Nippon India Small Cap Fund
This is the IDCW (dividend) option — it pays its earnings out as dividends rather than reinvesting them, so every payout steps the NAV down and the return figures below leave those payouts out. Your actual return was higher by whatever was distributed. That’s expected for a payout plan, not missing data.
View the Growth plan for compounded returns (+17.98% 3Y CAGR)Performance
Scorecard
★★☆☆☆2/5 vs 24 of 32 Small Cap Fund peers- Performance 60%
- Risk 15%
- Cost 10%
- Downside 15%
How this is computed
Each verdict is computed from this fund's own metrics against its sub-category — the number behind it is shown, not a black-box rating. The stars weight the same ground 60/15/10/15 (performance/risk/cost/downside) across every fund in the peer group. Ranked within Small Cap Fund (same plan and option). 24 of the 32 Small Cap Funds in this cohort carry the full record the stars need, so they are the ones ranked against.
3Y CAGR +10.67% · ranks 17 of 32 Small Cap Funds
Volatility 17.9% vs 17.7% category avg
0.7% expense vs 0.9% category avg
94% of rolling 3Y windows were positive
Strengths & concerns
Generated from this fund's own numbers against its sub-category — each point names the figure behind it.
Strengths
- Low expense ratio (0.69%) vs the Small Cap Fund average of 0.92%
- Consistent — positive in 94% of rolling 3-year windows
Concerns
- Trails the Small Cap Fund average on 3M/6M/1Y — 1Y by 2.56pp
- 3-year return (+10.67%) trails the Small Cap Fund average (+14.05%)
- Weaker risk-adjusted returns — Sharpe 0.23 below the Small Cap Fund average of 0.49
Key Metrics
Scheme Info
DefinitionsPeriod returns (<1Y, absolute — not annualized)
DefinitionsAnnualized returns (≥1Y — CAGR)
DefinitionsAdvanced metrics — risk and benchmark ratios
Risk (trailing 3Y)
DefinitionsBenchmark ratios (vs Nifty Smallcap 250 · 36 monthly returns)
DefinitionsComputed vs the Nifty Smallcap 250 price index — the closest match to this fund's mandate. Needs ~3 years of history; a low R² means the fund tracks the index loosely.
Fund vs category average (Small Cap Fund)
| Period | Fund | Category avg. | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1M abs | +3.29% | +3.53% | -0.24% |
| 3M abs | +8.63% | +11.68% | -3.05% |
| 6M abs | +14.74% | +15.82% | -1.08% |
| 1Y CAGR | +7.15% | +9.71% | -2.56% |
| 3Y CAGR | +10.67% | +14.05% | -3.38% |
| 5Y CAGR | +13.95% | +14.19% | -0.24% |
Category average across peers in Small Cap Fund (up to 32 funds with data), same plan and option, excluding this fund. Under-1-year figures are absolute; 1Y and beyond are annualised (CAGR).
Not sure what a figure means? The glossary explains every metric, and the methodology shows the formulas.
Category rank
Vs 32 peers in Small Cap Fund
Rolling returns
Return for every possible 1Y holding period, not just today’s
152 overlapping 1Y windows, sampled monthly across the fund’s history.
Backtest this fund
What a SIP or one-time investment would have grown to over this fund’s real NAV history.
60 monthly installments of ₹10,000 into Nippon India Small Cap Fund, valued at the latest NAV. XIRR annualizes for each installment’s timing.
Calendar-year returns
What the fund actually returned in each year, not the smoothed average.
| Year | Fund | Nifty Smallcap 250 | Diff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026part | +8.95% | +9.91% | -0.96% | |
| 2025 | -11.34% | -6.01% | -5.33% | |
| 2024 | +17.17% | +26.43% | -9.26% | |
| 2023 | +39.40% | +48.10% | -8.70% | |
| 2022 | +3.59% | -3.65% | +7.24% | |
| 2021 | +75.86% | +61.94% | +13.92% | |
| 2020 | +30.35% | +25.09% | +5.26% | |
| 2019 | -1.61% | -8.27% | +6.66% | |
| 2018 | -22.36% | -26.80% | +4.44% | |
| 2017 | +64.90% | +57.28% | +7.62% |
January–December, from this fund's NAV history. Absolute return, not annualised. “part” marks a year the fund didn't run end to end — its first year, the current year so far, or one it stopped reporting in; those years show no benchmark comparison.
Taxation
Taxed as equityThis is an equity-oriented fund (≥65% in Indian equities), so gains get the concessional capital-gains rates below — they do not add to your income-tax slab.
Flat, on the whole gain
On gains above ₹1.25 L per financial year
Applies to capital gains on redemption. Excludes IDCW/dividend tax, STT, surcharge and cess, and pre-2018 equity grandfathering. For research only — consult a tax advisor before filing.
