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In a grand celebration of performance, trust, and investor-first thinking, Zee Business on Friday (August 1, 2025) hosted the inaugural Mutual Fund Awards 2025, honouring the top performers of India’s mutual fund industry. The event recognised excellence across the ecosystem, with 18 awards presented in nine key categories.
The ceremony saw participation from top fund houses including ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, HDFC Mutual Fund, SBI Mutual Fund, Axis Mutual Fund, and Kotak Mahindra AMC. Industry leaders and professionals gathered under one roof, adding prestige to the evening.
Who took home the gold?
Among the big winners, Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund bagged the Gold Award for Best Equity Fund House, while SBI Mutual Fund clinched Gold in the Best Debt Fund House category. Invesco Mutual Fund emerged as the Best Hybrid Fund House of the year.
In individual honours, Rajeev Thakkar and Rukun Tarachandani from PPFAS were recognised as Equity Fund Managers of the Year (Gold). Manish Banthia from ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund won Gold in the Debt category, and Shobhit Mehrotra from HDFC secured Silver.
For leadership, Navneet Munot, Managing Director and CEO of HDFC AMC, was awarded the prestigious CEO of the Year (Gold), while Neil Parag Parikh from PPFAS received Silver.
Celebrating investors, not just institutions
Speaking at the ceremony, Zee Business Managing Editor Anil Singhvi underscored that the awards were not just an industry pat on the back, but a recognition from “millions of smiling investors.” Singhvi thanked MFRT for partnering with Zee Business and credited Value Research and its founder Dhirendra Kumar for lending data-driven credibility to the awards.
“Zee Business is merely the medium. The real recognition comes from the investors,” Singhvi said, emphasising that the selection process was rigorous, transparent, and fully research-backed.
A look behind the numbers
Shruti Agrawal from Value Research detailed the award methodology, explaining how fund houses were evaluated on risk-adjusted performance over both 18-month and 36-month periods, with weighted scores and minimum AUM thresholds to ensure credibility. Individual managers needed a minimum track record and AUM base, while innovation and transparency categories were reviewed qualitatively through website disclosures, communication practices, and accessibility.
Ramamoorthy's call for bigger goals
The evening's chief guest, Sundar Raman Ramamoorthy, MD & CEO of BSC Ltd, delivered an inspiring keynote, urging the mutual fund industry to aim higher.
“From just Rs 7 lakh crore in 2013 to Rs 75 lakh crore now, the mutual fund industry's journey is commendable—but we’ve only scratched the surface,” he said, predicting a future where 200 million Indians could be mutual fund investors.
He outlined the sector’s pivotal role in capital formation, employment generation, and financial inclusion, and stressed the importance of investor education, especially for youth and women.
Leaders Speak: Can growth be sustained?
A lively panel moderated by market guru Anil Singhvi featured A Balasubramanian (Aditya Birla SL MF), DP Singh (SBI MF), and Kalpen Parikh (DSP MF), who delved into the challenges of scaling with integrity.
Kalpen Parikh reminisced about the early 2000s, saying, “Back then, no one imagined Rs 27,000 crore in monthly SIPs. Today, that’s a reality.” He credited disciplined inflows into hybrid and asset allocation funds for bringing stability and investor stickiness.
DP Singh from SBI Mutual Fund echoed similar sentiments, saying the mutual fund industry has grown because of trust — both in institutions and individuals managing the money. He added that regulations have helped protect investors and promote transparency, even if compliance sometimes feels stringent.
Balasubramanian called attention to the talent gap in the industry, especially in fund management, but said the ecosystem is improving with better awareness, technology, and interest from young professionals.
The panel concluded that technology, innovation, transparency, and trust will be the core pillars of the mutual fund industry as it eyes a leap from Rs 75 lakh crore to Rs 100 lakh crore and beyond. As Sundar Ramamoorthy aptly summarised, “You are not just managing money—you are managing the aspirations of a developing India.”
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