Mutual fund Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) inflows in India surged to a record Rs 29,361 crore in September, up 4 per cent from Rs 28,265 crore in August, according to data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on Friday.
The number of active SIP accounts rose to 9.25 crore in September from 8.98 crore in August. SIP Assets Under Management (AUM) stood at Rs 15,52,303 crore, accounting for 20.2 per cent of the total mutual fund industry’s assets.
Retail mutual fund participation remained robust, with folios in equity, hybrid, and solution-oriented schemes increasing to 19.80 crore in September from 19.64 crore in August. Retail AUM in these schemes rose to Rs 44,61,239 crore.
Despite the strong SIP trend, overall mutual fund flows turned negative in September. Equity mutual funds, however, continued to attract significant investments, with inflows of Rs 30,422 crore — though down 9 per cent from August’s Rs 33,430 crore. This sustained interest reflects retail investors’ confidence in equities, supported by consistent SIP contributions and optimism for long-term wealth creation. Over the past six months, equity inflows have stayed above Rs 19,000 crore.
The total AUM of the mutual fund industry edged up 0.53 per cent to Rs 75.61 lakh crore in September from Rs 75.2 lakh crore in August. Equity AUM rose by 1.81 per cent to Rs 33.7 lakh crore, underlining resilience in retail participation despite market volatility.
Nikunj Saraf, CEO, Choice Wealth, observed that “September’s trends reflect a maturing investor mindset. After months of euphoric flows, investors are booking partial profits and taking a more measured approach. Yet, retail conviction remains strong — SIP contributions reached an all-time high, reaffirming the culture of disciplined investing.”
Saraf also noted that gold ETFs witnessed their largest-ever monthly inflow of nearly USD 900 million, taking their total AUM past USD 10 billion, signalling investor caution amid global uncertainty.