Which Sectoral-Pharma funds have given the best returns over 3 years?

Over a 3-year period, the best performing Sectoral-Pharma funds are Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with a 24.47% CAGR, HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 24.30% CAGR, and PGIM India Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 22.88% CAGR. The category average 3-year return stands at 22.79% CAGR.

Which Sectoral-Pharma funds have given the best returns over 5 years?

Over a 5-year period, the top Sectoral-Pharma funds are Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with a 18.56% CAGR, HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 16.34% CAGR, and PGIM India Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 16.06% CAGR. The category average 5-year return is 15.66% CAGR.

Which are the best Sectoral-Pharma funds for SIP investment?

Based on average 5-year rolling returns, the best Sectoral-Pharma funds for SIP are ICICI Prudential Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 5-year average rolling return of 24.53%, Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 23.87%, and Tata India Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 19.20%. You can start a SIP in Sectoral-Pharma funds with as little as ₹99 per month.

What are the largest Sectoral-Pharma mutual funds by assets?

The largest Sectoral-Pharma funds by Assets Under Management (AUM) are Nippon India Pharma Fund Direct-Growth with ₹ 9,279.11 crore, ICICI Prudential Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with ₹ 6,802.61 crore, and SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund Direct Plan-Growth with ₹ 5,399.88 crore. Together, there are 26 Sectoral-Pharma funds available in India.

What is the minimum amount to invest in Sectoral-Pharma funds?

You can start investing in Sectoral-Pharma funds with a minimum SIP of ₹99 per month or a minimum lumpsum of ₹100. The minimum investment varies across fund houses — some funds allow even lower entry points.

How are Sectoral-Pharma fund returns taxed?

Gains from Sectoral-Pharma funds held for less than 12 months are taxed at 20% (Short-Term Capital Gains). Gains on units held for 12 months or more are taxed at 12.5% (Long-Term Capital Gains), with ₹1.25 lakh per year being exempt per financial year. Dividends (IDCW) are taxed at your applicable income tax slab rate.

Which Sectoral-Pharma funds have the lowest expense ratio?

Among Sectoral-Pharma funds, Groww BSE Hospitals ETF FoF Direct-Growth has the lowest expense ratio at 0.23% (Direct Plan), followed by Bandhan BSE Healthcare Index Fund Direct-Growth at 0.36%. Lower expense ratios directly improve your net returns over the long term.

How many Sectoral-Pharma mutual funds are available in India?

There are currently 26 Sectoral-Pharma mutual funds available in India across different fund houses. You can compare all 26 funds on Sharpely based on returns, risk, AUM, and expense ratio to find the one that suits your investment goals.

mutual funds category

Sectoral Pharma

Best Pharma Mutual Funds 2026

Q: What are the top performing Sectoral-Pharma funds?

Based on 1-year returns, the top performing Sectoral-Pharma funds are Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 27.38% return, HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 27.02% return, and PGIM India Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth with 25.65% return. The category average 1-year return is 18.26%.

Sectoral funds invest in the stocks of a particular sector. So pharma sectoral funds will invest the majority of the funds in pharma-related stocks. As per the SEBI guidelines, a minimum of 80% of the funds will be invested in pharma-related stocks.

Total Schemes

No. of schemes

Total AUM

₹ 0.40Lakh Cr

As on latest

Category Return (5Y)

15.66 %

CAGR

Benchmark

13.97%

NIFTY 500 TRI

Category Returns (%)

Period	1M	6M	1Y	3Y CAGR	5Y CAGR	10Y CAGR	YTD
Sectoral-Pharma	0.44 %	19.32 %	18.26 %	22.79 %	15.66 %	15.35 %	19.02 %
Benchmark	0.52 %	16.54 %	22.74 %	47.28 %	13.97 %	9.42 %	18.07 %

Top Sectoral-Pharma Funds (by AUM)

Fund Name	AUM (₹ Cr)	1Y Return	3Y CAGR	5Y CAGR	Expense Ratio
Nippon India Pharma Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹643.59	9,279.11 Cr	12.33%	18.93%	13.79%	0.99%
ICICI Prudential Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹46.98	6,802.61 Cr	8.95%	22.34%	16.06%	1.31%
SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund Direct Plan-GrowthNAV: ₹604.05	5,399.88 Cr	21.64%	24.30%	18.56%	1.04%
DSP Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹51.17	3,639.29 Cr	17.93%	22.54%	15.39%	0.74%
Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹52.13	3,442.28 Cr	20.80%	22.85%	15.73%	0.61%
HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹22.48	2,939.98 Cr	27.02%	-	-	1.08%
Tata India Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹39.55	1,541.42 Cr	10.23%	19.95%	14.76%	1.07%
UTI Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹391.90	1,370.92 Cr	18.30%	24.47%	16.34%	1.33%
Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹40.70	1,073.85 Cr	18.58%	21.98%	14.49%	1.05%
WhiteOak Capital Pharma and Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹17.68	824.90 Cr	22.99%	-	-	1.10%
Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹17.75	682.39 Cr	27.38%	-	-	1.07%
Baroda BNP Paribas Health and Wellness Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹10.96	519.48 Cr	11.88%	-	-	1.51%
Quant Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹19.46	397.15 Cr	23.22%	21.56%	-	1.51%
Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹12.25	376.77 Cr	23.45%	-	-	0.90%
Bandhan Healthcare Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹11.39	319.48 Cr	-	-	-	1.31%

About Sectoral-Pharma Funds

What is it?

