For the first time in a calendar year, the inflows into mutual fund schemes through systematic investment plans (SIPs) have crossed Rs 3 lakh crore. There is a  growing preference among retail investors for disciplined, staggered investing amid volatile market conditions.

According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi), investors channelled Rs 3.04 lakh crore into mutual funds via SIPs up to November 2025, surpassing the Rs 2.69 lakh crore recorded in the whole of 2024. The steady rise in SIP contributions has helped offset a decline in lump-sum investments, which tend to be more sensitive to market timing.

Gross inflows into active equity schemes in 2025 reveal a clear divergence in investor behaviour. Lump-sum investments fell to Rs 3.9 lakh crore as of October, compared with Rs 5.9 lakh crore last year, while SIP inflows into active equity schemes rose 3 per cent year-on-year to Rs 2.3 lakh crore. As a result, SIPs accounted for 37 per cent of gross equity inflows in the first ten months of 2025, up from 27 per cent in 2024.

Equity schemes continue to dominate SIP allocations, attracting around 80 per cent of total SIP inflows, reflecting the widespread view that systematic investing is better suited to volatile asset classes.

“SIPs have emerged as India’s preferred long-term wealth-building habit, helping investors stay disciplined through market cycles while steadily expanding equity participation,” said Venkat Chalasani, chief executive of Amfi.

The growth in SIP flows has come despite a decline in the number of active SIP accounts, which fell to 100 million in November from 103 million a year earlier, following market corrections and a data clean-up exercise.

ICRA Analytics noted that SIP assets under management reached Rs 16.53 lakh crore by November, accounting for over 20 per cent of the mutual fund industry’s total AUM, underlining their central role in long-term asset accumulation.