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Informist, Friday, Jul. 3, 2026

 

--SEBI Singh: MF industry emerged as shock absorber amid global uncertainty 

--CONTEXT: SEBI Whole-Time Member Singh speaking at 17th Mutual Fund Summit 

--SEBI Singh: Growing domestic investor base making capital market deeper 

--SEBI Singh: MF industry future depends on reaching investors across regions 

--SEBI Singh: Aim has been to reduce operational friction for investors

 

NEW DELHI - The resilience of domestic investors has become increasingly evident during periods of market volatility, with the mutual fund industry emerging as a shock absorber for capital markets, Securities and Exchange Board of India Whole-Time Member Amarjeet Singh said.

 

"Systematic investment plans have been an important part of this resilience. In the current financial year, SIP inflows have averaged over INR 31,000 crore (INR 310 billion) per month," Singh said at the 17th Mutual Fund Summit Friday. "As on May 30, 2026, there were over 10.4 crore (104 million) SIP accounts, with SIP AUM (assets under management) of over INR 17.1 lakh crore (INR 17.1 trillion). This reflects the growing acceptance of disciplined investing across market cycles."  

 

Singh further emphasised that the patience of investors is important during volatile times, adding that holding-period analysis indicates an increasing long-term orientation among retail investors, with more than 61% of retail assets under management remaining invested for over 24 months. "This is an encouraging sign that mutual funds are increasingly being used to pursue longer-term financial goals rather than short-term market opportunities," he said. 

 

The growing domestic institutional base is helping make Indian capital markets deeper and more resilient during periods of global uncertainty, such as that witnessed recently, Singh said. However, he added that signficiant headroom remains when it comes to penetration of mutual funds among the Indian population. "The (mutual fund) industry's future growth will therefore depend on reaching investors, across geographies, income segments, and demographic groups," he said. 

 

Singh further highlighted that early response towards Specialised Investment Fund, which was introduced last year, has been encouraging, indicating growing investor appetite for differentiated investment solutions within a well-regulated ecosystem. As on May 31, Specialised Investment Fund had already garnered net assets under management of over INR 135.billion, spread across more than 56,000 investor folios, he said. 

 

SEBI and the National Institute of Securities Markets are working together to bring out a combined mutual fund–Specialised Investment Fund distributor certification examination, which will be a single certification for distributors intending to distribute both mutual fund and Specialised Investment Fund products.

 

Singh also said that investment decisions should be guided by financial goals, risk appetite and investment horizon, not short-term trends currently in fashion. "In an environment where social media can amplify eyecatching returns and drive FOMO (fear of missing out), goal-based products such as life cycle funds can help investors remain focused on suitable asset allocation and long-term financial objectives," he said. 

 

He streesed that SEBI's continuing objective has been to reduce avoidable operational friction for investors, while preserving necessary safeguards.  End

 

Reported by Pratiksha and Sagar Sen

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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