Moneycontrol Mutual Funds Summit

As India inches closer to the $1 trillion AUM milestone, the fourth edition of the Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit brought together the industry’s brightest minds—fund managers, regulators, distributors, and market veterans—to chart the next trillion in asset growth.

In a packed house in Mumbai, industry veterans deliberated on the mutual funds’ evolving role in wealth creation, the imperative of investor trust, and the caution needed amid a flood of new fund offerings—especially thematic ones. There was consensus that while innovation must continue, it must be anchored in responsibility, transparency, and investor-centricity.

Delivering the keynote, SEBI Whole-Time Member Amarjeet Singh reminded the audience that crossing the $1 trillion mark was once a “very distant dream.” But with this growth, he cautioned, comes responsibility. “Growing the right and responsible way becomes very important… people are trusting mutual funds with their money, and that trust is very important, and that should not get disturbed.”

HDFC AMC MD& CEO Navneet Munot echoed the call for values-driven growth. “Truth is the foundation, transparency is the path, and True North can be like our compass,” he said, lauding SEBI for a co-creative, rather than adversarial, regulatory approach.

Ashish Gupta, CIO at Axis AMC, painted a realistic picture of global headwinds, noting that no market is insulated, but liquidity continues to be the biggest driver of asset prices across asset classes. “If I look at the sum total of risk—whether on trade or geopolitics—the whole world is affected.” He pointed out, liquidity remains a powerful buffer.

On the importance of investor education, Edelweiss AMC’s Radhika Gupta remarked, “We’ve created many pieces like Lego. What’s missing is education. We need to tell people kaunsa mutual fund sahi hai—which one fits their goals.” She also welcomed SEBI’s nod to Social Impact Funds as a forward-looking move. D P Singh, Deputy Managing Director and Joint CEO of India’s largest mutual fund, SBI Mutual Fund, said the fund is already taking investor education to the next level, powering a website titled mutualfundskyusahihai.com.

Kotak AMC’s Nilesh Shah struck a note on penetration. “India has 30 crore vehicle owners but only 5.5 crore mutual fund investors. The next leg of growth lies in smaller towns and newer investors,” he said.

With sessions that spanned the spectrum—from macro risks and portfolio strategy to regulation and innovation—the summit served as a strategic blueprint for how India’s mutual fund industry can power the country’s financial aspirations responsibly and inclusively.

For more insights on HDFC Mutual Fund presents Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit 2025 powered by Axis Mutual Fund, please visit https://www.moneycontrol.com/msite/mutual-fund-summit-2025