ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund · Best Small Cap Mutual Funds
This is the Direct plan of ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund — bought from the fund house, with no distributor commission in its expense ratio. Income is retained in the fund, so it shows up as NAV rather than as a payout.
Performance
Scorecard
★★☆☆☆2/5 vs 26 of 36 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). 26 of the 36 Small Cap Funds in this cohort carry the full record the stars need, so they are the ones ranked against.
3Y CAGR +13.91% · ranks 22 of 36 Small Cap Funds
Volatility 14.4% vs 17.0% category avg
1.2% expense vs 1.0% category avg
95% 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
- Less volatile than its Small Cap Fund peers (14.4% vs 17.0%)
- Consistent — positive in 95% of rolling 3-year windows
Concerns
- Trails the Small Cap Fund average on 3M/6M/1Y — 1Y by 9.27pp
- 3-year return (+13.91%) trails the Small Cap Fund average (+18.55%)
- 5-year return (+16.31%) trails the Small Cap Fund average (+18.30%)
- Ranks #30 of 36 on 1-year return in its Small Cap Fund cohort
- Weaker risk-adjusted returns — Sharpe 0.52 below the Small Cap Fund average of 0.69
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 | +4.06% | +3.82% | +0.24% |
| 3M abs | +9.02% | +12.07% | -3.05% |
| 6M abs | +9.81% | +18.36% | -8.55% |
| 1Y CAGR | +5.09% | +14.37% | -9.27% |
| 3Y CAGR | +13.91% | +18.55% | -4.64% |
| 5Y CAGR | +16.31% | +18.30% | -1.99% |
Category average across peers in Small Cap Fund (up to 36 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 36 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 ICICI Prudential Smallcap 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 | +7.91% | +10.37% | -2.46% | |
| 2025 | +0.65% | -6.01% | +6.66% | |
| 2024 | +16.89% | +26.43% | -9.54% | |
| 2023 | +39.47% | +48.10% | -8.63% | |
| 2022 | +7.17% | -3.65% | +10.82% | |
| 2021 | +63.29% | +61.94% | +1.35% | |
| 2020 | +24.68% | +25.09% | -0.41% | |
| 2019 | +11.35% | -8.27% | +19.62% | |
| 2018 | -21.81% | -26.80% | +4.99% | |
| 2017 | +43.34% | +57.28% | -13.94% |
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.
- -45.1%24 Jan 2018 → 24 Mar 2020
Fell over 2.2 years, back to the old high on 03 Dec 2020 — 8 months under water after the low.
- -22.2%01 Oct 2024 → 28 Feb 2025
Fell over 5 months, back to the old high on 05 Aug 2026 — 17 months under water after the low.
- -19.9%15 Apr 2015 → 29 Feb 2016
Fell over 11 months, back to the old high on 01 Aug 2016 — 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, ₹8,815Cr 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.
ICICI Prudential 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.
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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 ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund?
As of 20 Aug 2026, the NAV of ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund is ₹104.58 per unit. NAV (net asset value) is the fund's per-unit price, published once each business day.
What returns has ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund delivered?
ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund has returned +5.09% over 1 year, +13.91% per year over 3 years, +16.31% per year over 5 years and +16.95% 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 ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund?
ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund charges an expense ratio of 1.17% 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 ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund?
Its largest holdings are HDFC Bank Ltd (2.5%), Atul Ltd (2.4%), Shadowfax Technologies Ltd. (2.3%), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (2.1%) and Timken India Ltd (2.1%). Holdings are disclosed monthly and change over time.
How risky is ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund?
It is rated very high on SEBI's risk-o-meter, its trailing-3Y volatility (annualised) is 14.4% and its worst peak-to-trough fall in our sample was -45.1%. 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 0.52 mean?
The Sharpe ratio is return earned per unit of total risk, above a 6.5% risk-free rate. ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund's 0.52 means it has rewarded its volatility with excess return. Higher is better.
What is the benchmark of ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund?
ICICI Prudential Smallcap 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 ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund?
ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund is managed by Sharmila D'silva, Aatur Shah and Anish Tawakley at ICICI Prudential.
How is ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund taxed?
ICICI Prudential Smallcap 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.