HDFC Flexi Cap Fund Vs Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund: How both funds multiplied money over 30 years

When it comes to long-term wealth creation, few mutual funds command as much investor trust as the HDFC Flexi Cap Fund and Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund. Launched in the mid-1990s, both funds have stood the test of time, delivering strong returns across market cycles. But if you had invested a lump sum in either fund, how fast would your money have doubled over 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 years? We dug into 30 years of performance data from FundsIndia Research to find out.

Which fund multiplied money faster over the years – HDFC Flexi Cap Fund or Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund?

HDFC Flexi Cap Fund

Launched on January 1, 1995, the HDFC Flexi Cap Fund has completed 30 years in the market. The fund has been a consistent performer over the short and long term, also outperforming both its benchmark Nifty 500 TRI and the Category – Flexicap’s average.

If we analyse its performance against the benchmark and category over the years, HDFC Flexi Cap Fund has delivered a return of 10.42% in one year. Its three-year annualised return stands at 28.77%, while over a five-year period, it has generated an even higher return of 29.89% CAGR. The fund has provided an annualised return of 15.68% over the last ten years, 17.90% over 20 years and 18.92% since inception (30 years).

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How fast HDFC Flexi Cap Fund doubled money over the last 30 years:

Time Period	Investment Multiplied	Doublings (approx)
3 Years	2.0x	1 time
5 Years	3.9x	2 doublings
10 Years	4.2x	2.07 doublings
15 Years	8.1x	3 doublings
20 Years	27.2x	4.75 doublings
30 Years	197x (from earlier data)	7.6 doublings

(Source: FundsIndia)

Summary:

In 3 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 2 lakh

In 5 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 3.9 lakh (almost doubled twice)

In 10 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 4.2 lakh (just over 2 doublings)

In 20 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 27.2 lakh (about 4.75 doublings)

In 30 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 1.97 crore (as per earlier data, 7.6 doublings)

Insights:

In the first 5 years, the fund doubled money every 2.5 years.

Over 20 years, the doubling pace was every 4.2 years.

Over 30 years, the doubling slowed to every 4 years, still quite remarkable for equity.

Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund

Launched on 29 September 1994, the Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund has also completed 30 years. Benchmarked against NIFTY 500 TRI, the fund has delivered stellar performance across various periods – 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 years. The fund over these periods outperformed the returns delivered by the benchmark and the flexicap category.

The Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund has given a 6.86% return in one year, 25.29% in 3 years and 26.61% CAGR in 5 years. Its return in 10 years is slightly lower at 14.14% CAGR, while the 20-year annualised return is 17.35%. Its return since inception (over 30 years) has been 18.05% CAGR.

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How fast Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund doubled money over the last 30 years:

Time Period	Investment Multiplied	Doublings (approx.)
3 Years	1.8x	0.85 time
5 Years	3.4x	1.77 doublings
10 Years	3.6x	1.85 doublings
20 Years	24.4x	4.6 doublings
30 Years	145x (based on CAGR 18.92%)	7.2 doublings

(Source: FundsIndia)

Summary:

In 3 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 1.8 lakh (not fully doubled)

In 5 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 3.4 lakh (almost doubled twice)

In 10 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 3.6 lakh (just under 2 doublings)

In 20 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 24.4 lakh (about 4.6 doublings)

In 30 years, Rs 1 lakh → Rs 1.45 crore (approx., 7.2 doublings)

Insights:

In the first 5 years, the fund doubled money roughly every 2.8 years.

Over 20 years, it doubled every 4.3 years.

Over 30 years, the doubling pace was every 4.1 years, delivering strong long-term compounding for patient investors.

Summing up…

Between the two, HDFC Flexi Cap Fund has doubled investors’ money faster across most timeframes — over 3, 5, 10, and 20 years. While Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund also delivered strong compounding over the long term, HDFC’s higher returns in recent decades resulted in a bigger corpus. Both funds have been stellar wealth creators, but HDFC has been the faster compounder.

Disclaimer: The above content is for informational purposes only. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks. Please consult your financial advisor before investing.