CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Profile of the Reliance Company I am pleased to introduce you to Reliance Life Insurance a Reliance capital company

and its products. Reliance Life Insurance Company Limited is a part of Reliance Capital Ltd. of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company acquired 100 percent shareholding in AMP Sanmar Life Insurance Company in August 2005. Taking over AMP Sanmar Life provided Reliance Life Insurance a readymade infrastructure and a portfolio. AMP Sanmar Life Insurance was a joint venture between AMP, Australia and the Sanmar Group. Headquartered in Chennai, AMP Sanmar had over 90 offices across the country, 9,000 agents, and more than 900 employees. Reliance Life Insurance Company Limited is a part of Reliance Capital Ltd. of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG). Reliance Life Insurance is another step forward for Reliance Capital Limited to offer need based Life Insurance solutions to individuals and Corporate. Reliance Capital Ltd. is one of Indias leading and fastest growing private sector financial services companies, and ranks among the top 3 private sector financial services and banking companies, in terms of net worth. Reliance Capital Ltd. has interests in asset management, life and general insurance, private equity and proprietary investments, stock broking and other financial services.

Reliance life Insurance Reliance Life Insurance Company Limited Registered Office: H Block, 1st Floor, Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra - 400710.

Corporate Office: 9th floor/10th floor, Building No. 2, R-Tech Park, Nirlon Compound, Next to Hub Mall, Behind I- Flex building, Goregaon, (East), Mumbai-400 063.

Phone 91 22 3088 3444 Fax 91 22 3088 6587 Website: www. Reliancelife.com Company Type

Private Limited Company Branches They have so many branches and substations in India. They have around 1164 branches in India. And they have planned to open more branches across the country in the coming months of October and November. Delhi Branch (Head office) 8th floor, Narain Manzil, Barakhambha Road , Connought Place,Delhi Delhi,110001 Ph no. 011-32627221 / 011-30183466 /011-30183467 /011- 30183468 Other branches a) E/1, 2nd Floor Jhandewalan Extn. Delhi Delhi,110055 Ph no. 011-30482930 /011- 30482949 b) 102 Mahatta Towers Plot No. 54, 1st Floor B-Block, community Centre Delhi

Delhi,110058 Ph no-011-32627303 c) Grd flr, F 14/12, ModelTown-II,Delhi Delhi,110009 Ph no-011-30720382 /011- 30720436 d) A-34 , 3rd Floor,Above ICICI Bank,Delhi Delhi,110024 Ph no-011-32223809

Business Overview Reliance Capital has interests in asset management and mutual funds, life and general insurance, private equity and proprietary investments, stock broking, depository services, distribution of financial products, consumer finance and other activities in financial services. Reliance Mutual Fund is India's no.1 Mutual Fund. Reliance Life Insurance is India's fastest growing life insurance company and among the top 4 private sector insurers.

Reliance General Insurance is India's fastest growing general insurance company and the top 3 private sector insurers. Reliance Money is the largest brokerage and distributor of financial products in India with more than 2.5 million customers and the largest distribution network. Reliance Consumer finance has a loan book of over Rs. 8,000 crores at the end of June 2008. Reliance Capital has a net worth of Rs.6, 862 crores (US$ 1.6 billion) and total assets of Rs. 19,940 crores (US$ 4.6 billion) as of June 30, 2008 and over 26,000 employees. Money has increased its market share among private financial companies to nearly Convenient & effective Anytime & anywhere financial transaction capability. Launched in April 2007. It provides the Flat fees system. It has 2.2 million customers in 1 year of official launch. It has over 5,000 outlets across 700 towns/cities. Average daily turnover in excess of Rs 2,000 crores. Considering the entire life market, including the Rs. 12,890 crores booked by life insurance Corporation, Reliance life insurance market share works out to around 6.25%. The life insurance market continuous to be dominated by LIC which has about 67% share this only a marginal dip from its 73% share in endJuly. These comparisons are only for first year or new business premium. The gap between Reliance life insurance and the second-in-line private insurer is vast. In fact, this scenario has led some analysts to wonder if the company is not a trifle too aggressive. But others say this has more to do with the companies customer-centric focus, its pan-India presence and superior risk management and investment strategies. Reliance Money is not, however, resting on its laurels.

Companys customer centric approach will be studied during the training period and the finding of the research work will definitely focus on the present condition & future requirement (if any) relating to products of company.

