What are the top performing Thematic-Other funds?

Based on 1-year returns, the top performing Thematic-Other funds are HDFC Defence Fund Direct-Growth with 34.57% return, Groww Nifty India Defence ETF FoF Direct-Growth with 29.78% return, and Aditya Birla Sun Life Nifty India Defence Index Fund Direct-Growth with 29.61% return. The category average 1-year return is 6.95%.

Which Thematic-Other funds have given the best returns over 3 years?

Over a 3-year period, the best performing Thematic-Other funds are HDFC Defence Fund Direct-Growth with a 37.11% CAGR, Groww Nifty India Defence ETF FoF Direct-Growth with 21.24% CAGR, and Aditya Birla Sun Life Nifty India Defence Index Fund Direct-Growth with 18.96% CAGR. The category average 3-year return stands at 15.14% CAGR.

Which Thematic-Other funds have given the best returns over 5 years?

Over a 5-year period, the top Thematic-Other funds are HDFC Defence Fund Direct-Growth with a 21.95% CAGR, Groww Nifty India Defence ETF FoF Direct-Growth with 18.89% CAGR, and Aditya Birla Sun Life Nifty India Defence Index Fund Direct-Growth with 18.78% CAGR. The category average 5-year return is 14.27% CAGR.

Which are the best Thematic-Other funds for SIP investment?

Based on average 5-year rolling returns, the best Thematic-Other funds for SIP are Edelweiss Recently Listed IPO Fund Direct-Growth with 5-year average rolling return of 19.86%, HDFC Housing Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth with 18.06%, and Franklin India Opportunities Direct Fund-Growth with 17.41%. You can start a SIP in Thematic-Other funds with as little as ₹99 per month.

What are the largest Thematic-Other mutual funds by assets?

The largest Thematic-Other funds by Assets Under Management (AUM) are ICICI Prudential India Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth with ₹ 38,299.00 crore, HDFC Defence Fund Direct-Growth with ₹ 10,709.20 crore, and Franklin India Opportunities Direct Fund-Growth with ₹ 9,344.06 crore. Together, there are 60 Thematic-Other funds available in India.

What is the minimum amount to invest in Thematic-Other funds?

You can start investing in Thematic-Other 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 Thematic-Other fund returns taxed?

Gains from Thematic-Other 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 Thematic-Other funds have the lowest expense ratio?

Among Thematic-Other funds, ICICI Prudential BHARAT 22 FOF Direct-Growth has the lowest expense ratio at 0.12% (Direct Plan), followed by Mirae Asset BSE Select IPO ETF FoF Direct-Growth at 0.12%. Lower expense ratios directly improve your net returns over the long term.

How many Thematic-Other mutual funds are available in India?

There are currently 60 Thematic-Other mutual funds available in India across different fund houses. You can compare all 60 funds on Sharpely based on returns, risk, AUM, and expense ratio to find the one that suits your investment goals.

mutual funds category

Thematic Other

Best Thematic-Other Mutual Funds 2026

Total Schemes

No. of schemes

Total AUM

₹ 1.10Lakh Cr

As on latest

Category Return (5Y)

14.27 %

CAGR

Benchmark

10.50%

NIFTY 500 TRI

Category Returns (%)

Period	1M	6M	1Y	3Y CAGR	5Y CAGR	10Y CAGR	YTD
Thematic-Other	-1.30 %	9.46 %	6.95 %	15.14 %	14.27 %	14.38 %	3.69 %
Benchmark	-2.30 %	3.67 %	2.13 %	11.08 %	10.50 %	12.99 %	-2.24 %

Top Thematic-Other Funds (by AUM)

Fund Name	AUM (₹ Cr)	1Y Return	3Y CAGR	5Y CAGR	Expense Ratio
ICICI Prudential India Opportunities Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹39.64	38,299.00 Cr	3.24%	14.61%	18.78%	0.93%
HDFC Defence Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹31.84	10,709.20 Cr	34.57%	37.11%	-	0.89%
Franklin India Opportunities Direct Fund-GrowthNAV: ₹299.09	9,344.06 Cr	5.61%	21.24%	18.89%	0.89%
Motilal Oswal Nifty India Defence Index Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹12.79	5,176.93 Cr	29.61%	-	-	0.55%
Sundaram Services Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹40.26	5,137.34 Cr	7.55%	15.29%	14.15%	0.84%
ICICI Prudential Commodities Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹51.65	4,105.81 Cr	12.93%	15.56%	15.46%	1.04%
Tata Ethical Direct Plan-GrowthNAV: ₹413.93	3,864.51 Cr	-5.22%	4.36%	6.51%	0.82%
ICICI Prudential Equity Minimum Variance Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹10.63	2,836.15 Cr	0.38%	-	-	1.80%
ICICI Prudential BHARAT 22 FOF Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹33.26	2,819.16 Cr	6.07%	15.44%	21.95%	0.12%
ICICI Prudential Housing Opportunities Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹18.09	2,737.62 Cr	1.62%	11.83%	-	1.22%
ICICI Prudential Rural Opportunities Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹11.00	2,130.11 Cr	-4.41%	-	-	1.23%
WhiteOak Capital Special Opportunities Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹15.31	1,800.61 Cr	16.38%	-	-	1.33%
Aditya Birla Sun Life Conglomerate Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹11.16	1,647.12 Cr	4.47%	-	-	1.04%
Axis Services Opportunities Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹9.99	1,602.88 Cr	-0.30%	-	-	0.90%
ICICI Prudential Exports and Services Fund Direct-GrowthNAV: ₹187.17	1,487.49 Cr	5.87%	15.20%	14.55%	1.78%

Thematic-Other vs Other Categories

5Y CAGR Return Comparison

14.80%

14.62%

14.27%

13.55%

13.50%

Thematic-Business Cycle

Value Oriented

Thematic-Other

Thematic-Dividend Yield

Thematic-Innovation

Key Insights

Thematic-Other delivered 14.27% CAGR over the last 5 years.

