Prospera Research

The funds that made it through.

18 funds across 9 categories have cleared Prospera's research framework and Investment Committee review — a strict, deliberately narrow subset of the researched universe, never a copy of it.

Prospera Research Engine v7 · Data as of 24 Aug 2026 · Synced 14 Sept 2026
18Prospera Recommendations
9Primary picks
9Secondary picks
9Categories covered

Selected from 425 active research candidates — 76 of them individually deep-researched — via Prospera's 5-gate framework, below.

How to read our recommendations

A recommendation is not a prediction. It is Prospera's current highest-conviction reading of the research, category by category — the fund (or two) that ranked highest after the same five gates, the same weighting, and the same IC sign-off applied consistently across every candidate. Primary and Secondary picks both cleared every gate; Primary ranked first at the point of review.

Research Watchpoints

2 current recommendations carry an active Watchlist flag. This does not automatically invalidate the recommendation — it identifies a real, live development the research team is actively monitoring, disclosed here rather than suppressed.

  • HDFC Defence Fund— flagged for “Val Watch
  • Quant Infrastructure Fund— flagged for “SEBI Risk
Prospera Research

Category-by-category selection

Flexi Cap

vs. Nifty 500 TRI
max 25% allocation
Primary Pick
Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Fund
PPFAS MF

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: PE discount 38% vs HDFC 25x PE. Rajeev Thakkar 13Y vs Jain 8Y. International buffer reduces India-only risk. Lower drawdown 18% vs 22%. Risk-adjusted 12M outlook clearly favours PPFAS.

What stands outConsistency 10.0/10Portfolio Quality 10.0/10
Also being monitoredAMC Quality Score 3.0/10
81.9Prospera Score
Secondary Pick
HDFC Flexi Cap Fund
HDFC MF

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: HDFC research bench + Rs70K AUM bring institutional access unmatched by smaller funds. Mirae FC (68) is 6 pts below. Quant FC (65) carries SEBI cloud. HDFC wins on consistency 8/10 vs peers 6-7.

What stands outAMC Quality Score 9.0/10Momentum 8.0/10
74.8Prospera Score

Mid Cap

vs. Nifty Midcap 150 TRI
max 20% allocation
Primary Pick
Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund
Motilal Oswal MF

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: 30.5% 5Y CAGR vs Nippon 22%. Dixon, Coforge, Trent are multi-year structural winners in electronics PLI, IT services, and retail premiumisation. Concentration enables alpha diversified funds cannot generate. OPP score 9 vs 7.

What stands outMomentum 10.0/10Sector Tailwinds 10.0/10
79.3Prospera Score
Secondary Pick
Nippon India Growth Fund
Nippon India MF

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: Rupesh Patel 12Y tenure produces better cycle navigation than Edelweiss 6Y or WhiteOak 5Y. Rs39K AUM vs HDFC Rs85K shows nimbleness preserved. 24% 3Y CAGR beats HDFC (16.5%) and Kotak (15.9%). Consistency 9/10.

What stands outConsistency 9.0/10Fund Mgr Quality 9.0/10
78.3Prospera Score

Small Cap

vs. Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI
max 15% allocation
Primary Pick
Nippon India Small Cap Fund
Nippon India MF

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: Samir Rachh 16Y small-cap tenure is longest in category - single most predictive variable in SC management. Rs61K AUM managed without alpha sacrifice shows best-in-class liquidity management. AUM trend stable not declining.

What stands outFund Mgr Quality 10.0/10Consistency 9.0/10
79.4Prospera Score
Secondary Pick
HDFC Small Cap Fund
HDFC MF

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: SC-006 Invesco (70) similar momentum but Bandhan ER 0.42% vs 0.48% and stronger 2026 YTD (+12.4%). SC-005 Tata strong but 6Y tenure insufficient for primary SC allocation. SC-004 HDFC too conservative vs peers.

What stands outAMC Quality Score 9.0/10Consistency 8.0/10
73.1Prospera Score

Pharma & HC

vs. Nifty Pharma TRI
max 12% allocation
Primary Pick
Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund
Mirae Asset MF

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: Broader mandate - hospitals (35%), diagnostics, devices alongside pharma. US tariff on generics hits Nippon harder than Mirae. Max Healthcare + Apollo = domestic HC demand story Nippon cannot access. STW 9 vs 7.

What stands outPortfolio Quality 9.0/10Sector Tailwinds 9.0/10
77.4Prospera Score
Secondary Pick
Nippon India Pharma Fund
Nippon India MF

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: Sailesh Raj Bhan 20Y pharma tenure unmatched. Sun Pharma + Divis + Abbott India = quality portfolio. PH-003 SBI (68) has higher ER (0.89%) and less experienced team. PH-005 ICICI Pru smaller AUM constraints.

What stands outMgr Tenure Score 10.0/10Consistency 9.0/10
77.0Prospera Score

Defence

vs. Nifty India Defence TRI
max 12% allocation
Primary PickWatchlist
HDFC Defence Fund
HDFC MF

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: Active management adding 1.5-2% alpha vs Nifty Defence Index since launch. Better smallcap defence names (BDL, BEML, MTAR) that index under-weights. OPP score 9 vs index 8. Poddar selection process is differentiated.