Vision & Mission Vision To achieve & sustain market leadership, Reliance Money shall aim for complete customer satisfaction, by combining its human and technological

resources, to provide world class quality services. In the process Reliance Money shall strive to meet and exceed customer's satisfacti on and set industry standards. Mission Our mission is to be a leading and preferred service provider to our customers, and we aim to achieve this leadership position by building an innovative,

enterprising ,

and technology driven organization which will set the highest

standards of service and business ethics. Our Goal Reliance Life Insurance would strive hard to achieve the 3 goals mentioned below:

Emerge as transnational Life Insurer of global scale and standard Create best value for Customers, Shareholders and all Stake holders

Achieve impeccable reputation and credentials through best business practices

Profile of HDFC HDFC Limited HDFC was incorporated in 1977 with the primary objective of meeting a social need that of promoting home ownership by providing long-term finance to households for their ousing needs. HDFC was promoted with an initial share capital of Rs. 100 million.

Business Objectives The primary objective of HDFC is to enhance residential housing stock in the country through the provision of housing finance in a systematic and professional manner, and to promote home ownership. Another objective is to increase the flow of resources to the housing sector by integrating the housing finance sector with the overall domestic financial markets.

Organizational Goals HDFCs main goals are to a) Develop close relationships with individual households, b) Maintain its position as the premier housing finance institution in the country, c) Transform ideas into viable and creative solutions, d) Provide consistently high returns to shareholders, e) To grow through diversification by leveraging off the existing client base.

HDFC Standard Life The Partnership: HDFC is an organization that strives for excellence, with the twin objectives of enhancing customer satisfaction and shareholder value HDFC and Standard Life first came together for a possible joint venture, to enter the Life Insurance market, in January 1995. At the outset it was clear that both companies shared similar values and beliefs and a strong relationship quickly formed. In October 1995 the companies signed a 3 year joint venture agreement.

Around this time Standard Life purchased a 5% stake in HDFC, further strengthening the relationship. The next three years were filled with uncertainty, due to changes in government and ongoing delays in getting the IRDA (Insurance Regulatory and Development authority) Act passed in parliament.

Despite this both companies remained firmly committed to the venture. In October 1998, the joint venture agreement was renewed and additional resource made available. Around this time Standard Life purchased 2% of Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd. (IDFC). Standard Life also started to use the services of the HDFC Treasury department to advise them upon their investments in India. Towards the end of 1999, the opening of the market looked very promising and both companies agreed the time was right to move the operation to the next level. Therefore, in January 2000 an expert team from the UK joined a hand picked team from HDFC to form the core project team, based in Mumbai.

Around this time Standard Life purchased a further 5% stake in HDFC and a 5% stake in HDFC Bank. In a further development Standard Life agreed to participate in the Asset Management Company promoted by HDFC to enter the mutual fund market. The Mutual Fund was launched on 20th July 2000. The company was incorporated on 14th August 2000 under the name: HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Limited. Their ambition from as far back as October 1995 was to be the first private company to re-enter the life insurance market in India. On the 23rd of October 2000, this ambition was realized when HDFC Standard Life was the only life company to be granted a certificate of registration.

HDFC are the main shareholders in HDFC Standard Life, with 81.6%, while Standard Life owns 18.4%. HDFC and Standard Life have a long and close relationship built upon shared values and trust. The ambition of HDFC Standard Life is to mirror the success of the parent companies and be the yardstick by which all other insurance companies in India are measured. HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company has been signed on by Blue Star to provide insurance cover to its 1,805 employees across India and overseas. HDFC Standard Life Insurance is one of the leading players in the group insurance segment of the life insurance business. Its group business has grown significantly since inception and now covers over 25,000 lives, across the entire industry spectrum including software, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, banking, consultancy, BPOs, retailing, and consumer electronics

Mission HDFC Standard Life aims to be the top new life insurance company in the market. This does not just mean being the largest or the most productive company in the market, rather it is a combination of several things like:

Customer service of the highest order Value for money for customers Professionalism in carrying out business Innovative products to cater to different needs of different customers Use of technology to improve service standard Increasing market share

Values 1. SECURITY: Providing long term financial security to its policy holders will be the companys constant endeavor. It will do this by offering life insurance and pension products. 2. TRUST: HDFC Standard Life appreciates the trust placed by its policy holders in it. Hence, it will aim to manage their investments very carefully and live up to this trust. 3. INNOVATION: Recognizing the different needs of its customers, it will be offering a range of innovative products to meet these needs. The companys mission is to be the best new life insurance company in India and these are the values that will guide it.

Objective of the Study Most people have neither the time nor interest to research and select individual stocks and bonds for their investment portfolios, and that's where mutual funds come in. Mutual funds are composed of stocks, bonds and other assets, giving you diversification, which means a decline in value in any one stock or bond won't significantly hurt your overall return. A handful of well-chosen mutual funds or index funds can offer a diversified portfolio that allows the individual investor to spend his or her time on other pursuits. Thousands of mutual funds are available that can satisfy the objectives of different types of investors.

Whether the growth oriented Mutual Fund are earning higher returns than the benchmark returns (or market Portfolio/Index returns) in terms of risk.

