Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund
Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund · Best Sectoral & Thematic Mutual Funds
This is the Regular plan of Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund — bought through a distributor, whose commission is paid out of 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 142 of 255 Sectoral/ Thematic 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 Sectoral/ Thematic (same plan and option). 142 of the 255 Sectoral/ Thematic funds in this cohort carry the full record the stars need, so they are the ones ranked against.
3Y CAGR +5.91% · ranks 121 of 142 Sectoral/ Thematic funds
Volatility 13.8% vs 15.6% category avg
2.5% expense vs 2.5% category avg
100% 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 Sectoral/ Thematic peers (13.8% vs 15.6%)
- Consistent — positive in 100% of rolling 3-year windows
Concerns
- Trails the Sectoral/ Thematic average on 1M/3M/6M/1Y — 1Y by 9.98pp
- 3-year return (+5.91%) trails the Sectoral/ Thematic average (+12.20%)
- 5-year return (+5.07%) trails the Sectoral/ Thematic average (+11.09%)
- Ranks #196 of 229 on 1-year return in its Sectoral/ Thematic cohort
- Weaker risk-adjusted returns — Sharpe -0.04 below the Sectoral/ Thematic average of 0.34
Key Metrics
Scheme Info
DefinitionsPeriod returns (<1Y, absolute — not annualized)
DefinitionsAnnualized returns (≥1Y — CAGR)
DefinitionsAdvanced metrics — risk and benchmark ratios
Fund vs category average (Sectoral/ Thematic)
| Period | Fund | Category avg. | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1M abs | -6.60% | -5.13% | -1.47% |
| 3M abs | -5.11% | -2.33% | -2.78% |
| 6M abs | +1.41% | +10.85% | -9.44% |
| 1Y CAGR | -7.68% | +2.30% | -9.98% |
| 3Y CAGR | +5.91% | +12.20% | -6.29% |
| 5Y CAGR | +5.07% | +11.09% | -6.02% |
Category average across peers in Sectoral/ Thematic (254 of 255 carry a figure for at least one period), 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 255 peers in Sectoral/ Thematic
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 Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy 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 500 TRI | Diff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026part | -10.97% | -7.18% | -3.79% | |
| 2025 | +8.02% | +7.94% | +0.08% | |
| 2024 | +12.21% | +16.43% | -4.22% | |
| 2023 | +20.47% | +27.43% | -6.96% | |
| 2022 | -1.39% | +4.34% | -5.73% | |
| 2021 | +21.88% | +31.59% | -9.71% | |
| 2020part | +0.83% | — | — |
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.
Asset allocation
As on 31 Aug 2026 · AMC disclosure- Equity97.46%
- Cash & Equivalents1.97%
- Other0.57%
Fund size over time
Quarterly average AUM · AMFIDown +8% from its peak of ₹802.34Cr 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.
Net flow is an estimate: AMFI publishes a quarterly average AUM, not a closing balance, and it covers every plan and option of this scheme together, so it is a read on direction and rough size rather than a cash-flow statement.
AMC Profile
Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund is run by Kotak Mahindra Asset Management, part of the Kotak Mahindra Bank group, and has been in the business since 1998. It was the first Indian fund house to launch a dedicated gilt scheme, and today runs one of the country's larger equity and debt line-ups.
Fund Managers
MPMandar PawarStart date not disclosed
Equity Fund Manager
B.Com. and M.M.S. (Finance) from Mumbai University
Mr. Mandar has an overall industry experience of 20 years. He has been working with Kotak Mutual Fund as an analyst for 17 years. Prior to joining Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund, he has worked as research analyst on sell-side with KR Choksey Securities and MF Global Sify Securities for a period of 3.5 years
Fund manager, benchmark and dealing terms from this scheme's SEBI-filed Scheme Information Document on AMFI. Each manager's qualifications and role are reconciled across every filing this fund house makes for them, including its Statement of Additional Information. Total AUM via AMFI.
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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 Sectoral & Thematic funds
Sectoral and thematic funds must keep at least 80% in the equity of one sector (banking, pharma, technology) or one theme (consumption, manufacturing, ESG). That concentration is the point and the risk: with no mandate to diversify away from the sector, the fund rises and falls with it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NAV of Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund?
As of 01 Oct 2026, the NAV of Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund is ₹15.77 per unit. NAV (net asset value) is the fund's per-unit price, published once each business day.
What returns has Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund delivered?
Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund has returned -7.68% over 1 year, +5.91% per year over 3 years, +5.07% per year over 5 years and +8.17% 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 Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund?
Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund charges an expense ratio of 2.51% 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 Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund?
Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund's largest holdings are BHARTI AIRTEL LTD. (7.3%), ICICI BANK LTD. (7.1%), HDFC BANK LTD. (4.9%), AXIS BANK LTD. (4.7%) and Infosys Ltd. (4.6%). Holdings are disclosed monthly and change over time.
How risky is Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund?
Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund is rated very high on SEBI's risk-o-meter, its trailing-3Y volatility (annualised) is 13.8% and its worst peak-to-trough fall in our sample was -22.4%. 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 -0.04 mean?
The Sharpe ratio is return earned per unit of total risk, above a 6.5% risk-free rate. Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund's -0.04 means it has not compensated investors for its volatility over the window. Higher is better.
What is the benchmark of Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund?
Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund is benchmarked against the NIFTY100 ESG TRI. Its alpha and beta on this page are measured against that index.
Who manages Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund?
Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund is managed by Mandar Pawar at Kotak Mahindra.
How is Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund taxed?
Kotak ESG Exclusionary Strategy 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.