Baroda BNP Paribas ESG Best-in-class Strategy Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Baroda BNP Paribas ESG Best-in-class Strategy Fund Direct Growth Plan currently has a NAV of ₹10.2377 as of 16 Sep 2026 and scheme AUM of ₹618 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 0%, 0% and 0%, and the fund sits in the High Risk category. Our view is that it is still too early to judge on a long track record, so investor fit depends more on comfort with equity volatility, a preference for an ESG-screened portfolio and the ability to stay patient through uneven early performance.

The fund has only just launched on 05 Mar 2026, so the return history is short and should be read with caution. The benchmark is Nifty 50, and the fund’s recent path has been weaker than the benchmark over the latest month, which suggests the first phase of performance has been choppy rather than consistently strong.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹10.2377 as of 16 Sep 2026
AUM	₹618 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.0%
Launch Date	05 Mar 2026
Min SIP	₹500
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Equity
Exit Load	NIL upto 10% of units and 1% for remaining units on or before 1Y, Nil after 1Y
Fund Managers	Rohan Korde, Kushant Arora

The fund is managed by Rohan Korde and Kushant Arora.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-4.68%	-4.41%
3M	-1.38%	-3.6%
1Y	0%	Data not available
3Y	0%	Data not available
5Y	0%	Data not available

The recent pattern has been weak, with the fund slipping more than the benchmark over the latest month. Over three months, the fund held up better than the benchmark, which shows that short-term movement has not been one-way and that the path has included some recovery after earlier pressure.

Because the scheme was launched only in March 2026, the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year figures do not yet show a mature compounding record. That limits how far we can read into longer-horizon performance, but it also makes the early comparison with the benchmark important: the fund has not yet established a sustained edge.

Our view is that the early series suggests a start with moderate volatility rather than a steady upward run. Investors looking at this fund need to place more weight on portfolio quality and strategy fit than on an established long-term track record.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Baroda BNP Paribas ESG Best-in-class Strategy?

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

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

Fund	1Y return	3Y return	5Y return
Baroda BNP Paribas ESG Best-in-class Strategy Fund Direct Growth Plan	0%	0%	0%
ICICI Pru Strategic Metal and Energy Equity FoF Direct Growth Plan	69.8%	36.32%	Data not available
HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund Direct Growth Plan	25.31%	Data not available	Data not available
Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct Growth Plan	25.27%	Data not available	Data not available
Motilal Oswal Active Momentum Fund Direct Growth Plan	24.51%	Data not available	Data not available
PGIM India Healthcare Fund Direct Growth Plan	22.75%	Data not available	Data not available

The recent return gap is wide: the peer set’s displayed 1-year figures are materially stronger than this fund’s 0% starting point. That said, the comparison is less useful on 3-year and 5-year horizons because the fund itself does not yet have a developed record, while several peers also have limited longer-horizon figures available.

What stands out is that the peer group contains funds with meaningful one-year momentum, while this ESG strategy is still building its track record. So the short-term comparison clearly favours the peers on available numbers, but the longer-term comparison is more a reflection of the fund’s early stage than a clean performance gap.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
ICICI Bank Limited	Bank	6.98%
Bharti Airtel Limited	Telecom	5.67%
HDFC Bank Limited	Bank	4.95%
Infosys Limited	IT	4.95%
Eternal Limited	Retailing	4.06%
State Bank of India	Bank	3.09%
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited	Automobile & Ancillaries	3.08%
Clearing Corporation of India Ltd	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	2.96%
Tech Mahindra Limited	IT	2.84%
Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited	Healthcare	2.7%

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 41.28% of the portfolio.

To see all holdings, visit the Baroda BNP Paribas ESG Best-in-class Strategy Fund Direct Growth Plan page

The largest holding, ICICI Bank Limited, carries a 6.98% weight, so it may have the greatest single-stock influence among the disclosed positions. The drop from the largest holding to the tenth is fairly gradual rather than abrupt, with the tenth holding still at 2.70%, which points to a reasonably balanced spread among the larger names.

The combined 41.28% weight of the top 10 holdings suggests that the fund is not excessively concentrated in just a handful of stocks, but it is also not fully dispersed across all 51 disclosed holdings. In our view, that middle ground means the portfolio may be influenced by a small cluster of major positions while still retaining a broader tail of other holdings.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund suits investors who can tolerate High Risk volatility and are comfortable with an equity strategy that is still in its early stage. The short return record means there is no long performance history to lean on, so the more relevant question is whether the investor can stay committed through periods when returns lag the benchmark or swing unevenly.

The portfolio is led by large, familiar names across banking, telecom, IT and healthcare, which may appeal to investors who want stock selection within an ESG framework rather than a narrow thematic bet. The main trade-off is that the strategy offers an ESG-oriented equity exposure, but it currently comes with limited track record and no clear long-run return proof yet.

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: NIL upto 10% of units and 1% for remaining units on or before 1Y, Nil after 1Y.

Source data date: as of 16 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of Baroda BNP Paribas ESG Best-in-class Strategy Fund Direct Growth Plan?

The current NAV is ₹10.2377 as of 16 Sep 2026.

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

The fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 0%, 0% and 0%.

How has it done versus the benchmark?

Over 1 month, the fund returned -4.68% versus -4.41% for Nifty 50, and over 3 months it returned -1.38% versus -3.6% for the benchmark. That means the short-term picture is mixed.

How does it compare with the peer funds shown here?

The peer set shows stronger 1-year figures on the available numbers, including 69.8% for ICICI Pru Strategic Metal and Energy Equity FoF Direct Growth Plan and 25%-plus returns for several others. This fund’s 0% starting point reflects its very early stage.

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 Rohan Korde and Kushant Arora. The exit load is NIL upto 10% of units and 1% for remaining units on or before 1Y, and nil after 1Y.

Bottom line

Baroda BNP Paribas ESG Best-in-class Strategy Fund Direct Growth Plan is still building its track record, so its early returns need to be read differently from a seasoned equity fund. Recent performance has been uneven, and the peer comparison shows stronger one-year numbers elsewhere, but the longer view is limited by the fund’s recent launch. The portfolio is built around large names and is not heavily dominated by a single holding, which may help avoid extreme concentration. It is better suited to investors who can accept High Risk equity volatility and are comfortable evaluating the strategy on its portfolio and process rather than on past compounding alone.

Published on 17 September 2026 at 3:21 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.