Whether the growth oriented mutual funds are offering the advantages of Diversification, Market timing and Selectivity of Securities to their investors

This study provides a proper investigation for logical and reasonable comparison and selection of the funds.

It also assists in analysing the portfolio of the selected funds.

Scope of Mutual Fund Scope of Mutual Funds has grown enormously over the years. In the first age of mutual funds,when the investment management companies started to offer mutual funds, choices were few. Even though people invested their money in mutual funds as these funds offered them diversified investment option for the first time. By investing in these funds they were able to diversify their investment in common stocks, preferred stocks, bonds and other financial securities. At the same time they also enjoyed the advantage of liquidity. With Mutual Funds, they got the scope of easy access to their invested funds on requirement.

But, in todays world, Scope of Mutual Funds has become so wide, that people sometimes take long time to decide the mutual fund type, they are going to invest in. Several Investment Management Companies have emerged over the years who offer various types of Mutual Funds, each type carrying unique characteristics and different beneficial features.

To understand the broad scope of Mutual Funds we need to discuss the main types of Mutual Funds that are normally offered by the Mutual Companies.

CHAPTER II CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Introduction Before we understand what is mutual fund, its very important to know the area in which mutual funds works, the basic understanding of stocks and bonds.

Stocks : Stocks represent shares of ownership in a public company. Examples of public companies include Reliance, ONGC and Infosys. Stocks are considered to be the most common owned investment traded on the market.

Bonds : Bonds are basically the money which you lend to the government or a company, and in return you can receive interest on your invested amount, which is back over predetermined amounts of time. Bonds are considered to be the most common lending investment traded on the market. There are many other types of investments other than stocks and bonds (including annuities, real estate, and precious metals), but the majority of mutual funds invest in stocks and/or bonds.

What is Net Asset Value (NAV) of a scheme?

The performance of a particular scheme of a mutual fund is denoted by Net Asset Value (NAV).

Mutual funds invest the money collected from the investors in securities markets. In simple words, Net Asset Value is the market value of the securities held by the scheme. Since market value of securities changes every day, NAV of a scheme also varies on day to day basis. The NAV per unit is the market value of securities of a scheme divided by the total number of units of the scheme on any particular date. For example, if the market value of securities of a mutual fund scheme is Rs 200 lakhs and the mutual fund has issued 10 lakhs units of Rs. 10 each to the investors, then the NAV per unit of the fund is Rs.20. NAV is required to be disclosed by the mutual funds on a regular basis - daily or weekly - depending on the type of scheme. Funds NAV is affected by: Purchase or Sale of Investors Securities. Valuation of all Investment Securities. Other Assets and Liabilities. Units Sold or Redeemed.

What Is Mutual Fund Mutual fund is a mechanism for pooling the investment, made by the investors, in stock market, securities, shares and debentures as disclosed in offer document and issuing units to the investors. Units are issued to the investors in accordance with quantum of money invested by them. Investors of Mutual funds are known as Unit Holders.

As investments are spread across a wide cross-section of industries and sectors, the risk are reduced. Diversification reduces the risk because all stocks may not move in the same direction in the same proportion at the same time. The profits or losses are shared by investors in proportion to their investments. The Mutual funds normally come out with a number of schemes with different investment objectives which are launched from time to time. A mutual fund is required to be registered with Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) which regulates securities markets before it can collect funds from the public.

A mutual fund is just the connecting bridge or a financial intermediary that allows a group of investors to pool their money together with a predetermined investment objective. The mutual fund will have a fund manager who is responsible for investing the gathered money into specific securities (stocks or bonds). When you invest in a mutual

fund, you are buying units or portions of the mutual fund and thus on investing becomes a shareholder or unit holder of the fund.

Mutual funds are considered as one of the best available investments as compare to others they are very cost efficient and also easy to invest in, thus by pooling money together in a mutual fund, investors can purchase stocks or bonds with much lower trading costs than if they tried to do it on their own. But the biggest advantage to mutual funds is diversification, by minimizing risk & maximizing returns.

Thus a Mutual Fund is the most suitable investment for the common man as it offers an opportunity to invest in a diversified, professionally managed basket of securities at a relatively low cost. The flow chart below describes broadly the working of a mutual fund. Mutual Fund An Understanding Like most developed and developing countries the mutual fund cult has been catching on in India. There are various reasons for this. Mutual funds make it easy and less costly for investors to satisfy their need for capital growth, income and/or income preservation. And in addition to this a mutual fund brings the benefits of diversification and money management to the individual investor, providing an opportunity for financial success that was once available only to a select few. Understanding Mutual funds is easy as it's such a simple concept: a mutual fund is a company that pools the money of many investors -- its shareholders -- to invest in a variety of different securities. Investments may be in stocks, bonds, money market securities or some combination of these. Those securities are

professionally managed on behalf of the shareholders, and each investor holds a pro rata share of the portfolio -- entitled to any profits when the securities are sold, but subject to any losses in value as well. For the individual investor, mutual funds provide the benefit of having someone else manage your investments and diversify your money over many different securities that may not be available or affordable to you otherwise. Today, minimum

investment requirements on many funds are low enough that even the smallest investor can get started in mutual funds. A mutual fund, by its very nature, is diversified -- its assets are invested in many different securities. Beyond that, there are many different types of mutual funds with different objectives and levels of growth potential, furthering your chances to diversify.

