Debt · Category

Best Short Duration Mutual Funds 2026

Short Duration is a SEBI-defined mutual fund category. Every fund below follows the same category mandate, which makes their returns directly comparable — the differences you see come from the fund manager's choices and the fund's costs, not from a difference in what they are allowed to hold.

All 48 Short Duration funds, ranked

Ordered by three-year annualised return, computed from official AMFI NAV history to a common date.

NAV as of 31 Aug 2026

Category average over 3Y: 7.3% a year across 24 funds with a full record.

#Fund1Y3Y ↓5Yvs catExpense

Not enough history to rank

These 24 funds do not yet have a full 3Y NAV record, so ranking them against the funds above would compare different periods.

How to read the table below

Returns are annualised and computed from our own AMFI NAV history rather than taken from a fund factsheet, so every fund on this page is measured to the same date on the same basis. The category average is calculated across the same set.

Expense ratio is the annual cost, already deducted from the NAV you see. Direct plans cost less than regular plans because they carry no distributor commission.

Past returns describe what happened; they are not a forecast.

Frequently asked questions

How are Short Duration funds ranked on this page?+

By three-year annualised return, computed from official AMFI NAV history to a common date, so every fund is measured on the same basis. Funds without a full three-year record are listed separately rather than ranked against funds that have one.

Are these returns after fees?+

Yes. Returns are calculated from NAV, and the expense ratio is already deducted from NAV daily. The expense-ratio column tells you what that ongoing cost is.

How this page is produced

Every figure above is computed from our own archive of the official AMFI NAV file, going back to 2006, to NAV dated 31 Aug 2026. Nothing here is copied from a factsheet or a third-party summary. The full method is published, including its limitations.

Because every fund here is measured to the same date on the same basis, the column is directly comparable — which a page assembled from individual factsheets is not. Returns are annualised over 3Y and the category average is calculated across the same set of funds shown above. Tax rules summarised on this page are general and current for FY 2026-27 — confirm your own position with a qualified tax adviser.

Written and maintained by Azad Mohammed, who built the pipeline these numbers come out of. Found an error? Tell us — corrections are made and the page rebuilds within the hour.

This page describes what each fund has done. It is not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell any scheme. Arthkar is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser and does not provide or arrange investment advice. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risk; read all scheme related documents carefully.