NJ ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Review 2026: NAV, Returns, Portfolio & Should You Invest?

NJ ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan is at ₹14.62 as of 17 September 2026, with AUM of ₹349 Cr. Its 1-year, 3-year and 5-year returns are -5.04%, 8.73% and 0%, respectively, and the scheme sits in the High Risk category. In our view, this is a fund for investors who can accept sharper swings in exchange for an equity-led tax-saving portfolio; the recent return pattern is uneven, but the 3-year number is still positive.

The scheme is direct, growth-oriented and equity-focused with a 3-year lock-in. The current portfolio shows a fairly concentrated set of holdings, so stock selection is likely to matter more here than broad market exposure.

Quick facts

Particular	Details
NAV	₹14.62 as of 17 Sep 2026
AUM	₹349 Cr
Expense Ratio	0.56%
Launch Date	16 Jun 2023
Min SIP	₹500
Risk Category	High Risk
Benchmark	Nifty 50
Fund Category	Equity
Exit Load	No exit load
Fund Managers	Viral Shah, Dhaval Patel, Jaimin Ilavia

The fund is managed by Viral Shah, Dhaval Patel and Jaimin Ilavia.

Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026

Performance

Period	Fund return	Benchmark return
1M	-3.31%	-3.66%
3M	0.21%	-3.71%
1Y	-5.04%	-7.13%
3Y	8.73%	5.82%
5Y	Data not available	Data not available

The recent picture is mixed but not uniform, which matters for a fund that has been live only since June 2023. Over 1 month, the fund was slightly better than the benchmark, and over 3 months it held up meaningfully better. That tells us the scheme has been able to avoid the full extent of benchmark weakness in the short run, even though the 1-year return is still negative.

The 1-year period is the weakest part of the story. The fund’s -5.04% return is better than the benchmark’s -7.13%, so it has still preserved more value than the index over that window, but neither result is comfortable for a tax-saving equity fund. The return path also shows periods of drawdown and recovery rather than a straight upward climb, which is consistent with a high-risk equity strategy that can move around materially.

At the 3-year mark, the fund turns positive and stays ahead of the benchmark by a useful margin. That longer window suggests the scheme has been able to compound better than the index, even after weaker patches within the period. Because the fund is younger than 5 years, there is no 5-year return to judge yet, so our view is that the 3-year record is the most useful anchor for long-term readers at present.

Overall, the short-term stretch has been choppy, but the 3-year trend is healthier than the 1-year number alone would suggest. For investors, that means the fund has not behaved like a smooth compounder, yet it has shown a stronger medium-term outcome than the benchmark it is measured against.

Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026

Should you BUY or HOLD NJ ELSS Tax Saver?

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
NJ ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan	-5.04%	8.73%	Data not available
Quant ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan	9.73%	13.52%	14.64%
Motilal Oswal ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan	7.28%	20.68%	16.54%
JM ELSS-Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan	5.37%	15.37%	13.83%
Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax Adv Fund-Sr IV- Direct Growth Plan	4.16%	11.33%	14.96%
Edelweiss ELSS Tax saver Fund Direct Growth Plan	3.22%	12.41%	11.42%

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

The fund’s 1-year return trails the leading peer figures in this set, while its 3-year return is also below several peers that have stronger medium-term numbers. That does not make the scheme unusable, but it does show that the fund has had less powerful recent compounding than the better-performing peers in the table.

The more important distinction is that the fund’s 3-year result is still positive and above its benchmark, even though it sits below most of the peer numbers shown here. So the peer comparison tells a different story from the benchmark comparison: the scheme has been ahead of the index, yet not as strong as the better peer outcomes over the same horizon.

Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026

Portfolio: where your money goes

Holding	Sector	Weight
Bosch Limited	Automobile & Ancillaries	6.58%
Pidilite Industries Limited	Chemicals	5.81%
JSW Dulux Limited	Chemicals	5.08%
Hero Motocorp Limited	Automobile & Ancillaries	5.06%
Mphasis Limited	IT	5.05%
Marico Limited	FMCG	5.01%
ABB India Limited	Capital Goods	5%
AU Small Finance Bank Limited	Bank	4.94%
Page Industries Limited	Textile	4.61%
Britannia Industries Limited	FMCG	4.35%

The top 10 holdings account for approximately 51.49% of the portfolio.

To see all holdings, visit the NJ ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan page

The largest holding, Bosch Limited, carries a 6.58% weight, so no single name dominates the portfolio outright. The decline from the first holding to the tenth is fairly gradual, moving from 6.58% to 4.35%, which suggests the visible part of the portfolio is spread across several similar-sized positions rather than concentrated in one oversized bet.

Even so, the top 10 holdings together make up 51.49% of the portfolio, so the fund may still be influenced meaningfully by a relatively small set of companies. With 25 disclosed holdings in total, there is clearly a longer tail beyond the top positions, but the larger names are likely to have greater influence on day-to-day movement than the smaller residual positions.

Our view is that this mix points to moderate stock-level concentration within a broader equity portfolio. That can help the fund express conviction in selected businesses, but it also means the outcome may depend more on the chosen holdings than on passive market exposure.

Source data date: as of 17 Sep 2026

Who should invest

This fund suits investors who can accept high short-term volatility and are comfortable with an equity ELSS allocation that may move unevenly. The negative 1-year return, positive 3-year return and benchmark outperformance over 3 years suggest that the fund needs time to show its thesis.

A longer investment horizon is important because the 3-year lock-in already limits early exits, and the return pattern has been better over medium-term periods than over the last year. The main trade-off is that investors may get tax benefit and equity upside, but they must tolerate swings that can be sharper than a smoother diversified product.

The portfolio structure also points to stock-specific outcomes mattering here, so this is better for investors who can stay invested through periods of uneven performance rather than those looking for steady, low-volatility compounding.

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 17 Sep 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the current NAV of NJ ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan?
Its current NAV is ₹14.62 as of 17 September 2026.

How has NJ ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan performed over 1 year, 3 years and 5 years?
Its 1-year return is -5.04%, its 3-year return is 8.73%, and its 5-year return is Data not available because the fund is too young for a 5-year track record.

How does the fund compare with Nifty 50?
It has done better than Nifty 50 over 1 month, 3 months, 1 year and 3 years. The 3-year gap is especially visible, with the fund at 8.73% versus 5.82% for the benchmark.

How does it compare with the peer funds listed here?
Its 1-year and 3-year returns are below several peers in this set, while still remaining above the benchmark over 3 years. That means the fund has been better than the index, but not as strong as the better peer outcomes shown here.

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 Viral Shah, Dhaval Patel and Jaimin Ilavia. There is no exit load.

Bottom line

NJ ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct Growth Plan has a mixed short-term record but a better 3-year outcome than its benchmark, which is the key takeaway for long-term readers. Its recent return profile is uneven, while the portfolio is built around a relatively compact set of larger holdings rather than a very diffuse spread. Compared with the peer set shown here, the fund’s return numbers are softer, so the case for it rests more on its ELSS structure, risk appetite fit and patience over time than on standout recent compounding.

Published on 18 September 2026 at 12:48 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.