The Concept of Mutual Fund A mutual fund is a common pool of money into which investors place their contributions that are to be invested in accordance with a stated objective The ownership of the fund is thus joint and mutual the fund belongs to all investors.

Mutual Funds Industry in India The origin of mutual fund industry in India is with the introduction of the concept of mutual fund by UTI in the year 1963. Though the growth was slow, but it accelerated from the year 1987 when non-UTI players entered the industry. In the past decade, Indian mutual fund industry had seen a dramatic improvement, both quality wise as well as quantity wise. Before, the monopoly of the market had seen an ending phase, the Assets Under Management (AUM) was Rs. 67bn. The private sector entry to the fund family raised the AUM to Rs. 470 bn in March 1993 and till April 2004; it reached the height of 1,540 bn. Putting the AUM of the Indian Mutual Funds Industry

into comparison, the total of it is less than the deposits of SBI alone, constitute less than 11% of the total deposits held by the Indian banking industry. The main reason of its poor growth is that the mutual fund industry in India is new in the country. Large sections of Indian investors are yet to be intellectuated with the concept. Hence, it is the prime responsibility of all mutual fund companies, to market the product correctly abreast of selling. The mutual fund industry can be broadly put into four phases according to the development of the sector. Each phase is briefly described as under. First Phase - 1964-87 Unit Trust of India (UTI) was established on 1963 by an Act of Parliament. It was set up by the Reserve Bank of India and functioned under the Regulatory and administrative control of the Reserve Bank of India. In 1978 UTI was de-linked from the RBI and the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) took over the regulatory and administrative control in place of RBI. The first scheme launched by UTI was Unit Scheme 1964. At the end of 1988 UTI had Rs.6,700 crores of assets under management. Second Phase - 1987-1993 (Entry of Public Sector Funds) Entry of non-UTI mutual funds. SBI Mutual Fund was the first followed by Can bank Mutual Fund(Dec 87), Punjab National Bank Mutual Fund (Aug 89), Indian Bank Mutual Fund (Nov 89), Bank of India (Jun 90), Bank of Baroda Mutual Fund (Oct 92). LIC in 1989 and GIC in 1990. The end of 1993 marked Rs.47, 004 as assets under management.

Third Phase - 1993-2003 (Entry of Private Sector Funds) With the entry of private sector funds in 1993, a new era started in the Indian mutual fund industry, giving the Indian investors a wider choice of fund families. Also, 1993 was the year in which the first Mutual Fund Regulations came into being, under which all mutual funds, except UTI were to be registered and governed. The erstwhile Kothari Pioneer (now merged with Franklin Templeton) was the first private sector mutual fund registered in July 1993. The 1993 SEBI (Mutual Fund) Regulations were substituted by a more comprehensive and revised Mutual Fund Regulations in 1996. The industry now functions under the SEBI (Mutual Fund) Regulations 1996. The number of mutual fund houses went on increasing, with many foreign mutual funds setting up funds in India and also the industry has witnessed several mergers and acquisitions. As at the end of January 2003, there were 33 mutual funds with total assets of Rs. 1,21,805 crores. The Unit Trust of India with Rs.44, 541 crores of assets under management was way ahead of other mutual funds. Fourth Phase - since February 2003 This phase had bitter experience for UTI. It was bifurcated into two separate entities. One is the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India with AUM of Rs.29, 835 crores (as on January 2003). The Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India, functioning under an administrator and under the rules framed by Government of India and does not come under the purview of the Mutual Fund Regulations. The second is the UTI Mutual Fund Ltd, sponsored by SBI, PNB, BOB and LIC. It is registered with SEBI and functions under the Mutual Fund Regulations. With the

bifurcation of the erstwhile UTI which had in March 2000 more than Rs.76, 000 crores of AUM and with the setting up of a UTI Mutual Fund, conforming to the SEBI Mutual Fund Regulati ons, and with recent mergers taking place among different private sector funds, the mutual fund industry has entered its current phase of consolidation and growth. As at the end of September, 2004, there were 29 funds, which manage assets of Rs.153108 crores under 421 schemes.

