Axis Gilt Fund
Axis Mutual Fund · Best Gilt Mutual Funds
This is the Direct plan of Axis Gilt Fund — bought from the fund house, with no distributor commission in its expense ratio. Income is distributed twice a year, which is why this NAV sits below the growth plan of the same 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 (+7.57% 3Y CAGR)NAV history
Scorecard
★★★★☆4/5 vs 34 of 37 Gilt 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 Gilt Fund (same plan and option). 34 of the 37 Gilt Funds in this cohort carry the full record the stars need, so they are the ones ranked against.
3Y CAGR +5.74% · ranks 10 of 37 Gilt Funds
Volatility 3.2% vs 4.6% category avg
0.5% expense vs 0.5% category avg
64% 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
- Ahead of the Gilt Fund average on 1M/3M/6M/1Y — 1Y by 2.05pp
- 3-year return (+5.74%) beats the Gilt Fund average (+2.83%)
- Less volatile than its Gilt Fund peers (3.2% vs 4.6%)
- Low expense ratio (0.46%) vs the Gilt Fund average of 0.52%
Concerns
- Positive in only 64% of rolling 3-year windows
Key Metrics
Scheme Info
DefinitionsPeriod returns (<1Y, absolute — not annualized)
DefinitionsAnnualized returns (≥1Y — CAGR)
DefinitionsAdvanced metrics — risk
Risk (trailing 3Y)
DefinitionsBenchmark ratios
Not shown for Gilt Fund — a debt, arbitrage or cash-like fund isn't measured against an equity index, so alpha/beta vs one would be noise rather than signal.
Fund vs category average (Gilt Fund)
| Period | Fund | Category avg. | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1M abs | +0.14% | -0.47% | +0.61% |
| 3M abs | +3.50% | +2.16% | +1.34% |
| 6M abs | +2.70% | +1.13% | +1.57% |
| 1Y CAGR | +4.24% | +2.19% | +2.05% |
| 3Y CAGR | +5.74% | +2.83% | +2.91% |
| 5Y CAGR | +2.58% | +2.35% | +0.23% |
Category average across peers in Gilt Fund (up to 37 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 37 peers in Gilt Fund
Rolling returns
Return for every possible 1Y holding period, not just today’s
117 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 Axis Gilt 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026part | +2.91% | |
| 2025 | +3.91% | |
| 2024 | +8.42% | |
| 2023 | +4.15% | |
| 2022 | -3.14% | |
| 2021 | -5.87% | |
| 2020 | +4.05% | |
| 2019 | +2.66% | |
| 2016part | +2.17% | |
| 2015 | +2.27% |
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.
Taxation
Taxed as debtThis is a debt / non-equity fund. Since April 2023 there is no long-term or indexation benefit — every rupee of gain is added to your income and taxed at your income-tax slab rate, whatever the holding period.
Your income-tax slab — no LTCG or indexation benefit
Pick your slab to see the rate that applies to you.
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.
- -11.8%28 Mar 2016 → 10 Oct 2022
Fell over 6.5 years, back to the old high on 12 Sep 2024 — 1.9 years 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 · AMFIDown +29% from its peak of ₹608.07Cr in January - March 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.
Axis 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.
Gold ETF Inflow Curbs Lifted: HDFC, Axis, And Tata Mutual Funds Reopen Subscriptions
Outlook Money · 10h ago
Axis Mutual Fund announces resumption of lumpsum subscription in its two schemes
Value Research · 1d ago
Axis Multi-Asset Omni FoF - Direct Plan Returns
The Economic Times · 2d ago
₹2.52 Lakh Crore Front-Running Case: Bombay HC Sets Aside Police FIR
The420.in · 5d ago
PPFAS Mutual Fund among 6 MFs holding over Rs 10,000 crore in cash in July
The Economic Times · 5d ago
₹2.52-lakh crore fraud: HC strikes down FIR against former chief dealer at Axis Mutual Fund | Mumbai news
Hindustan Times · 5d ago
Axis Multi Asset Allocation Fund
CNBC TV18 · 8d ago
Axis Multi-Asset Omni FoF Direct-Growth (₹ 10.91) - NAV, Reviews & asset allocation
The Economic Times · 8d 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 Gilt funds
Gilt funds lend only to the government, so they carry no credit risk. Their prices do move with interest rates, though — they can swing when rate expectations change.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NAV of Axis Gilt Fund?
As of 21 Aug 2026, the NAV of Axis Gilt Fund is ₹12.66 per unit. NAV (net asset value) is the fund's per-unit price, published once each business day.
What returns has Axis Gilt Fund delivered?
Axis Gilt Fund has returned +4.24% over 1 year, +5.74% per year over 3 years, +2.58% per year over 5 years and +2.23% 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 Axis Gilt Fund?
Axis Gilt Fund charges an expense ratio of 0.46% 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 Axis Gilt Fund?
Its largest holdings are GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 35840 GOI 15AP65 6.9 FV RS 100 (17.4%), GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 36320 GOI 18AG55 7.24 FV RS 100 (17.3%), GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 37426 GOI 11MY36 6.94 FV RS 100 (17.1%), GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 34238 GOI 22AP64 7.34 FV RS 100 (5.7%) and GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 34733 GOI 05AG54 7.09 FV RS 100 (5.7%). Holdings are disclosed monthly and change over time.
How risky is Axis Gilt Fund?
It is rated moderate on SEBI's risk-o-meter, its trailing-3Y volatility (annualised) is 3.2% and its worst peak-to-trough fall in our sample was -11.7%. 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 -0.24 mean?
The Sharpe ratio is return earned per unit of total risk, above a 6.5% risk-free rate. Axis Gilt Fund's -0.24 means it has not compensated investors for its volatility over the window. Higher is better.
What is the benchmark of Axis Gilt Fund?
Axis Gilt Fund is benchmarked against the CRISIL Dynamic Gilt Index. Its alpha and beta on this page are measured against that index.
Who manages Axis Gilt Fund?
Axis Gilt Fund is managed by Devang Shah and Sachin Jain at Axis.
How is Axis Gilt Fund taxed?
Axis Gilt Fund is a debt / non-equity fund. Since April 2023 there is no long-term or indexation benefit — capital gains are added to your income and taxed at your income-tax slab rate regardless of how long you held the units.