It ranks #12 out of 28 categories based on 5Y performance.

Above the category average return of 13.74%.

11 categories outperform it, while 16 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.

ICICI Prudential India Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: ICICI Prudential India Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth has given 14.61% annualized returns in the past three years and 18.78% in the last 5 years. The ICICI Prudential India Opportunities 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 India Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 38,299.00Cr

1Y Returns

3.24%

Expense Ratio

0.93%

HDFC Defence Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: HDFC Defence Fund Direct-Growth has given 37.11% annualized returns in the past three years. The HDFC Defence Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of HDFC Mutual Fund.

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

Min Investment Amt

₹ 100.00

AUM

₹ 10,709.20Cr

1Y Returns

34.57%

Expense Ratio

0.89%

Franklin India Opportunities Direct Fund-Growth

Fund Performance: Franklin India Opportunities Direct Fund-Growth has given 21.24% annualized returns in the past three years and 18.89% in the last 5 years. The Franklin India Opportunities Direct Fund-Growth comes under the Equity category of Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund.

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

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 9,344.06Cr

1Y Returns

5.61%

Expense Ratio

0.89%

Motilal Oswal Nifty India Defence Index Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The Motilal Oswal Nifty India Defence Index Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Motilal Oswal Nifty India Defence Index Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 500.00 and via SIP is ₹ 500.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 500.00

AUM

₹ 5,176.93Cr

1Y Returns

29.61%

Expense Ratio

0.55%

Sundaram Services Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: Sundaram Services Fund Direct-Growth has given 15.29% annualized returns in the past three years and 14.15% in the last 5 years. The Sundaram Services Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Sundaram Mutual Fund.

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

Min Investment Amt

₹ 100.00

AUM

₹ 5,137.34Cr

1Y Returns

7.55%

Expense Ratio

0.84%

ICICI Prudential Commodities Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: ICICI Prudential Commodities Fund Direct-Growth has given 15.56% annualized returns in the past three years and 15.46% in the last 5 years. The ICICI Prudential Commodities 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 Commodities Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 4,105.81Cr

1Y Returns

12.93%

Expense Ratio

1.04%

Tata Ethical Direct Plan-Growth

Fund Performance: Tata Ethical Direct Plan-Growth has given 4.36% annualized returns in the past three years and 6.51% in the last 5 years. The Tata Ethical Direct Plan-Growth comes under the Equity category of Tata Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in Tata Ethical Direct Plan-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 3,864.51Cr

1Y Returns

-5.22%

Expense Ratio

0.82%

ICICI Prudential Equity Minimum Variance Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The ICICI Prudential Equity Minimum Variance 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 Equity Minimum Variance Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 2,836.15Cr

1Y Returns

0.38%

Expense Ratio

1.80%

ICICI Prudential BHARAT 22 FOF Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: ICICI Prudential BHARAT 22 FOF Direct-Growth has given 15.44% annualized returns in the past three years and 21.95% in the last 5 years. The ICICI Prudential BHARAT 22 FOF Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund.

Minimum Investment Amount: The minimum amount required to invest in ICICI Prudential BHARAT 22 FOF Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 1,000.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 2,819.16Cr

1Y Returns

6.07%

Expense Ratio

0.12%

ICICI Prudential Housing Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: ICICI Prudential Housing Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth has given 11.83% annualized returns in the past three years. The ICICI Prudential Housing Opportunities 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 Housing Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 2,737.62Cr

1Y Returns

1.62%

Expense Ratio

1.22%

ICICI Prudential Rural Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The ICICI Prudential Rural Opportunities 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 Rural Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 2,130.11Cr

1Y Returns

-4.41%

Expense Ratio

1.23%

WhiteOak Capital Special Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The WhiteOak Capital Special Opportunities 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 Special Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 500.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 500.00

AUM

₹ 1,800.61Cr

1Y Returns

16.38%

Expense Ratio

1.33%

Aditya Birla Sun Life Conglomerate Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The Aditya Birla Sun Life Conglomerate 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 Conglomerate Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 100.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 100.00

AUM

₹ 1,647.12Cr

1Y Returns

4.47%

Expense Ratio

1.04%

Axis Services Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: The Axis Services Opportunities Fund Direct-Growth comes under the Equity category of Axis Mutual Fund.

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

Min Investment Amt

₹ 100.00

AUM

₹ 1,602.88Cr

1Y Returns

-0.30%

Expense Ratio

0.90%

ICICI Prudential Exports and Services Fund Direct-Growth

Fund Performance: ICICI Prudential Exports and Services Fund Direct-Growth has given 15.20% annualized returns in the past three years and 14.55% in the last 5 years. The ICICI Prudential Exports and Services 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 Exports and Services Fund Direct-Growth via lump sum is ₹ 5,000.00 and via SIP is ₹ 100.00.

Min Investment Amt

₹ 5,000.00

AUM

₹ 1,487.49Cr

1Y Returns

5.87%

Expense Ratio

1.78%