What stands outMomentum 10.0/10Sector Tailwinds 10.0/10
Also being monitoredMgr Tenure Score 4.0/10
77.4Prospera Score
Secondary Pick
Motilal Oswal Nifty India Defence Index
Motilal Oswal MF

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: 0.18% ER vs ABSL PSU (0.49%) and SBI PSU (0.58%). Pure defence vs diluted PSU mandates. DEF-003 ABSL and DEF-004 SBI have PSU mandates mixing in oil and banking - dilutes the defence thesis entirely.

What stands outSector Tailwinds 10.0/10Expense Ratio Score 10.0/10
Also being monitoredMgr Tenure Score 2.0/10
71.8Prospera Score

Infrastructure

vs. Nifty Infrastructure TRI
max 15% allocation
Primary Pick
ICICI Pru Infrastructure Fund
ICICI Pru MF

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: 20Y history navigating full infra cycles (2005 boom, 2012 bust, 2022 revival). 33.46% 5Y CAGR. Ihab Dalwai L&T+Adani Ports+NCC mix captures project+execution premium. Consistency 9/10 vs Quant 6/10 - not comparable.

What stands outSector Tailwinds 10.0/10AMC Quality Score 10.0/10
82.5Prospera Score
Secondary PickWatchlist
Quant Infrastructure Fund
Quant MF

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: Higher momentum (9) and better rotation timing than Canara Robeco (6) or SBI (5). INF-003 Canara too conservative large-cap bias. INF-004 SBI has highest ER (0.94%). But SEBI cloud caps Quant at satellite 5% only.

What stands outSector Tailwinds 10.0/10Momentum 9.0/10
71.7Prospera Score

Energy

vs. Nifty Energy TRI
max 10% allocation

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: Broadest energy mandate - oil/gas, power, renewables, coal, transmission, nuclear. Nuclear Energy Mission Rs20K Cr (100 GW by 2047) is 20-year tailwind SBI accesses that DSP global mandate does not prioritise.

What stands outAMC Quality Score 10.0/10Sector Tailwinds 9.0/10
76.8Prospera Score

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: Global energy co-exposure via BlackRock FoF up to 35% provides upside from geopolitical energy dislocation SBI cannot reach. ENE-003 Tata (64) and ENE-004 ICICI (62) lack this overlay and have smaller AUM.

What stands outMomentum 9.0/10AUM Trend Score 9.0/10
72.8Prospera Score

Debt

vs. CRISIL Short Dur Bond
max 30% allocation
Primary Pick
ICICI Pru Corporate Bond Fund
ICICI Pru MF

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: Manish Banthia active duration outperformed HDFC rules-based approach in every rate-cut cycle since 2015. Called 3 consecutive RBI inflection points correctly. 7.66% vs 7.1% 3Y CAGR = 56bps annualised difference.

What stands outConsistency 10.0/10Fund Mgr Quality 10.0/10
89.4Prospera Score
Secondary Pick
ICICI Pru Liquid Fund
ICICI Pru MF

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: HDFC institutional credit research depth and 12Y Anupam Joshi tenure. DEB-003 ABSL (73) strong but money market focus less positioned for duration extension. DEB-004 BHARAT Bond locked maturity reduces flexibility.

What stands outValuation Risk 10.0/10Downside Protection 10.0/10
86.9Prospera Score

Arbitrage

vs. CRISIL 1-Yr T-Bill
max 20% allocation
Primary Pick
ABSL Arbitrage Fund
Aditya Birla SL MF

Ranked first in its category after the full 5-gate funnel and IC sign-off.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 2: 10Y Lovelish Solanki tenure vs Tata 7Y. ER 0.30% tied with Tata. Rs25.6K AUM vs Rs21.8K - larger spread team. 12Y track across multiple market cycles. Alpha consistency 96% vs Tata 97% - effectively tied. ABSL wins on heritage.

What stands outMomentum 9.0/10Consistency 9.0/10
82.7Prospera Score
Secondary Pick
Invesco India Arbitrage Fund
Invesco MF

Ranked second in the same category — cleared every identical gate.

Why Prospera selected it

BEATS 3-10: ARB-004 SBI (69) Rs42.8K AUM causes impact cost on spread capture. ARB-003 Nippon (68) has 0.70% ER - significant drag at HNI ticket sizes. ARB-002 Invesco (76) comparable but 0.40% ER vs Tata 0.30% at scale matters.

What stands outMomentum 9.0/10Valuation Risk 9.0/10
79.5Prospera Score
Prospera Research

What it takes to become a Prospera Recommendation

1

Gate 1 — Eligibility

AUM floor, minimum track record, SEBI compliance — a hard filter, never a score.

2

Gate 2 — Quant Screen

Final Score ≥ 45. Formula-derived, no analyst judgment involved yet.

3

Gate 3 — Top 10

Final Score ≥ 55, ranked within category.

4

Gate 4 — Top 5

Final Score ≥ 62, analyst-validated thesis.

5

Gate 5 — Top 2 / IC Sign-Off

Final Score ≥ 70. Research Head sign-off required — this is the only gate that produces a Prospera Recommendation.

A fund can score HIGH CONVICTION and still not appear here — a recommendation reflects the full committee process, including category limits and IC sign-off, not the score alone. See each fund's own Prospera Verdict for its exact status.