Mutual Fund Companies in India The concept of mutual funds in India dates back to the year 1963. The era between 1963 and 1987 marked the existence of only one mutual fund company in India with Rs. 67bn assets under management (AUM), by the end of its monopoly era, the Unit Trust of India (UTI). By the end of the 80s decade, few other mutual fund companies in India took their position in mutual fund market. The new entries of mutual fund companies in India were SBI Mutual Fund, Canra bank Mutual Fund, Fund, Indian Bank Mutual Fund, Bank of India Punjab Mutual National Fund. Bank The Mutual

succeeding

decade showed a new horizon in Indian mutual fund industry. By the end of 1993, the total AUM of the industry was Rs. 470.04 bn. The private sector funds started penetrating the fund families. In the same year the first Mutual Fund Regulations came into existence with re-registering all mutual funds except UTI. The regulations were further given a revised shape in 1996. Major Mutual Fund Companies in India ABN AMRO Mutual Fund

ABN AMRO Mutual Fund was setup on April 15, 2004 with ABN AMRO Trustee (India) Pvt. Ltd. As the Trustee Company. The AMC, ABN AMRO Asset Management (India) Ltd. was incorporated on November 4, 2003. Deutsche Bank A G is the custodian of ABN AMRO Mutual Fund. Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund is the joint venture of Aditya Birla Group and Sun Life Financial. Sun Life Financial is a global organization evolved in 1871 and is being represented in Canada, the US, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia and Bermuda apart from India. Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund follows a conservative long-term approach to investment. Recently it crossed AUM of Rs. 10,000 crores. Bank of Baroda Mutual Fund (BOB Mutual Fund) Bank of Baroda Mutual Fund or BOB Mutual Fund was setup on October 30, 1992 under the sponsorship of Bank of Baroda. BOB Asset Management Company Limited is the AMC of BOB Mutual Fund and was incorporated on November 5, 1992. Deutsche Bank AG is the custodian. HDFC Mutual Fund HDFC Mutual Fund was setup on June 30, 2000 with two sponsorers namely Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited and Standard Life Investments Limited. HSBC Mutual Fund HSBC Mutual Fund was setup on May 27, 2002 with HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India) Private Limited as the sponsor. Board of Trustees, HSBC Mutual Fund acts as the Trustee Company of HSBC Mutual Fund.

ING Vysya Mutual Fund ING Vysya Mutual Fund was setup on February 11, 1999 with the same named Trustee Company. It is a joint venture of Vysya and ING. The AMC, ING Investment Management (India) Pvt. Ltd. Was incorporated on April 6, 1998. Prudential ICICI Mutual Fund The mutual fund of ICICI is a joint venture with Prudential Plc. of America, one of the largest life insurance companies in the US of A. Prudential ICICI Mutual Fund was setup on 13th of October,1993 with two sponsorers, Prudential Plc. and ICICI Ltd. The Trustee Company formed is Prudential ICICI Trust Ltd. and the AMC is Prudential ICICI Asset Management Company Limited Incorporated on 22nd of June, 1993. Sahara Mutual Fund Sahara Mutual Fund was set up on July 18, 1996 with Sahara India Financial Corporation Ltd. As the sponsor. Sahara Asset Management Company Private Limited incorporated on August 31, 1995 works as the AMC of Sahara Mutual Fund. The paid-up capital of the AMC stands at Rs 25.8 crore. State Bank of India Mutual Fund State Bank of India Mutual Fund is the first Bank sponsored Mutual Fund to launch offshor fund, the India Magnum Fund with a corpus of Rs. 225 cr. approximately. Today it is the largest Bank sponsored Mutual Fund in India. They have already launched 35 Schemes out of which 15 have already yielded handsome returns to investors. State Bank

of India Mutual Fund has more than Rs. 5,500 Crores as AUM. Now it has an investor base of over 8 Lakhs spread over 18 schemes. Tata Mutual Fund Tata Mutual Fund (TMF) is a Trust under the Indian Trust Act, 1882. The sponsorers for Tata Mutual Fund are Tata Sons Ltd., and Tata Investment Corporation Ltd. The investment manager is Tata Asset Management Limited and its Tata Trustee Company Pvt. Limited. Tata Asset Management Limited's is one of the fastest in the country with more than Rs. 7,703 crores (as on April 30, 2005) of AUM. Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company (KMAMC) is a subsidiary of KMBL. It is presently having more than 1, 99,818 investors in its various schemes. KMAMC started its operations in December 1998. Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund offers schemes catering to investors with varying risk - return profiles. It was the first company to launch dedicated gilt scheme investing only in government securities. Unit Trust of India Mutual Fund UTI Asset Management Company Private Limited, established in Jan 14, 2003, manages the UTI Mutual Fund with the support of UTI Trustee Company Private Limited. UTI Asset Management. Standard Chartered Mutual Fund Standard Chartered Mutual Fund was set up on March 13, 2000 sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank. The Trustee is Standard Chartered Trustee Company Pvt. Ltd. Standard

