Pharma and healthcare have had a strong run over the past year, with 10 schemes delivering returns of more than 20%, according to Value Research data. The top performers crossed 25%, while the gap between the best and worst-performing funds in the category was substantial.
HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund led the pack with a 28.66% one-year return, followed by Kotak Healthcare Fund at 28.47%.
The broader Pharma category is classified as very high by Value Research. The fund research firm also notes that pharma funds are generally suited to investors looking for a small, supporting allocation to the sector and who can tolerate sharper swings associated with concentrated portfolios.
10 schemes delivered more than 20% in one year
The top 10 funds were led by HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund and Kotak Healthcare Fund, with returns of 28.66% and 28.47%, respectively. PGIM India Healthcare Fund followed at 27.17%, while Quant Healthcare Fund and Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund delivered 25.64% and 25.28%.
WhiteOak Capital Pharma and Healthcare Fund also crossed 24%, while SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund and Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund returned 23.03% and 22.39%, respectively.
The final two schemes to cross the 20% mark were Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma & Healthcare Fund at 20.18% and UTI Healthcare Fund at 20.05%.
|
Fund |
1-year return |
| HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund | 28.66% |
| Kotak Healthcare Fund | 28.47% |
| PGIM India Healthcare Fund | 27.17% |
| Quant Healthcare Fund | 25.64% |
| Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund | 25.28% |
| WhiteOak Capital Pharma and Healthcare Fund | 24.59% |
| SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund | 23.03% |
| Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund | 22.39% |
| Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma & Healthcare Fund | 20.18% |
| UTI Healthcare Fund | 20.05% |
| Source: Value Research. Data as of 1st September 2026. | |
The 20% threshold was not crossed by the remaining seven funds in the list. LIC MF Healthcare Fund came closest at 19.70%, followed by DSP Healthcare Fund at 19.25%.
How did the largest pharma funds perform?
The largest funds by assets produced a mixed performance over the same period. Nippon India Pharma Fund, the biggest in the list with ₹9,279 crore in net assets, delivered a 14.06% one-year return. ICICI Prudential Healthcare Fund, with ₹6,803 crore in assets, returned 10.94%.
SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund was the notable exception among the largest schemes, delivering 23.03% on ₹5,400 crore in net assets. Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund, with ₹3,442 crore, returned 22.39%, while DSP Healthcare Fund delivered 19.25% with ₹3,639 crore in assets.
This means the largest funds by assets were not necessarily the top performers over the past year. The difference is particularly visible between Nippon India Pharma Fund and the leading schemes, with a gap of more than 14 percentage points between its 14.06% return and HDFC Pharma And Healthcare Fund’s 28.66%.
For investors, the one-year performance highlights the strong showing from the pharma and healthcare segment, but sectoral concentration remains important.