Twenty-two in a month
22 new schemes published a first NAV in September 2026, counting each fund's Direct plan, Growth option. They came from 21 fund houses; only HDFC launched two. September 2025 had 13 on the same count, and August 2026 had 18 (our August post counted 17, leaving out an unclaimed-redemption plan of an existing fund).
It is the most in a month since March. A further scheme, Kotak Multi Sector Omni FoF, began on 1 October and belongs to next month's count. ETFs are left out.
The list
By type
| Type | September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Active equity | 6 |
| Index funds | 6 |
| Fund of funds | 4 |
| Debt | 3 |
| Hybrid | 2 |
| Life-cycle | 1 |
Three themes stand out:
- Real estate index funds. Navi and HDFC launched funds on REIT and real estate indices in September, following Edelweiss's at the end of August. A fourth, from Motilal Oswal, is listed for 25 September and has no NAV in our data yet.
- Arbitrage-linked fund-of-funds. Nippon India and quant each launched an "Income Plus Arbitrage" fund-of-funds, a type that holds other funds. Both rose by about 0.4% in their first month.
- Gold and silver. HDFC launched a Gold Silver passive FoF and Shriram a gold ETF FoF, the month's other two fund-of-funds. Our gold fund-of-funds returns post shows what existing funds of this kind have returned.
The six active equity launches are Bandhan's contra fund, Invesco's pharma and healthcare fund, Quantum's flexi-cap fund, The Wealth Company's multi-cap fund, Bank of India's value fund and Motilal Oswal's quality fund. Two of them, Invesco and Motilal, sit in the thematic category.
The first weeks
The Nifty 50 fell 5.3% from 24,055.80 on 1 September to 22,776.10 on 6 October. Of the 11 equity-linked launches (active equity and equity index funds), nine were below their first NAV on 6 October. The deepest was Invesco's pharma fund, down 5.49% in four weeks. Only Bank of India Value (+0.60%) and Mirae Asset's IT index fund (+0.10%, in six NAVs) were above theirs.
The liquid, overnight and arbitrage-linked funds did what they are meant to: each rose by between 0.16% and 0.49%.
A first-month NAV says little. Funds start at about ₹10 (₹1,000 for the liquid and overnight funds), and the figures above are from different start dates, some only days long.
What this does not tell you
Launch counts are not demand. They measure fund houses' product plans, not how much each fund raised.
The count is survivors and dates from NAV history. A scheme is counted when its first NAV appears, so a fund launched late in the month can fall into the next one. Several late-September schemes, including ICICI Prudential Contra, Mirae Asset Life Cycle 2056 and a WhiteOak small-cap fund-of-funds, do not yet show a first NAV in our data.
New funds have no track record. Our guide on whether to invest in an NFO goes through what to check.
Where to go from here
The REITs and InvITs guide explains what the new real-estate index funds hold, and the guide to index funds and ETFs covers the tracking questions any new index fund raises. For the month before, see the new funds of August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many new mutual funds launched in September 2026?
22 new schemes published their first Direct Growth NAV in September 2026, from 21 fund houses, against 13 in September 2025 and 18 in August 2026 on the same count. It is the most in a month since March. Six were active equity funds, six index funds, four fund-of-funds, three debt funds, two hybrid funds and one life-cycle fund.
Which new funds launched in September 2026 are active equity funds?
Bandhan Contra, Invesco India Pharma and Healthcare, Quantum Flexi Cap, The Wealth Company Multi Cap, Bank of India Value and Motilal Oswal Quality. Of the six, only Bank of India Value was above its first NAV on 6 October 2026, by 0.60%.
Why did several real-estate index funds launch?
Three funds tracking REIT and real estate indices began between 28 August and 22 September: Edelweiss in August, then Navi and HDFC in September. Motilal Oswal's version was listed for 25 September. The data does not say why fund houses chose now.
This is commentary on published data, not investment advice. WealthTicker is not a SEBI-registered adviser or distributor. Figures are as of the dates stated and can be revised by their source.
Keep reading
Fund houses ranked: equity funds vs their categories
263 active equity funds against their category medians over three years to October 2026: Motilal Oswal 5 of 5 ahead, HSBC 8 of 9, SBI 2 of 10, Franklin 0 of 9.
2026's new equity funds: how they've done since launch
22 active equity funds started in January–June 2026. 16 are ahead of the Nifty 500 since their first NAV, but 7 of the 10 diversified ones trail older funds.
Should you invest in a new fund offer (NFO)?
A ₹10 NFO is not cheaper than a ₹500 fund. What an NFO really is, the SEBI deployment rule, the checks to run, and when waiting costs you nothing.