Chartered Asset Management Company Pvt. Ltd. is the AMC which was incorporated with SEBI on December 20,1999. Franklin Templeton India Mutual Fund The group, Franklin Templeton Investments is a California (USA) based company with a global AUM of US$ 409.2 bn. (as of April 30, 2005). It is one of the largest financial services groups in the world. Investors can buy or sell the Mutual Fund through their financial advisor or through mail or through their website. They have Open end Diversified Equity schemes, Open end Sector Equity schemes, Open end Hybrid schemes, Open end Tax Saving schemes, Open end Income and Liquid schemes, Closed end Income schemes and Open end Fund of Funds schemes to offer. Morgan Stanley Mutual Fund India Morgan Stanley is a worldwide financial services company and its leading in the market in securities, investment management and credit services. Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MISM) was established in the year 1975. It provides customized asset management services and products to governments, corporations, pension funds and nonprofit organizations. Its services are also extended to high net worth individuals and retail investors. In India it is known as Morgan Stanley Investment Management Private Limited (MSIM India) and its AMC is Morgan Stanley Mutual Fund (MSMF). This is the first close end diversified equity scheme serving the needs of Indian retail investors focusing on a long-term capital appreciation.

Escorts Mutual Fund Escorts Mutual Fund was setup on April 15, 1996 with Escorts Finance Limited as its sponsor. The Trustee Company is Escorts Investment Trust Limited. Its AMC was incorporated on December 1, 1995 with the name Escorts Asset Management Limited. Alliance Capital Mutual Fund Alliance Capital Mutual Fund was setup on December 30, 1994 with Alliance Capital Management Corp. of Delaware (USA) as sponsored. The Trustee is ACAM Trust Company Pvt. Ltd. and AMC, the Alliance Capital Asset Management India (Pvt) Ltd. with the corporate office in Mumbai. Benchmark Mutual Fund Benchmark Mutual Fund was setup on June 12, 2001 with Niche Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. as the sponsored and Benchmark Trustee Company Pvt. Ltd. as the Trustee Company. Incorporated on October 16, 2000 and headquartered in Mumbai, Benchmark Asset Management Company Pvt. Ltd. is the AMC. Canbank Mutual Fund Canbank Mutual Fund was setup on December 19, 1987 with Canara Bank acting as the sponsor. Canbank Investment Management Services Ltd. incorporated on March 2, 1993 is the AMC. The Corporate Office of the AMC is in Mumbai. Chola Mutual Fund Chola Mutual Fund under the sponsorship of Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company Ltd. was setup on January 3, 1997. Cholamandalam Trustee Co. Ltd. is the Trustee Company and AMC is Cholamandalam AMC Limited.

LIC Mutual Fund Life Insurance Corporation of India set up LIC Mutual Fund on 19th June 1989. It contributed Rs. 2 Crores towards the corpus of the Fund. LIC Mutual Fund was constituted as a Trust in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Trust Act, 1882. . The Company started its business on 29th April 1994. The Trustees of LIC Mutual Fund have appointed Jeevan Bima Sahayog Asset Management Company Ltd as the Investment Managers for LIC Mutual Fund. GIC Mutual Fund GIC Mutual Fund, sponsored by General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC), a Government of India undertaking and the four Public Sector General Insurance Companies , viz. National Insurance Co. Ltd (NIC), The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. (NIA), The Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd (OIC) and United India Insurance Co. Ltd. (UII) and is constituted as a Trust in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. Future of Mutual Funds in India By December 2004, Indian mutual fund industry reached Rs 1, 50,537 crore. It is estimated that by 2010 March-end, the total assets of all scheduled commercial banks should be Rs 40, 90,000 crore. The annual composite rate of growth is expected 13.4% during the rest of the decade. In the last 5 years we have seen annual growth rate of 9%. According to the current growth rate, by year 2010, mutual fund assets will be double.

There are two types of investment in Mutual Funds. 1) Lump Sum 2) Systematic Investment Plan(SIP) Lump Sum : In Lump sum the investment is only one times that is of Rs. 5,000. and if the investment is monthly then the investment will be 6,000/-.

