ESG Mutual Funds
All 11 esg funds, Direct Growth plans, compared on returns, risk and cost. NAV as of 7 Oct 2026.
Category average
+9.1%
3-year return, annualised
Category average
+7.5%
5-year return, annualised
Category average
15.5%
Volatility, 3 years
Category average
1.20%
Expense ratio
Against the NIFTY 100 ESG Index: 4 of 9 funds with at least 5 calendar years of history returned more than the index in at least half of the years from 2017 to 2026. The 2026 figure is year to date.
ESG funds compared
Direct plan, Growth option. Returns as of 7 Oct 2026. Click a column heading to sort.
| Returns (3Y and 5Y annualised) | Consistency | Risk | Against the index | Cost and size | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +20.9% | +17.8% | +17.5% | 5 of 6 | 20.5% | -25.1% | 5 of 6 | 1.87% | ₹337 Cr | |
| -9.0% | +10.3% | +9.0% | 3 of 6 | 14.9% | -19.2% | 3 of 6 | 1.14% | ₹1,356 Cr | |
| -5.5% | +7.6% | +7.1% | 4 of 6 | 14.9% | -19.5% | 4 of 10 | 1.42% | ₹5,356 Cr | |
| -7.4% | +7.5% | +6.5% | 2 of 6 | 14.2% | -21.9% | 2 of 6 | 1.16% | ₹741 Cr | |
| -2.9% | +9.8% | +6.1% | 3 of 6 | 15.2% | -26.2% | 3 of 6 | 1.42% | ₹580 Cr | |
| -3.6% | +8.1% | +5.9% | 3 of 5 | 15.8% | -22.8% | 3 of 5 | 1.29% | ₹395 Cr | |
| -7.2% | +6.7% | +5.9% | 1 of 6 | 15.8% | -19.8% | 3 of 7 | 0.83% | ₹96 Cr | |
| -4.8% | +8.0% | +5.0% | 2 of 6 | 13.9% | -24.3% | 2 of 6 | 1.79% | ₹1,073 Cr | |
| -9.7% | +5.9% | +4.9% | 2 of 6 | 14.2% | -17.9% | 1 of 6 | 0.09% | ₹81 Cr | |
| -7.2% | N/A | N/A | 1 of 2 | N/A | N/A | 0 of 2 | 0.99% | ₹52 Cr | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1.21% | ₹618 Cr | |
Ordered by 5-year annualised return, highest first; funds younger than 5 years follow by 3-year, then 1-year return. Click a heading to sort by another figure. Top half, by year shows the fund's quartile in the category each calendar year from 2017 to 2026(green top quarter, grey second, amber third, red bottom; an outline means too young to rank) and how many of those years it finished in the top half. Years ahead of index counts the calendar years from 2017 to 2026 in which the fund returned more than the NIFTY 100 ESG Index. Returns over 3 years and longer are compounded annual returns. Volatility is the annualised standard deviation of monthly returns. Worst fall is the largest drop from a peak in the last 5 years. N/A means the fund is too young for that period.
What a esg fund is
ESG funds choose companies on environmental, social and governance criteria, with at least 80% of their assets in that theme.
Source: SEBI categorisation of mutual fund schemes, 6 October 2017, as amended.
Investing from the UAE
NRIs living in the UAE can generally invest once KYC is complete, paying from an NRE or NRO bank account. Some fund houses do not accept residents of the United States or Canada, or accept them only offline. The UAE does not levy personal income tax, and the India UAE tax treaty may affect how gains are treated, so confirm your own position with a tax adviser.
Questions
How are these esg funds ordered?
By 5-year annualised return, highest first. Funds younger than 5 years follow, ordered by 3-year return and then 1-year return. Every figure is worked out from each fund's own Direct Growth NAV, the same way for every fund. We do not label any fund as the best.
Can NRIs living in the UAE invest in esg funds?
Generally yes, once KYC is complete, paying from an NRE or NRO bank account. Some fund houses do not accept investments from residents of the United States or Canada, or accept them only offline, so check the fund house's current policy if that applies to you.
How are gains taxed for NRIs?
For equity funds, India taxes gains on units held for 12 months or less at 20%, and gains on units held longer at 12.5% on the amount above ₹1.25 lakh in a financial year, plus cess and any surcharge. For NRIs the fund house deducts this tax when you redeem. The outcome depends on your tax residence and facts, so confirm your position with a tax adviser.
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