Best Banking and PSU Funds in India

20 banking and psu funds in India, of which 17 meet the eligibility criteria, ranked on Sharpe ratio. Income with less volatility than equity?

Ranked on risk-adjusted return, not raw return — the point of this group is smoother outcomes.

Banking and PSU Funds ranked by Sharpe ratio

#Fund
1Franklin India Banking & PSU Debt Fund - Direct - GrowthGold1.50-3.6%+7.80%54%+6.37%₹585 Cr0.23%
2UTI Banking & PSU Fund - Direct Plan - Growth OptionPlatinum1.44-6.7%+7.37%35%+5.94%₹1,483 Cr0.22%
3ICICI Prudential Banking and PSU Debt Fund - Direct Plan - GrowthSilver1.09-2.9%+8.02%63%+6.05%₹8,850 Cr0.40%
4Kotak Banking and PSU Debt Direct - GrowthSilver1.00-2.8%+8.07%65%+5.94%₹4,991 Cr0.40%
5Bandhan Banking and PSU Fund - Direct GrowthBronze1.00-3.3%+7.55%44%+6.06%₹12,172 Cr0.36%
6Canara Robeco Banking and PSU Debt Fund- Direct Plan- Growth Option0.97-0.7%+6.99%0%+5.30%₹171 Cr0.39%
7Axis Banking & PSU Debt Fund - Direct Plan - Growth OptionGold0.92-2.9%+7.96%54%+5.57%₹12,258 Cr0.36%
8SBI BANKING & PSU FUND - Direct Plan - GrowthSilver0.92-3.2%+7.92%60%+5.54%₹3,976 Cr0.41%
9Sundaram Banking & PSU Fund (Formerly Known as Sundaram Banking and PSU Debt Fund) Direct Plan - Growth0.90-1.8%+7.36%35%+5.41%₹261 Cr0.27%
10LIC MF Banking & PSU Fund-Direct Plan-GrowthBronze0.90-2.8%+7.75%52%+5.42%₹1,866 Cr0.28%
11HDFC Banking and PSU Debt Fund - Growth Option - Direct PlanBronze0.85-3.1%+7.93%60%+5.54%₹5,209 Cr0.35%
12HSBC Banking and PSU Debt Fund - Direct GrowthBronze0.84-0.7%+7.23%0%+5.55%₹3,785 Cr0.24%
13Aditya Birla Sun Life Banking & PSU Debt Fund- Direct Plan-GrowthSilver0.82-3.0%+8.23%63%+5.26%₹8,833 Cr0.41%
14Nippon India Banking and PSU Fund- Direct Plan-Growth Plan- Growth Option0.79-3.2%+7.69%50%+5.42%₹5,246 Cr0.39%
15Edelweiss Banking and PSU Debt Fund - Direct Plan - Growth Option0.70-4.3%+7.54%47%+4.73%₹3,088 Cr0.40%
16DSP Banking & PSU Debt Fund - Direct Plan - Growth0.59-3.0%+7.74%52%+5.00%₹3,329 Cr0.33%
17Bajaj Finserv Banking and PSU Fund-Direct Plan- Growth-0.8%+5.08%₹370 Cr0.34%

Badges are our own quality tiers — Platinum (top 10%), Gold (25%), Silver (50%), Bronze (75%) — scored within each sub-category, so they compare a fund with its peers and not with funds of a different type. “3Y typical” is the median annualised return across every 3-year holding period the fund has lived through, not a single 3-year figure; “3Y loss odds” is the share of those periods that ended down. “Beat peers” is the share in which it beat its category's median, and “worst fall” is its deepest peak-to-trough drop. Open a fund for the full distribution. Click any numeric column to re-sort; funds with no value for that column sort last. Returns over 1 year are annualised (CAGR). Past performance does not indicate future returns. Eligibility: Direct, Growth only, minimum AUM ₹100 Cr, at least 1 year(s) old. Past performance. Returns for 3y/5y are annualised (CAGR) and are withheld where the NAV series does not support the period.

Banking and PSU Funds — FAQs
Why rank these on risk-adjusted return?

The purpose of this group is a smoother path, not the highest possible number. A fund that earned slightly less with much less volatility is doing the job better, which is what a risk-adjusted measure captures and a raw return does not.

What risks do debt funds carry?

Two main ones. Interest-rate risk: when yields rise, existing bonds fall in value, and longer-duration funds move more. Credit risk: a borrower may be downgraded or default, which affects the NAV directly. Categories differ substantially in how much of each they take.