Systematic Investment Plan(SIP): We have already mentioned about SIPs in brief in the previous pages but now going into details, we will see how the power of compounding could benefit us. In such case, every small amountsinvested regularly can grow substantially. SIP gives a clear picture of how an early and regular investment can help the investor in wealth creation. Due to its unlimited advantages SIP could be Redefined as a methodology of fund investing regularly to benefit regularly from the stock market volatility. In the later sections we will see how returns generated from some of the SIPs have outperformed their benchmark. But before moving on to that lets have a look at some of the top performing SIPs and their return for 1 year: Scheme Amount NAV NAV Date Total Amount Reliance diversified power sector retail 1000 62.74 30/5/2008 14524.07 Reliance regular savings equity 1000 22.208 30/5/2008 13584.944 principal global opportunities fund 1000 18.86 30/5/2008 14247.728

DWS investment opportunities fund 1000 35.31 30/5/2008 13791.157 BOB growth fund 1000 42.14 30/5/2008 13769.152

In the above chart we can see how if we start investing Rs 1000 per month then what return well get for the total investment of Rs. 12000. There is reliance diversified power sector retail giving the maximum returns of Rs. 2524.07 per year which comes to 21% roughly. Next we can see if anybody would have undertaken the SIP in Principal would have got returns of app. 18%. We can see reliance regular savings equity, DWS investment opportunities and BOB growth fund giving returns of 13.20%, 14.92%, and 14.74% respectively which is greater than any other monthly investment options. Thus we can easily make out how SIP is beneficial for us. Its hassle free, it forces the investors to save and get them into the habit of saving. Also paying a small amount of Rs. 1000 is easy and convenient for them, thus putting no pressure on their pockets. Now we will analyze some of the equity fund SIP s of Birla Sunlife with BSE 200 and bank fixed deposits In a tabular format as well as graphical.

Type of Mutual Fund Schemes

Figure:MF Scheme

By Structure Open Ended Schemes An open-end fund is one that is available for subscription all through the year. These do not have a fixed maturity. Investors can conveniently buy and sell units at Net Asset Value ("NAV") related prices. The key feature of open-end schemes is liquidity. Close Ended Schemes A closed-end fund has a stipulated maturity period which generally ranging from 3 to 15 years. The fund is open for subscription only during a specified period. Investors can invest in the scheme at the time of the initial public issue and thereafter they can buy or sell the units of the scheme on the stock exchanges where they are listed. In order to provide an exit route to the investors, some close-ended funds give an option of selling back the units to the Mutual Fund through periodic repurchase at NAV related prices. SEBI Regulations stipulate that at least one of the two exit routes is provided to the investor. Interval Schemes Interval Schemes are that scheme, which combines the features of open-ended and close-ended schemes. The units may be traded on the stock exchange or may be open for sale or redemption during pre-determined intervals at NAV related prices.

By Investment Objective

Equity funds: These funds invest in equities and equity related instruments. With fluctuating share prices, such funds show volatile performance, even losses. However, short term fluctuations in the market, generally smoothens out in the long

term, thereby offering higher returns at relatively lower volatility. At the same time, such funds can yield great capital appreciation as, historically, equities have outperformed all asset classes in the long term. Hence, investment in equity funds should be considered for a period of at least 3-5 years. It can be further classified as:

i) Index funds- In this case a key stock market index, like BSE Sensex or Nifty is tracked. Their portfolio mirrors the benchmark index both in terms of

composition and individual stock weightages.

ii) Equity diversified funds- 100% of the capital is invested in equities spreading across different sectors and stocks.

iii|) Dividend yield funds- it is similar to the equity diversified funds except that they invest in companies offering high dividend yields.

iv) Thematic funds- Invest 100% of the assets in sectors which are related through some theme.

e.g. -An infrastructure fund invests in power, construction, cements sectors etc.

v) Sector funds- Invest 100% of the capital in a specific sector. e.g. - A banking sector fund will invest in banking stocks.

vi) ELSS- Equity Linked Saving Scheme provides tax benefit to the investors.

Balanced fund: Their investment portfolio includes both debt and equity. As a result, on the risk-return ladder, they fall between equity and debt funds. Balanced

funds are the ideal mutual funds vehicle for investors who prefer spreading their risk across various instruments. Following are balanced funds classes:

i) Debt-oriented funds -Investment below 65% in equities.

ii) Equity-oriented funds -Invest at least 65% in equities, remaining in debt.

Debt fund: They invest only in debt instruments, and are a good option for investors averse to idea of taking risk associated with equities. Therefore, they invest exclusively in fixed-income instruments like bonds, debentures, Government of India securities; and money market instruments such as certificates of deposit (CD), commercial paper (CP) and call money. Put your money into any of these debt funds depending on your investment horizon and needs.

i) Liquid funds- These funds invest 100% in money market instruments, a large portion being invested in call money market.

ii) Gilt funds ST- They invest 100% of their portfolio in government securities of and T-bills.

iii) Floating rate funds - Invest in short-term debt papers. Floaters invest in debt instruments which have variable coupon rate.

iv) Arbitrage fund- They generate income through arbitrage opportunities due to mis-pricing between cash market and derivatives market. Funds are allocated to equities, derivatives and money markets. Higher proportion (around 75%) is put in money markets, in the absence of arbitrage opportunities.

v) Gilt funds LT- They invest 100% of their portfolio in long-term government securities.

vi) Income funds LT- Typically, such funds invest a major portion of the portfolio in long-term debt papers.

vii) MIPs- Monthly Income Plans have an exposure of 70%-90% to debt and an exposure of 10%-30% to equities.

viii) FMPs- fixed monthly plans invest in debt papers whose maturity is in line with that of the fund.

