ICICI Prudential ESG Exclusionary Strategy Fund
Direct · GrowthAI Summary
The fund has delivered strong benchmark outperformance, with 3Y XIRR of 19.17% versus a NIFTY 50 CAGR of 7.75% over the same period, and positive alpha across all horizons from 1Y (0.66%) to 15Y. Against the category, its 1Y XIRR of 15.05% and 3Y XIRR of 19.17% beat the sectoral/thematic averages of 14.1% and 16.82%, though the 5Y XIRR of 14.15% trails the category average of 16.95%. Lump-sum performance also lags the benchmark over the long term, with a 10Y CAGR of 8.83% versus 7.31% for the NIFTY 50, but a modest 1.52% margin.
The fund exhibits defensive characteristics, with beta declining from 0.94 at 1Y to 0.79 over longer horizons and consistently low downside capture (75-90%) versus upside capture, indicating it loses less than the index in falling markets. The maximum drawdown of -19.18% took 242 days to bottom and 353 days to recover, with three drawdown events exceeding 10%, which is meaningful but typical for equity funds. Risk-adjusted returns are solid, with the 3Y Calmar ratio of 0.97 indicating efficient compensation for drawdown risk.
The 54-stock portfolio is anchored in large-cap financials, with ICICI Bank (7.6%), HDFC Bank (6.99%), and Axis Bank (4.27%) contributing to a 21.8% Banks allocation. Pharmaceuticals (11.0%), Automobiles (10.8%), and Retailing (6.4%) round out the top sectors, providing a diversified large-cap growth profile consistent with an ESG exclusionary mandate. The top 10 holdings account for roughly 48% of NAV, indicating moderate concentration with adequate breadth beyond the core positions.
Within the sectoral/thematic category, the fund outperforms on 1Y and 3Y SIP XIRR (15.05% and 19.17% versus 14.1% and 16.82%) but underperforms on 5Y (14.15% versus 16.95%). Calendar year returns show strong consistency in favorable years, including 33.14% in 2023 and 22.69% in 2024, though 2026 is down 4.51% year-to-date. Its ESG exclusionary approach makes it somewhat distinct from typical thematic peers, and its low downside capture suggests a quality-tilted, lower-volatility profile.
This fund suits investors seeking large-cap-oriented equity exposure with an ESG overlay and below-benchmark downside risk, rather than aggressive thematic bets. A horizon of at least 5 years is advisable, given that drawdown recovery has historically taken up to 353 days and long-term lump-sum outperformance over the index is modest. Investors should have moderate risk tolerance, accepting occasional double-digit drawdowns in exchange for steadier, quality-focused returns.
- Consistent positive alpha across all measured horizons, peaking at 6.30% over 3Y versus the NIFTY 50
- Low downside capture of 75-81% over longer periods, meaning the fund loses significantly less than the index in market declines
- Strong 3Y SIP XIRR of 19.17%, beating both the benchmark CAGR of 7.75% and the category average of 16.82%
- 5Y SIP XIRR of 14.15% trails the category average of 16.95%, indicating weaker medium-term relative performance among thematic peers
- Maximum drawdown of -19.18% with a 353-day recovery period and three drawdown events exceeding 10% highlight meaningful downside risk
Generated on 11-09-2026, 3:23 AM. Verify before investing.
Gives more importance to longer time periods (10Y, 20Y) than shorter ones (1Y, 3Y). This balances out recent outperformance and gives a more realistic picture of what long-term returns might look like.
The largest peak-to-trough decline in the fund's NAV. Shows the worst-case loss an investor would have experienced at any point in the fund's history.
If you invested ₹1,00,000 every month via SIP, here's how this fund has historically performed across different time horizons.
| Duration | Invested | Median Value | XIRR | Min XIRR | Max XIRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | ₹12.00 L | ₹12.60 L | 15.0% | -26.1% | 62.1% |
| 3 Years | ₹36.00 L | ₹47.83 L | 19.2% | 1.9% | 36.0% |
| 5 Years | ₹60.00 L | ₹85.19 L | 14.2% | 8.8% | 18.9% |
SIP returns vs benchmark & category
Annualised SIP return (XIRR) over each rolling horizon — like-for-like, not lump-sum.
| Duration | Fund SIP XIRR | NIFTY 50 | Category avg | Fund edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | 15.0% | 14.4% | 14.1% | +0.6% |
| 3 Years | 19.2% | 11.1% | 16.8% | +8.0% |
| 5 Years | 14.2% | 10.4% | 16.9% | +3.7% |
| Duration | Mean | Median | Min | Max | Sharpe | Sortino | % Positive | Cat. Mean | Cat. Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | 15.5% | 13.0% | -8.9% | 52.8% | 0.55 | 1.85 | 80% | — | — |
| 3 Years | 18.6% | 18.2% | 13.5% | 26.1% | 4.94 | — | 100% | — | — |
| 5 Years | 14.4% | 13.8% | 11.2% | 19.9% | 3.07 | — | 100% | — | — |
Calmar Ratio by Duration
Compared against NIFTY 50
| Duration | Alpha | Beta | Upside Capture | Downside Capture | Fund CAGR | Bench CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | +0.66 | 0.94 | 92.2% | 90.0% | -1.6% | -2.9% |
| 3 Years | +6.30 | 0.87 | 90.7% | 81.5% | 13.9% | 7.8% |
| 5 Years | +3.71 | 0.82 | 83.5% | 77.5% | 11.3% | 7.8% |
| 7 Years | +3.12 | 0.79 | 81.2% | 75.0% | 12.8% | 10.6% |
| 10 Years | +1.69 | 0.79 | 81.2% | 75.0% | 8.8% | 7.3% |
| 12 Years | +1.15 | 0.79 | 81.2% | 75.0% | 7.3% | 6.0% |
| 15 Years | +0.63 | 0.79 | 81.2% | 75.0% | 5.8% | 4.8% |
| # | Stock | % of NAV |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ICICI Bank Ltd. | 7.60% |
| 2 | HDFC Bank Ltd. | 6.99% |
| 3 | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. | 6.65% |
| 4 | TVS Motor Company Ltd. | 6.62% |
| 5 | Axis Bank Ltd. | 4.27% |
| 6 | Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. | 4.22% |
| 7 | Bharti Airtel Ltd. | 3.91% |
| 8 | Eternal Ltd. | 3.12% |
| 9 | Avenue Supermarts Ltd. | 2.93% |
| 10 | SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd. | 2.56% |