Objective

The objective of these funds is to generate maximum returns by focusing on the pharma sector.

Suitability and opinion

These funds are suitable for high-risk investors. We believe concentration risk is very high in any sectoral funds and the impact of the market cycle can be severe in this category. This category is suitable for informed investors who are bullish on the pharma sector. You should have a solid understanding of the sector before you invest in such funds. Also, entry and exit timings matter in sectoral equity funds, so we can not define the ideal time horizon for any particular sectoral fund. You should not allocate more than 10% of your portfolio to any sectoral funds.

Sectoral-Pharma vs Other Categories

5Y CAGR Return Comparison

16.89%

16.30%

15.66%

15.04%

14.80%

International

Mid Cap

Sectoral-Pharma

Multi Cap

Thematic-Business Cycle

Key Insights

Sectoral-Pharma delivered 15.66% CAGR over the last 5 years.

It ranks #8 out of 28 categories based on 5Y performance.

Above the category average return of 13.74%.

7 categories outperform it, while 20 categories have lower returns.

Top performer: Sectoral-Auto & Transportation (22.85%).

Lowest performer: Sectoral-Technology (4.94%).

Let's have a closer look

Now let us jump and check about these top 15 mutual fund schemes.

Nippon India Pharma Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: Nippon India Pharma Fund Direct-Growth has given 18.93% annualized returns in the past three years and 13.79% in the last 5 years. The Nippon India Pharma Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Nippon India Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Nippon India Pharma Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 9,279.11Cr

1Y Returns

12.33%

Expense Ratio

0.99%

ICICI Prudential Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: ICICI Prudential Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth has given 22.34% annualized returns in the past three years and 16.06% in the last 5 years. The ICICI Prudential Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in ICICI Prudential Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 6,802.61Cr

1Y Returns

8.95%

Expense Ratio

1.31%

SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund Direct Plan-Growth

Fund Performance: SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund Direct Plan-Growth has given 24.30% annualized returns in the past three years and 18.56% in the last 5 years. The SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund Direct Plan-Growth comes under the Equity category of SBI Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund Direct Plan-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 500.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 5,399.88Cr

1Y Returns

21.64%

Expense Ratio

1.04%

DSP Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: DSP Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth has given 22.54% annualized returns in the past three years and 15.39% in the last 5 years. The DSP Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of DSP Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in DSP Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 100.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 100.00

AUM

₹ 3,639.29Cr

1Y Returns

17.93%

Expense Ratio

0.74%

Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth has given 22.85% annualized returns in the past three years and 15.73% in the last 5 years. The Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Mirae Asset Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 99.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 3,442.28Cr

1Y Returns

20.80%

Expense Ratio

0.61%

HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of HDFC Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 100.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 100.00

AUM

₹ 2,939.98Cr

1Y Returns

27.02%

Expense Ratio

1.08%

Tata India Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: Tata India Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth has given 19.95% annualized returns in the past three years and 14.76% in the last 5 years. The Tata India Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Tata Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Tata India Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 1,541.42Cr

1Y Returns

10.23%

Expense Ratio

1.07%

UTI Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: UTI Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth has given 24.47% annualized returns in the past three years and 16.34% in the last 5 years. The UTI Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of UTI Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in UTI Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 500.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 1,370.92Cr

1Y Returns

18.30%

Expense Ratio

1.33%

Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth has given 21.98% annualized returns in the past three years and 14.49% in the last 5 years. The Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma & Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 1,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 1,000.00

AUM

₹ 1,073.85Cr

1Y Returns

18.58%

Expense Ratio

1.05%

WhiteOak Capital Pharma and Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The WhiteOak Capital Pharma and Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of WhiteOak Capital Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in WhiteOak Capital Pharma and Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 500.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 500.00

AUM

₹ 824.90Cr

1Y Returns

22.99%

Expense Ratio

1.10%

Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Kotak Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 100.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 100.00

AUM

₹ 682.39Cr

1Y Returns

27.38%

Expense Ratio

1.07%

Baroda BNP Paribas Health and Wellness Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The Baroda BNP Paribas Health and Wellness Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Baroda BNP Paribas Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Baroda BNP Paribas Health and Wellness Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 1,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 500.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 1,000.00

AUM

₹ 519.48Cr

1Y Returns

11.88%

Expense Ratio

1.51%

Quant Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: Quant Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth has given 21.56% annualized returns in the past three years. The Quant Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Quant Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Quant Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 1,000.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 397.15Cr

1Y Returns

23.22%

Expense Ratio

1.51%

Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 500.00 and via SIP is ₹ 500.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 500.00

AUM

₹ 376.77Cr

1Y Returns

23.45%

Expense Ratio

0.90%

Bandhan Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The Bandhan Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Bandhan Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Bandhan Healthcare Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 1,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 1,000.00

AUM

₹ 319.48Cr

1Y Returns

Expense Ratio

1.31%