Bandhan Gilt Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Bandhan Gilt Fund Direct Growth Plan has a NAV of ₹40.7898 as of 09 Sep 2026 and a scheme AUM of ₹1,713 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 7.94%, 8% and 6.38% respectively, and the fund sits in the Balanced Risk category.

Our view is that this is best read as a steadier gilt fund rather than a short-term return chase. The portfolio is heavily anchored by government securities and cash-like positions, which supports its debt profile, but recent movement has been a little softer than the stronger 3-year trend.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹40.7898 as of 09 Sep 2026
AUM	₹1,713 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.52%
Launch Date	01 Jan 2013
Min SIP	₹100
Risk Category	Balanced Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Debt
Exit Load	No exit load after holding period
Fund Managers	Suyash Choudhary

The fund is managed by Suyash Choudhary.

Source data date: as of 09 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-0.67%	-4.69%
3M	2.31%	0.93%
1Y	7.94%	-7.16%
3Y	8%	6%
5Y	6.38%	5.87%

The latest one-month figure is mildly negative, but it is still materially better than the benchmark’s weaker one-month move. That tells us the fund has held up better than the index in the most recent stretch, even if it did not produce a positive monthly return.

Over three months, the fund has done better than the benchmark as well, which suggests a more resilient short-run pattern. The return path over that window also looks uneven rather than smooth, so we would treat the move as steadying rather than momentum-led.

The one-year comparison is much clearer: the fund has stayed positive while the benchmark has been negative. That is an important distinction for debt investors, because it shows the scheme has been able to defend capital better than the broad index during a difficult year for the benchmark.

Longer term, the picture is still constructive but less dramatic. The 3-year return is a little ahead of the benchmark, and the 5-year return is also slightly higher. In our view, that combination points to a fund that has not relied on a single strong year; instead, it has delivered a modest edge across longer holding periods while keeping drawdowns from becoming excessive.

Source data date: as of 09 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Bandhan Gilt?

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
Bandhan Gilt Fund Direct Growth Plan	7.94%	8%	6.38%
Franklin India Gilt Fund Direct Growth Plan	6.38%	6.62%	5.47%
Bandhan 10 year Constant Maturity Gilt Fund Direct Growth Plan	5.44%	7.85%	5.92%
ICICI Pru Gilt Fund Direct Growth Plan	5.23%	7.3%	6.65%
UTI Gilt Fund Direct Growth Plan	5.17%	6.73%	5.77%

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

Among the listed peers, the fund’s 1-year return is stronger than the others shown here. That short-term edge matters because several peers are clustered in the mid-5% to mid-6% range, while this fund is closer to 8%.

The longer-term picture is still favourable. Its 3-year return is ahead of the peers shown, and its 5-year return is also competitive, with only one peer coming close on the 5-year figure. So the short-term and longer-term views point in the same direction: the fund has held up well across different holding periods.

That said, the gap versus peers is narrower over 5 years than it is over 1 year. For us, that suggests the recent advantage has been more visible than the long-run edge, even though the scheme still compares well on the available figures.

Source data date: as of 09 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
Triparty Repo TRP_010926	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	72.49%
7.3% GOI (MD 19/06/2053)	Government Securities	14.14%
7.36% GOI (MD 12/09/2052)	Government Securities	7.97%
Net Current Assets	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	5.25%

The largest holding is Triparty Repo TRP_010926 at 72.49%, so a very large part of the scheme is tied to cash-like exposure rather than a wide spread of securities. That alone tells us the fund is positioned conservatively within its gilt framework.

Weight then falls sharply to 14.14% for the first government security, and then to 7.97% for the second. The decline from the largest line to the smaller lines is steep, which means the portfolio is not evenly balanced across many similarly sized positions.

There are only four disclosed holdings in total, and the top four account for 99.85% of the portfolio. In our view, that indicates a highly concentrated disclosed book, with the repo position likely to have the greatest influence on day-to-day portfolio behaviour.

Source data date: as of 09 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund fits investors who are comfortable with debt-fund variation and are willing to stay invested long enough for the longer-term pattern to matter. The Balanced Risk label and the portfolio mix point to a scheme that may behave more steadily than equity funds, but it can still move around in the short run.

We think the more suitable horizon is medium to long term, especially if the aim is to hold through interest-rate cycles rather than react to every monthly move. The main trade-off is that while the fund has compared well with its benchmark and shown a useful edge against peers on the available figures, the recent path has not been perfectly smooth.

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 after holding period.

Source data date: as of 09 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Bandhan Gilt Fund Direct Growth Plan?

The current NAV is ₹40.7898 as of 09 Sep 2026.

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

The returns are 7.94% for 1 year, 8% for 3 years and 6.38% for 5 years.

How does it compare with the benchmark?

It has outperformed the benchmark across 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years in the figures shown here. The widest gap is visible in the 1-year period, where the benchmark is negative.

How does it compare with peer gilt funds?

Its 1-year return is stronger than the peer funds shown, and its 3-year and 5-year figures are also competitive. The gap is most visible over the shorter period, while the longer-term edge is more modest.

What is the minimum SIP amount?

The minimum SIP amount is ₹100.

Who manages the fund and what does the portfolio look like?

The fund is managed by Suyash Choudhary. The disclosed portfolio is heavily tilted toward Triparty Repo TRP_010926, with government securities making up the other major visible positions.

Bottom line

Bandhan Gilt Fund Direct Growth Plan looks like a disciplined gilt fund with a recent return profile that is a little stronger than its longer-run edge, but still broadly consistent across time horizons. It compares favourably with the benchmark and the peer funds shown here on the available return figures. The portfolio is dominated by a large repo position and a small set of government securities, so the scheme’s behaviour is likely to stay closely tied to rates and liquidity conditions rather than diversified credit exposure.

Published on 10 September 2026 at 10:15 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.