Worst falls, and the wait to get back
How far this fund has dropped from a high, and how long it took to reclaim it.
- -52.6%15 Jan 2018 → 24 Mar 2020
Fell over 2.2 years, back to the old high on 03 Feb 2021 — 10 months under water after the low.
- -30.0%24 Sep 2024 → 03 Mar 2025
Still below that high — 5 months down, and no recovery yet.
- -23.3%17 Jan 2022 → 20 Jun 2022
Fell over 5 months, back to the old high on 02 Dec 2022 — 5 months under water after the low.
Measured on this fund’s own NAV history, peak to trough to the day it regained the peak. Falls shallower than 5% are left out. A recovery date is when the NAV got back, not when any particular investor did — that depends on when they bought.
Fund size over time
Quarterly average AUM · AMFIAt or near its largest, ₹73,159Cr in April - June 2026. Size matters most where the mandate is narrow — a large small-cap or a very large flexi-cap book is harder to move without moving the price.
Nippon India in the news
Headlines about the fund house, not this scheme in particular — highlights only; tap through to read the full story at the source.
News by CNBC TV18 on TradingView, 2026-08-20 — cnbctv:36b32abb2094b:0
TradingView · 20h ago
HDFC Securities NAV Glitch Shows Mutual Fund Losses Up To 70%
Sarkaritel.com · 1d ago
Commodities in Indian Portfolios: Nippon India MF Vikram Dhawan View
Univest · 2d ago
Akshaya Tritiya ETF Volume Led By Nippon India MF
fintechbiznews.com · 2d ago
Commodities could play bigger role in Indian portfolios as asset allocation gains traction: Nippon India...
Moneycontrol.com · 2d ago
Gaja Capital Raises Rs 165 Cr from Anchor Investors for IPO
Rediff MoneyWiz · 2d ago
SBI, Nippon India among 6 AMCs seeing over Rs 10,000 crore T30 inflows in July
The Economic Times · 3d ago
Nippon India Mutual Fund launches an income plus arbitrage fund of funds; details here
livemint.com · 4d ago
Returns and risk are computed from NAV history and may differ slightly from other portals due to methodology (rolling vs point-to-point, dividend treatment). For research only — not investment advice.
About Small Cap funds
Small cap funds invest in companies beyond the top 250 by size. They offer the highest growth potential of any equity category and also the sharpest falls, so they suit long horizons and strong stomachs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NAV of Nippon India Small Cap Fund?
As of 20 Aug 2026, the NAV of Nippon India Small Cap Fund is ₹111.88 per unit. NAV (net asset value) is the fund's per-unit price, published once each business day.
What returns has Nippon India Small Cap Fund delivered?
Nippon India Small Cap Fund has returned +7.15% over 1 year, +10.67% per year over 3 years, +13.95% per year over 5 years and +18.55% per year since inception. Figures beyond one year are annualised (CAGR) and are computed from AMFI NAV history, so they may differ slightly from other portals.
What is the expense ratio of Nippon India Small Cap Fund?
Nippon India Small Cap Fund charges an expense ratio of 0.69% per year. This annual fee is already deducted from the NAV, so the returns you see are net of it.
What are the top holdings of Nippon India Small Cap Fund?
Its largest holdings are HDFC Bank Ltd (2.0%), Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (1.8%), Apar Industries Ltd (1.7%), TD Power Systems Ltd (1.5%) and State Bank of India (1.3%). Holdings are disclosed monthly and change over time.
How risky is Nippon India Small Cap Fund?
It is rated very high on SEBI's risk-o-meter, its trailing-3Y volatility (annualised) is 17.9% and its worst peak-to-trough fall in our sample was -52.7%. Higher volatility means the NAV swings more; the drawdown shows how far it has fallen from a peak historically.
What does the Sharpe ratio of 0.23 mean?
The Sharpe ratio is return earned per unit of total risk, above a 6.5% risk-free rate. Nippon India Small Cap Fund's 0.23 means it has rewarded its volatility with excess return. Higher is better.
What is the benchmark of Nippon India Small Cap Fund?
Nippon India Small Cap Fund is benchmarked against the NIFTY Smallcap 250 Total Return Index. Its alpha and beta on this page are measured against that index.
Who manages Nippon India Small Cap Fund?
Nippon India Small Cap Fund is managed by Kinjal Desai at Nippon India.
How is Nippon India Small Cap Fund taxed?
Nippon India Small Cap Fund is an equity-oriented fund, so its capital gains get concessional rates: short-term gains (units held under 1 year) are taxed at 20%, and long-term gains (held 1 year or more) at 12.5% above a ₹1.25 lakh per-year exemption. These rates apply on redemption and don't add to your income-tax slab.