Types of returns:

There are three ways, where the total returns provided by mutual funds can be enjoyed by investors:

Income is earned from dividends on stocks and interest on bonds. A fund pays out nearly all income it receives over the year to fund owners in the form of a distribution.

If the fund sells securities that have increased in price, the fund has a capital gain. Most funds also pass on these gains to investors in a distribution.

If fund holdings increase in price but are not sold by the fund manager, the fund's shares increase in price. You can then sell your mutual fund shares for a profit. Funds will also usually give you a choice either to receive a check for distributions or to reinvest the earnings and get more shares.

Advantages of Mutual Fund Portfolio Diversification: Mutual Funds invest in a well-diversified portfolio of securities which enables investor to hold a diversified investment portfolio (whether the amount of investment is big or small). Professional Management: Fund manager undergoes through various research works and has better investment management skills which ensure higher returns to the investor than what he can manage on his own. Less Risk: Investors acquire a diversified portfolio of securities even with a small investment in a Mutual Fund. The risk in a diversified portfolio is lesser than investing in merely 2 or 3 securities. Low Transaction Costs: Due to the economies of scale (benefits of larger volumes), mutual funds pay lesser transaction costs. These benefits are passed on to the investors. Liquidity: An investor may not be able to sell some of the shares held by him very easily and quickly, whereas units of a mutual fund are far more liquid. Choice of Schemes: Mutual funds provide investors with various schemes with different investment objectives. Investors have the option of investing in a scheme having a correlation between its investment objectives and their own financial goals. These schemes further have different plans/options. Transparency: Funds provide investors with updated information pertaining to the markets and the schemes. All material facts are disclosed to investors as required by the regulator.

Flexibility: Investors also benefit from the convenience and flexibility offered by Mutual Funds. Investors can switch their holdings from a debt scheme to an equity scheme and vice-versa. Option of systematic (at regular intervals) investment and withdrawal is also offered to the investors in most open-end schemes.

Safety: Mutual Fund industry is part of a well-regulated investment environment where the interests of the investors are protected by the regulator. All funds are registered with SEBI and complete transparency is forced.

Disadvantage of Mutual Fund Costs Control Not in the Hands of an Investor: Investor has to pay investment management fees and fund distribution costs as a percentage of the value of his investments (as long as he holds the units), irrespective of the performance of the fund. No Customized Portfolios: The portfolio of securities in which a fund invests is a decision taken by the fund manager. Investors have no right to interfere in the decision making process of a fund manager, which some investors find as a constraint in achieving their financial objectives. Difficulty in Selecting a Suitable Fund Scheme: Many investors find it difficult to select one option from the plethora of funds/schemes/plans available. For this, they may have to take advice from financial planners in order to invest in the right fund to achieve their objectives.

CHAPTER III DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

Name

_______________________________________________________

Age

<20-30> < 30-40 < 40-50 < 50-above>

Sex

Occupation

Service (Govt.) Service (Pvt.) Business Self-employed Retired

Organization _______________________________________________________ Designation _______________________________________________________

Annual Income -

Below 1 lakh 1 3 lakh 3 5 lakh Above 5 lakh

1. What are the Investment Avenues available in the market, that you are aware of? Postal schemes (i.e. MIS/PPF/NSC/R.D/T.D etc.) Government securities Bank FDs Direct equity investment Mutual funds Insurance

2. Are you aware of the fact that some of the performing Mutual fund schemes in the industry have posted 20% + annualized returns in last 10 years? Yes No

3. In your point of view what is more attractive about mutual funds? Returns Moderate risk Tax benefits No idea Hassle free Past performance Well regulated

4. If you have invested in Mutual funds, what percentage of your entire investment includes mutual funds? Below 20% 20 to 50% 50 to 80% 80% above

5. What were your Savings/investment avenues 5 year back? Bank FD, Savings Mutual funds Insurance Equity market

Govt. securities Postal savings, FD

Real estate

6.

Now, what new avenues are included in your Investment portfolio? Govt. securities Insurance Equity market Real estate Mutual funds Derivatives

7. How do you manage your investment portfolio? Solely of my own On advise of a friend On advise of a distributor/agent On advise of your banker On advice of mutual fund house people

8. How do you rate these while taking an investment decision? (Rate as 1,2,3,4,5 according to preference) Returns Risk factors

Lock-in period Tax benefits

past performance

9. You believe in High risk, High returns Moderate risk, moderate returns Low risk, low returns

10. Have you been ever approached by a Certified Investment Financial Planner? Yes No

11. Would you like to undergo a financial planning exercise for yourself?

Yes

No