84%	6.65%
Axis Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	6.18%	7.84%	6.81%

This assessment is prepared by Uniapps Investment Adviser Pvt. Ltd. under SEBI Registered Investment Adviser registration INA000017639. The fund’s 1-year return is below Tata Ultra Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan and Aditya Birla SL Ultra Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan, but it remains ahead of Mahindra Manulife Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan and Axis Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan. On 3-year and 5-year numbers, it sits in the middle of a fairly tight cluster: ICICI Pru Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan has the stronger 3-year and 5-year figures, while several other peers are close behind or slightly lower. The short-term comparison and the longer-term comparison tell a different story, with recent performance looking softer than the strongest peers while the multi-year record stays competitive.

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
TREPS	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	8.18%
7.35% Bharti Telecom Ltd. (15/10/2027) **	Corporate Debt	6.36%
7.17% Tata Capital Housing Finance Ltd. (21/05/2030) **	Corporate Debt	5.82%
7.48% National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (15/09/2028)	Corporate Debt	5.17%
6.65% Indian Railway Finance Corporation Ltd. (20/05/2030) **	Corporate Debt	4.21%
Siddhivinayak Securitisation Trust (28/09/2030) **	PTC & Securitized Debt	3.89%
Net Receivable / Payable	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	3.70%
Jubilant Bevco Ltd. (31/05/2028) (ZCB) **	Corporate Debt	3.67%
JTPM Metal Traders Ltd. (29/09/2028) (ZCB) **	Corporate Debt	3.31%
7.96% Embassy Office Parks Reit (27/09/2027) **	Corporate Debt	3.12%

The largest holding is TREPS at 8.18%, which gives the portfolio a meaningful cash-and-equivalent anchor. After that, the weights step down gradually rather than collapsing sharply, with the tenth holding at 3.12%. That gap suggests no single position dominates the visible list, even though the top few holdings still matter more than the rest.

The top 10 holdings together account for approximately 47.43% of the portfolio, and the scheme discloses 44 holdings in total. That combination points to a portfolio that is reasonably diversified across many positions, but not so fragmented that the leading names lose influence. In our view, the larger cash-equivalent and corporate-debt positions may help support stability, while securitised debt adds another layer of credit exposure that investors should be comfortable with.

Because the visible holdings cover only part of the portfolio, the tail beyond the top 10 could still affect outcomes. Even so, the disclosed pattern suggests that the fund is not built around a few oversized bets; instead, influence is spread across a longer list of instruments, with the leading holdings likely to have the greatest day-to-day effect.

To see all holdings, visit the Aditya Birla SL Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan page

Source data date: as of 10 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund suits investors who are comfortable with moderate risk in debt allocation and who want a smoother path than an equity-style return profile. The Balanced Risk label and the corporate-debt-heavy mix point to a product that is more suitable for a medium to longer holding period than for very short parking of money.

The main trade-off is between steadier compounding and exposure to credit and rate movements. Its 1-year result has been softer than the stronger peers in the set, but the 3-year and 5-year numbers remain competitive and the benchmark comparison is favourable over those longer windows. For investors who can tolerate some fluctuation in exchange for a measured return profile, that trade-off may be acceptable.

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 10 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Aditya Birla SL Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan?
Its NAV is ₹55.3472 as of 10 Sep 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
The fund’s returns are 6.13% for 1 year, 7.74% for 3 years and 6.88% for 5 years.

How has it performed versus the benchmark?
It has outpaced the benchmark over 1 year, 3 years and 5 years. The comparison is also positive over 1 month and 3 months.

How does it compare with peer funds on recent returns?
Its 1-year return is below Tata Ultra Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan and Aditya Birla SL Ultra Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan, but it stays ahead of some other peers in the group. Over 3 years and 5 years, it remains in a competitive cluster.

What is the minimum SIP amount?
The minimum SIP amount is not listed in the available facts, so it is not shown here.

Who manages the fund and what is the exit load?
The fund is managed by Kaustubh Gupta and Mohit Sharma. The exit load is nil, so no exit charge applies.

Bottom line

Aditya Birla SL Short Term Fund Direct Growth Plan has a steadier medium-term record than its recent 1-year result suggests, and its 3-year and 5-year returns remain broadly competitive against the benchmark and the peer group. The Balanced Risk profile, cash-equivalent allocation and spread across many holdings make it more suitable for investors who prefer measured debt exposure over aggressive return chasing. The trade-off is that recent gains have been less strong than the best peer showing, so this fund fits better as a patient allocation than as a high-conviction short-term return play.

Published on 11 September 2026 at 10:01 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.