Mutual Fund Industry Experiences Surge with 34 Lakh New Folios in March 2026

The Indian mutual fund industry witnessed a notable addition of 34 lakh folios in March 2026, despite challenges such as reduced assets under management (AUM) and outflows from liquid funds. 

Significant Increase in Folios 

The mutual fund industry's folio count increased by 34 lakh in March 2026, bringing the total number to 27.39 crore. Despite this growth, the industry's AUM decreased to ₹79.46 lakh crore from ₹83.43 lakh crore the previous month. 

The decline in AUM is attributed to both domestic and international influences that led to negative mark-to-market gains during March 2026. 

Impact of Outflows and Inflows 

March 2026 saw an outflow of ₹2.39 lakh crore, mainly driven by outflows from liquid funds. However, equity funds bucked the trend by recording a net inflow of ₹40,450 crore.  

The overall open-ended funds noted an outflow of ₹2.40 lakh crore due to a significant outflow of ₹2.95 lakh crore in debt funds. 

Read More: India Leads Global SIP Returns with 12% Average Long-Term Performance, Finds DSP Netra Report! 

New Fund Offer Activity 

The final month of the financial year featured the launch of 23 open-ended funds, accumulating inflows of ₹3,743 crore. Additionally, the single close-ended New Fund Offer (NFO) attracted ₹242 crore. 

AUM Distribution in T30 and B30 Markets 

By the end of FY2026, T30 cities accounted for ₹59.84 lakh crore in AUM, while B30 cities contributed ₹13.89 lakh crore.  

Furthermore, AUM through direct channels stood at ₹33.28 lakh crore, compared to ₹40.46 lakh crore for regular plans. 

Investment Patterns and SIP Activity 

The average ticket size for retail investors in B30 markets was approximately ₹93,000, whereas in T30 markets, it was roughly ₹2.45 lakh. On a broader scale, the industry's average ticket size was around ₹2.69 lakh. 

March 2026 SIP inflows were ₹32,087 crore, with total SIP AUM at ₹15.1 lakh crore. While 52.82 lakh new SIP accounts were registered, 53.38 lakh accounts were discontinued, making total contributing SIP accounts 9.72 crore. 

ARN Registrations in March 2026 

In March 2026, 5,288 new Mutual Fund Distributors (MFDs) registered with AMFI, and 4,798 ARN codes were renewed, signifying ongoing engagement within the distributor community. 

Conclusion 

The mutual fund industry demonstrated resilience by adding 34 lakh folios in March 2026, though impacted by reduced AUM and significant outflows from liquid funds. Equity funds managed to sustain positive inflows during this period. 

Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities or companies mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. This does not constitute a personal recommendation or investment advice. It does not aim to influence any individual or entity to make investment decisions. Recipients should conduct their own research and assessments to form an independent opinion about investment decisions.  

Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme-related documents carefully.