Nippon India Japan Equity Fund vs HDFC Defence Fund
Nippon India Japan Equity Fund (Direct) and HDFC Defence Fund (Direct) head to head: growth of ₹100, returns across every window, risk, cost, and portfolio overlap — every figure computed from AMFI NAV history, nothing supplied by a fund house. Both are Sectoral/ Thematic schemes — see the best sectoral & thematic mutual funds for the full ranking.
Head to head
NAVs as of 07 Oct 2026
Growth of ₹100 (rebased over the selected window)
Common period 02 Jun 2023 – 07 Oct 2026, limited by HDFC Defence Fund. Every series is rebased to ₹100 at the start of this window. Benchmark lines are the category index WealthTicker measures against, which is not always the benchmark the scheme itself declares — the fund page’s Scheme Info names that one.
View as table
| Date | Nippon India Japan Equity Fund | HDFC Defence Fund | Nifty 500 TRI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Jun 2023 | ₹100.00 | ₹100.00 | ₹100.00 |
| 12 Sep 2023 | ₹102.41 | ₹118.42 | ₹110.84 |
| 23 Dec 2023 | ₹106.18 | ₹149.30 | ₹121.38 |
| 03 Apr 2024 | ₹114.85 | ₹174.53 | ₹131.68 |
| 14 Jul 2024 | ₹118.35 | ₹249.11 | ₹148.01 |
| 24 Oct 2024 | ₹115.76 | ₹207.53 | ₹146.48 |
| 03 Feb 2025 | ₹119.69 | ₹188.90 | ₹138.02 |
| 15 May 2025 | ₹127.26 | ₹232.35 | ₹147.45 |
| 25 Aug 2025 | ₹139.71 | ₹238.61 | ₹149.62 |
| 05 Dec 2025 | ₹145.51 | ₹239.54 | ₹155.22 |
| 17 Mar 2026 | ₹155.58 | ₹246.36 | ₹141.57 |
| 27 Jun 2026 | ₹173.68 | ₹301.26 | ₹151.48 |
| 07 Oct 2026 | ₹186.77 | ₹304.46 | ₹144.99 |
Portfolio overlap (same stocks held through more than one fund)
Some overlap is structural: SEBI defines large cap as the top 100 stocks by market capitalisation, so two large-cap funds are fishing the same pond by regulation. The bands below are measured per sleeve pairing rather than against one blanket threshold. How this is measured →
- 30 stocks only in Nippon India Japan Equity Fund
- 0 stocks in both — 0.0% of each portfolio by weight
- 24 stocks only in HDFC Defence Fund
The more the circles overlap, the more the funds hold the same stocks.
Nippon India Japan Equity Fund and HDFC Defence Fund share 0% of their equity book by weight.
| Metric | Nippon India · Direct NAV ₹32.53 Very High risk ★★★☆☆ | HDFC · Direct NAV ₹30.47 Very High risk ★★★★☆ | Category median Sectoral/ Thematic · 256 funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| +29.11%Best in row | +20.16% | +1.31% | |
| +24.58% | +35.90%Best in row | +13.50% | |
| +12.13% | — | +12.01% | |
| +11.85% | — | +14.40% | |
| +10.29% | +39.45% | +12.71% | |
| +20.82% | +28.61%Best in row | — | |
| +9.06% | +40.15%Best in row | +17.22% | |
| +8.35% | — | +16.11% | |
| +9.11% | — | +15.96% | |
| Risk | |||
| 18.98%Best in row | 25.92% | 15.57% | |
| 0.95 | 1.13Best in row | 0.45 | |
| 1.39 | 1.56Best in row | 0.60 | |
| -29.91% | -34.54% | -23.01% | |
| — | Nifty 500 TRI | — | |
| — | +23.51% | +3.58% | |
| — | 1.57 | 0.96 | |
| — | 201.6% | 105.2% | |
| — | 117.4% | 92.9% | |
| 1.37% | 0.89%Best in row | 1.14% | |
| ₹347.48Cr | ₹11,128Cr | ₹1,202Cr | |
| ₹5.00K | ₹100 | — | |
| 54% | 10% | 51% | |
| Kinjal Desai · 8.4y | Rahul Baijal · 1.5y | — | |
| 27 Aug 2014 | 02 Jun 2023 | — | |
| 30 | 24 | — | |
| 35.8% | 79.7% | — | |
| 8.8% | 1.9% | — | |
3 rows carry the same value for every fund — show
- Exit load
- 1.00%
- Lock-in
- None
- Min SIP
- ₹100
Best marks the strongest value in a row, and only where the gap is bigger than noise — a near-tie is left unmarked rather than dressed up as a result. SIP XIRR is a ₹10,000/month instalment over 5 years of real NAV history. Nothing here is supplied by a fund house. For research only — not investment advice.
Frequently asked questions
Which fund has delivered higher returns — Nippon India Japan Equity Fund or HDFC Defence Fund?
Over the last 3 years, HDFC Defence Fund returned +35.90% CAGR against Nippon India Japan Equity Fund's +24.58%, computed from AMFI NAV history. Past returns don't guarantee future performance.
Which fund is cheaper — Nippon India Japan Equity Fund or HDFC Defence Fund?
HDFC Defence Fund has the lower expense ratio: Nippon India Japan Equity Fund charges 1.37% a year against HDFC Defence Fund's 0.89%. The expense ratio is deducted from the NAV daily, so a lower one compounds in the investor's favour.
Which fund is riskier — Nippon India Japan Equity Fund or HDFC Defence Fund?
HDFC Defence Fund has shown higher volatility (+25.92% annualized vs Nippon India Japan Equity Fund's +18.98%), measured as the annualized standard deviation of daily returns over the trailing 3 years. Worst 3-year drawdown: Nippon India Japan Equity Fund -15.74% vs HDFC Defence Fund -34.54%.
Which fund manages more money — Nippon India Japan Equity Fund or HDFC Defence Fund?
HDFC Defence Fund is the larger fund: Nippon India Japan Equity Fund manages ₹347.48Cr against HDFC Defence Fund's ₹11,128Cr in assets. Size cuts both ways — scale lowers costs, but a very large fund can find it harder to move in and out of positions.
Are Nippon India Japan Equity Fund and HDFC Defence Fund in the same category?
Yes — both are Sectoral/ Thematic schemes, so their returns, risk and cost are directly comparable against the same peer set.
Figures update daily from AMFI NAV history; ratings and ranks are WealthTicker’s own — see the methodology. This is data, not investment advice.