Top 10 Index Fund Mutual Funds — Performance across 3-,5- and 10-year returns.

Index funds are the simplest, lowest-cost way to own a broad slice of the market. instead of the trying to pick winning stock, index funds simply track an index (Nifty 50, nifty next 50 midcap/smallcap indices, S&P 500, etc). The make them cheap tax-efficient and reliable building blocks for long-term portfolios.below I list 10 pupular index funds available to smart investors, summarize how they’ve perform over the last 3, 5 and 10 years (whare meaningful data exists), and explain what do watch when you pick one.

Quick overview of what history shows

Historically, broad-market index funds such as Nifty 50 trackers have delivered steady mid-double-digit multi-year return (CAGR), while midcap/smallcap index funds or thematic index funds show higher dispersion – sometimes much higher short-term returns, sometimes worse drawdowns. For example,funds tracking Nifty 50 funds averaged roughly ~13%(3-year),~15%(5-yr) and about ~10%(10-yr) annualised, across the group – but midcap/smallcap index funds have delivered notably higher 3-year numbers recently while also being riskier.

The Top 10 index funds(names & what they track)

1.UTI Nifty 50 Index Fund(Direct-Growth)– tracks Nifty 50.UTI’s Nifty 50 tracker is one of the largest and most liquid.Recent 3-/5-/10-year trends for Nifty-50 funds are available on mutual-fund trackers.

2.ICICI Prudential Nifty 50 Index Fund– another popular Nifty 50 tracker with low expense ratio and large AUM.

3.HDFC Nifty 50 Index Fund:- long-estblished Nifty tracker from a big house; suitable if you want a plain Nifty exposure.

4.SBI Nifty Index Fund : – the SBI Nifty tracker is also a mainstream option among Nifty tracker; look at expense ratio and tracking error before choosing.

5.UTI Nifty Next 50 Index Fund:- tracks the Nifty next 50 (the 50 companies next after Nifty 50). Historically higher growth growth potential (and risk) than Nifty 50 funds. Recent lists put Next-50 funds among the top performers by multi year CAGR.

6.Motilal Oswal Nifty Midcap 150 Index Fund( or similar midcap index funds)– among midcap trackers,these have shown strong 3-year performance;for example the Motilal Oswal Midcap tracker has been one of the top 3-year performers.

7. Nippon India Nifty Midcap 150 Index Fund –another midcap tracker that often appears in ” best index funds” lists for recent 3-yr and 5-yr returns.

8. Axis Nifty Midcap 50/Axis Nifty Smallcap 50 Index Fund:- Axis’s mid/smallcap trackers were in recent lists of high 3-yr performers(small/mid indices have led short-term returns).

9. Aditya Birla Sun Life Nifty smallcap 50 Index Fund – smallcap index funds captured a lot of the market momentum in the recent 3-yr window;expect higher volatility.

10. Motilal Oswal S&P 500/International index FoF — for global diversification, index funds/FoF tracking the S&P 500 ( or Nasdaq) have delivered strong multi-year returns; these are useful to deverify outside India.