Best Fund Managers in India for 2025

What if the success of your mutual fund investments was determined not by the market, but also on the expertise of the person making the investment decision?  Every successful mutual fund has a fund manager, who is in charge of deciding where and how your money is invested. Knowing who they are and what they do can give you a significant advantage as an investor.

Fund managers significantly impact the success of a mutual fund through their knowledge, judgment, and investment style. A talented fund manager may dramatically boost your returns while properly reducing risk, making them a critical component of your financial success.

This article takes a deep dive into the world of fund managers and what makes certain individuals the best in India. We will also look closely at the list of some of the best fund managers in India and how the right fund manager can have a direct impact on your SIP returns and help you meet your long-term goals.

Who is a Fund Manager?

A fund manager is a trained financial professional who manages the execution of successful investment plans for trust funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, pension funds, and other financial entities. A fund manager could be a single person or a group of people. They use their knowledge to choose and keep an eye on the fund's portfolio and analyze market trends, financial statements, economic indicators, and other relevant data to make well-informed investment decisions. 

To achieve the fund's declared investing objectives, they cautiously choose stocks, bonds, and other instruments to create a portfolio. This portfolio is designed to provide a balance of income generation and capital gains.

Roles and Responsibilities of Fund Managers

Some of the primary roles and responsibilities of fund managers are given below:

1. Portfolio Construction and Asset Allocation

Fund managers actively develop and manage the fund's portfolio, choosing a diverse mix of assets such as stocks, bonds, and alternative investments. They seek to maximise returns by achieving the correct balance between high-risk and low-risk assets, aligning with the fund's investment objectives and risk appetite.

2. Risk Management and Market Analysis

They regularly assess potential hazards in the portfolio and implement corrective steps to protect investors' wealth. This includes analysing financial statistics, monitoring global economic trends, and evaluating sector-specific hazards. By remaining proactive, they can adjust to shifting market conditions and safeguard the fund from unintended losses. 

3. Performance Monitoring and Rebalancing

Fund managers analyse the fund's performance on a regular basis in comparison to key benchmarks and competitor funds. When certain businesses or asset classes underperform, investments are reallocated to more attractive alternatives. This ongoing rebalancing keeps the fund on track with its objectives and market expectations. 

4. Regulatory and Compliance Oversight

They closely follow SEBI laws and internal compliance standards to ensure the fund runs transparently and ethically. Fund managers also prepare frequent disclosures and reports to give investors clear information about the fund's assets, risks, and performance. 

5. Investor Communication

Although fund managers often work in the background, they play an important role in investor education and confidence building. They communicate their insights via newsletters, market commentary, and performance updates, which assist investors in understanding the fund's strategy and efficiently navigating market volatility. 

How to Become a Fund Manager in India 

Let’s explore what it takes to become one, and you need to go through certain required qualification skills listed below:

• Begin by acquiring a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, or business. 

• Then, while still studying, secure a placement or internship because industry experience is required to begin a career as a fund manager. 

• Further, start your career being a financial analyst or assistant portfolio manager to get hands-on experience so that you can experience working with clients and help you to analyse markets and financial management.

• To broaden your skills, you can pursue a Master of Business Administration or any master's degree in finance, as well as obtain CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) certification and NISM (National Institute of Securities Markets) certification, which can build knowledge along with credentials that are effective to even increase your chances to become a fund manager. 

Mutual Fund Manager's Salary in India 

A Fund Manager in India earns an average of Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 85,000 per month as per various sources, which can gradually rise to Rs. 1,20,000 to Rs. 2,00,000 per month depending on their experience, the company they work for, and location.

Here are some fund manager job openings and their average monthly salaries:

Note: The above data are subject to change due to market forces. Evaluate accordingly.

Factors to Consider before Choosing the Top Fund Managers in India

As we understood the roles and responsibilities, we will look at some of the factors that we, as investors, should take a broader look at to make informed choices. Let’s examine some characteristics:

• Previous achievements of the fund manager: The fund manager's performance history is a key indicator of their talents. When examining a fund manager, look for a consistent track record of favorable returns under varying market conditions.  

• Fund Management Approaches and Strategies: When analysing a fund manager, it is crucial to comprehend their investment philosophy and strategy. For example, some fund managers use a different approach to discover discounted possibilities that the market generally overlooks. Others may take a more passive, index-tracking approach, attempting to replicate the performance of a given market benchmark. As a result, as an investor, you must carefully evaluate your possibilities.  

