Franklin India Long Term Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

Franklin India Long Term Fund Direct Growth Plan currently has a NAV of ₹10.8257 as of 15 September 2026 and an AUM of ₹47 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are 4.21%, 0% and 0%, and the scheme carries a Medium Risk label.

Our view is that the fund suits conservative investors who want a debt-oriented allocation with limited drawdown behaviour, but the return history is still short and uneven. The portfolio is concentrated in government securities and cash-like assets, so the outcome is likely to depend more on interest-rate moves than on broad market trends.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹10.8257 as of 15 Sep 2026
AUM	₹47 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.35%
Launch Date	11 Dec 2024
Min SIP	₹500
Risk Category	Medium Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Debt
Exit Load	No exit load
Fund Managers	Anuj Tagra, Chandni Gupta

The fund is managed by Anuj Tagra and Chandni Gupta.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-1.53%	-4.81%
3M	0.91%	-3.63%
1Y	4.21%	-8.27%
3Y	Data not available	Data not available
5Y	Data not available	Data not available

The fund has been steadier over the short run than the benchmark. Over 1 month, it fell less than Nifty 50, and over 3 months it stayed positive while the benchmark remained negative. That tells us the scheme has recently held up better than the benchmark in a softer market backdrop.

The 1-year number is also clearly ahead of the benchmark, with 4.21% versus -8.27%. That gap matters because it shows the scheme has not simply moved with the same direction as equities. For a debt-oriented product, that kind of relative stability is the main feature investors are likely to notice.

At the same time, the long-term picture is still limited. The 3-year and 5-year figures are not available in the current history, so we cannot treat the recent 1-year profile as a full cycle test. Our read is that the fund’s current pattern looks more defensive than growth-led, with the recent ups and downs appearing contained rather than dramatic.

Because the benchmark has been weak across all the displayed periods, the comparison is useful mainly for observing resilience. The fund’s short-term behaviour is better than the benchmark’s, but that does not by itself establish a durable long-horizon edge.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD Franklin India Long 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
Franklin India Long Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	4.96%	Data not available	Data not available
Bandhan Long Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	4.3%	Data not available	Data not available
Aditya Birla SL Long Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	3.64%	6.68%	Data not available
ICICI Pru Long Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	3.16%	6.6%	5.41%
Kotak Long Term Fund Direct Growth Plan	2.78%	Data not available	Data not available

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

On the latest 1-year comparison, the current fund sits close to the stronger peer outcomes, with 4.96% shown for the fund in the peer list and 4.3% for Bandhan, while Aditya Birla SL, ICICI Pru and Kotak are lower on that same measure. That suggests the recent return profile is broadly competitive within this group.

The longer-horizon picture is mixed because only two peers have 3-year figures and one peer has a 5-year figure. ICICI Pru shows 6.6% on 3 years and 5.41% on 5 years, while Aditya Birla SL shows 6.68% on 3 years. Against those numbers, the current fund does not yet present a comparable multi-year history, so the short-term comparison is more informative than the longer-term one.

In our view, the peer set tells two different stories: recent returns look respectable, but the lack of longer history in the current fund means investors should not extrapolate the short-term strength too far.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
6.90% GOI 2065 (15-Apr-2065)	Government Securities	33.76%
Call, Cash & Other Assets	Cash & Cash Equivalents and Net Assets	12.34%
7.50% Tamil Nadu SDL (24-Apr-2031)	Government Securities	10.9%
7.86% Haryana SDL (29-Jun-2032)	Government Securities	10.88%
7.02% Punjab SDL (01-Jul-2030)	Government Securities	10.54%
7.66% Maharashtra SDL (04-Mar-2047)	Government Securities	7.59%
7.79% West Bengal SDL (18-Mar-2045)	Government Securities	5.47%
7.56% Himachal Pradesh SDL (08-Jul-2039)	Government Securities	2.88%
7.71% GOI 2066 (18-May-2066)	Government Securities	2.72%
7.56% Kerala SDL (08-Jul-2039)	Government Securities	2.67%

The largest holding is 6.90% GOI 2065 at 33.76%, which is a very large single position for a debt fund and is likely to have greater influence on the portfolio than any other disclosed holding. That can help shape the fund’s interest-rate sensitivity, especially because most of the remaining top positions are also government-linked securities.

Weight falls fairly sharply after the first holding. The second position is 12.34%, and by the tenth disclosed holding the weight is down to 2.67%. That pattern suggests a heavy core position at the top, followed by a smaller cluster of medium-sized exposures rather than an evenly spread book.

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 99.75% of the portfolio, and the full disclosed list contains 10 holdings. In our view, that leaves little room for a long tail, so the portfolio appears highly concentrated within the disclosed positions even though the holdings themselves are mostly high-quality sovereign or state-linked instruments.

Source data date: as of 15 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund may suit investors with a conservative to moderate risk tolerance who want debt exposure rather than equity-style volatility. The Medium Risk label and the government-security heavy portfolio point to a profile where stability matters more than aggressive growth.

The better fit is likely a medium-to-long investment horizon, because the short history and mixed return pattern do not give enough evidence for a very short-term objective. The main trade-off is that the fund may behave more steadily than equity benchmarks, but the return potential is also likely to be more limited than a growth-oriented fund.

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 Franklin India Long Term Fund Direct Growth Plan?
The current NAV is ₹10.8257 as of 15 September 2026.

What are the fund’s 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns?
The 1-year return is 4.21%, while the 3-year and 5-year returns are both 0% in the available history.

How does the fund compare with Nifty 50?
It has done better than Nifty 50 in the displayed periods. The fund is positive over 1 month, 3 months and 1 year, while the benchmark is negative in each of those periods.

How does it compare with other long-term funds?
Its latest 1-year return is close to the better peer results in the comparison set. Longer-horizon comparison is limited because only some peers have 3-year and 5-year figures.

Is there a minimum SIP amount?
The minimum SIP amount is ₹500.

What are the risk profile, portfolio style and exit load?
The fund is tagged as Medium Risk and is concentrated in government securities and cash-like assets. There is no exit load, and the fund is managed by Anuj Tagra and Chandni Gupta.

Bottom line

The fund’s recent numbers look steadier than the benchmark, but the longer-horizon record is still incomplete, so the short-term pattern should not be overread. Against peers, the latest return picture is broadly competitive, though the fuller multi-year comparison is limited. The portfolio is heavily concentrated in government securities and cash-like assets, which supports a more defensive debt profile. That combination may appeal to investors who value relative stability and can live with a return path that is likely to be more restrained than equity-led alternatives.

Published on 16 September 2026 at 8:14 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.