Moneycontrol summit spotlights next growth chapter for mutual funds

MUMBAI: Looks like India’s mutual fund story is no longer just about growing bigger, it’s about getting millions more to join the investment party. That ambition took centre stage at the 5th Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit, where regulators and industry leaders mapped out the next phase of India’s investment journey, focusing on expanding access, simplifying products and deepening investor participation.

Held in Mumbai on June 30, 2026, under the theme ‘From Innovation to Impact’, the summit brought together top policymakers, asset management company (AMC) chiefs, chief investment officers and market strategists to discuss what it will take for the mutual fund industry to evolve from its current scale into a truly mass-market wealth creation platform.

The event opened with a keynote address by Manoj Kumar, Executive Director, SEBI, who outlined the regulator’s ongoing overhaul of India’s asset management framework. He said the industry now had an opportunity to expand far beyond its existing investor base.

“In a country of 150 crore people, the question we must ask ourselves is can we take the mutual fund industry to 50 crore investors?” Kumar said. He noted that SEBI had modernised regulations that had remained largely unchanged for nearly three decades, introduced enabling provisions such as performance-based fee structures and opened the sector to new entrants. However, he stressed that regulation alone would not drive the next wave of growth, highlighting digital distribution, simpler investment products and greater investor trust beyond metro cities as the industry’s next priorities.

The discussions reflected the broader transformation underway in India’s financial landscape. Navneet Munot, MD & CEO, HDFC Asset Management Company, described the shift from a nation of savers to a nation of investors as a cultural change rather than merely a financial one.

Pointing to the rapid rise of systematic investment plans (SIPs), Munot noted that monthly SIP inflows have climbed from Rs 3,000 crore in 2016 to Rs 30,000 crore today. Yet, he observed that only 6 per cent of Indian household balance sheets are invested in equities, suggesting that the industry’s growth potential remains substantial. He added that India’s annual household savings are expected to surpass those of the United States within this decade, creating a significant opportunity for long-term capital formation.

Product innovation also emerged as a key theme. JioBlackRock Mutual Fund MD & CEO Sid Swaminathan said the industry must cater to both first-time investors and experienced wealth creators. While newcomers require simpler products and disciplined SIP-based investing, he said more sophisticated investors are increasingly looking at differentiated offerings such as factor investing, thematic strategies and Specialised Investment Funds (SIFs) to diversify their portfolios.

The summit also featured panel discussions and fireside conversations with leading voices from across the asset management industry, including executives from Nippon Life India Asset Management, Axis AMC, Mirae Asset Investment Managers India, Bandhan AMC, ITI Mutual Fund, Tata Mutual Fund, Motilal Oswal AMC, Edelweiss Mutual Fund, WhiteOak Capital Mutual Fund and Canara Robeco Mutual Fund, among others.

Presented by HDFC Mutual Fund, co-presented by JioBlackRock Mutual Fund and powered by Axis Mutual Fund, the summit was streamed live to investors across the country, underscoring the industry’s growing.