• Market competence: When choosing a mutual fund, the fund managers must have extensive knowledge and understanding of the financial markets. Relying on the advice and decision-making of a fund manager who is inexperienced with market trends can result in bad investment decisions and lower returns. 

• Transparency and Integrity: The finest fund managers communicate openly and transparently with their clients. They should avoid using complicated language and instead provide straightforward explanations. Dependability and integrity are critical attributes in a fund manager. 

Top 10 Best Fund Managers in India 

The chart below provides an overview of the best fund managers in India in 2025:

(Note: The above data is considered from Dezerv, and it is subject to real-time updates.)

Overview of Top Mutual Fund Managers in India

We'll look at each fund manager's background and expertise based on the list below. It is listed below.

1. Dhruv Muchhal 

Managing 41 high-value schemes at HDFC Mutual Fund, he handles a cumulative Rs.7.24 lakh crore. He is a chartered accountant and CFA charterholder who formerly worked for Motilal Oswal, Goldman Sachs, and CRISIL before joining HDFC.

2. Sharmila D’Mello 

With Rs.5.42 lakh crore under management, she leads 46 funds at ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund. Her analytical talents have contributed to steady performance across her portfolio of schemes.

3. Manish Banthia 

Rs.3.68 lakh crore across 24 ICICI Prudential investments is under the management of Manish Banthia. His expertise is in fixed income and hybrid strategies, and his methodical approach has gained him a reputation in the field.

4. Kinjal Desai

At Nippon India Mutual Fund, Kinjal Desai oversees 47 schemes totalling Rs.3.42 lakh crore, making her one of the firm’s top portfolio managers.

5. Raviprakash Sharma  

The Chief Trader and Fund Manager of SBI Mutual Funds, Raviprakash Sharma, oversees 11 schemes with a combined value of 3.14 lakh crore. With CFA and CA qualifications, he has more than 15 years of experience working for HDFC AMC, Citigroup, and other financial institutions.

6. Sankaran Naren

Sankaran Naren manages 13 ICICI Prudential mutual funds with a total asset value of Rs.2.83 lakh crore. He is well-known for his contrarian investment strategy and ability to see possibilities that others may overlook.

7. Pradeep Kesavan  

15 SBI mutual funds with a combined value of Rs.2.60 lakh billion are managed by Pradeep Kesavan. His primary concentration is debt and hybrid investments.

8. Rajeev Radhakrishnan 

He administers 11 schemes at SBI Mutual Fund, worth Rs.2.16 lakh crore. His proficiency with fixed-income solutions has helped him establish a respectable reputation. 

9. Kaustubh Gupta

Kaustubh Gupta, Fund Manager at Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund, oversees 11 schemes valued at Rs.1.83 lakh crore. He has experience working as a senior fund manager for 12 years with Aditya Birla Sun Life, and currently he is the co-head of fixed income at the Aditya Birla AMC.

10. Nikhil Kabra

He has been a chartered accountant and a CFA working at ICICI Prudential since 2013. He handles 14 funds worth Rs.1.82 lakh crores. His expertise lies in credit and rate strategy analysis. 

How a Fund Manager Impacts Your SIP and Long-term Growth 

The Fund Manager has a significant impact on the performance of your SIP and its long-term growth. Here's how their expertise affects your investment:

• A fund manager adjusts the asset mix within a fund to align with its investment objective. Diversifying investments across sectors and asset classes aids in maximising returns while mitigating risk. 

• The fund manager actively monitors and rebalances the portfolio in response to market volatility. 

• A skilled fund manager's ability to identify growth opportunities and make informed investment decisions has a direct impact on the compounding potential of your SIP. 

Conclusion

To summarise, picking the correct mutual fund management is important to the success of your investments. Fund managers are responsible for managing your money, making sound investment decisions, and assisting you in meeting your long-term financial objectives. Before investing, it is crucial to study their experience, performance, and investment strategy to verify that they align with your financial objectives.

FAQs

Q. Who is the highest-paid fund manager?

The highest paid fund managers are subjected to the mutual fund houses and their internal assessments of performance, their experience, assets managed and others. 

Q. Who is the richest fund manager in India?

The richest fund manager in India, largely depends on their personal earnings and investment success, which makes it hard to determine accurately due to the lack of publicly available data.

Q. Who are the big three fund managers?

Dhruv Muchhal, Sharmila D'Mello, and Manish Banthia are India's top three fund managers.