Best Pharma & Healthcare Funds in India (2026)
Live · updated 2026-09-16 Ranked by data, refreshed from daily NAVs
Every pharma & healthcare fund we track, ranked by long-term quality. SEBI files all sector and theme funds into one 'Sectoral/Thematic' bucket, which is why these are almost impossible to compare anywhere else - this page pulls them out and ranks them against each other on the same numbers, recomputed daily. This page is recomputed from NAV data every day, so it cannot go stale, and every fund on it links to a full research page with returns, risk, SIP outcomes, holdings and manager track record.
Tap any column heading to sort. Every fund name links to its full review.
| # | Fund | RS | King | 3M | 6M | 1Y | 3Y CAGR | 5Y CAGR | 10Y CAGR | Sharpe | Roll 3Y | Worst fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LIC MF Healthcare Fund | 91 | 87 | 9.6% | 21.1% | 14.1% | 21.4% | n/a | n/a | 1.0 | n/a | -15.1% |
| 2 | ICICI Prudential Pharma Healthcare and Diagnostics (P.H.D) Fund | 69 | 81 | 2.2% | 14.1% | 5.1% | 21.1% | 15.4% | n/a | 1.02 | 25.4% | -20.6% |
| 3 | SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund | 93 | 79 | 9.5% | 22.6% | 19.2% | 23.5% | 17.7% | 14.6% | 1.24 | 20.6% | -30.5% |
| 4 | Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma and Healthcare Fund | 87 | 76 | 7.5% | 16.9% | 15.7% | 20.8% | 13.7% | n/a | 1.04 | 19.8% | -20.5% |
| 5 | ITI Pharma and Healthcare Fund | 85 | 76 | 7.5% | 19.3% | 10.1% | 18.9% | n/a | n/a | 0.84 | 21.5% | -17.7% |
| 6 | UTI Healthcare Fund | 89 | 75 | 7.9% | 21.1% | 14.3% | 23.0% | 15.3% | 14.6% | 1.17 | 17.6% | -27.1% |
| 7 | DSP Healthcare Fund | 90 | 75 | 8.1% | 23.0% | 13.8% | 20.8% | 14.7% | n/a | 1.03 | 22.9% | -21.7% |
| 8 | Tata India Pharma & Healthcare Fund | 76 | 73 | 4.8% | 13.8% | 7.4% | 18.8% | 14.1% | 14.6% | 0.9 | 21.2% | -19.8% |
| 9 | Nippon India Pharma Fund | 75 | 69 | 4.7% | 11.9% | 8.9% | 17.5% | 13.1% | 15.4% | 0.82 | 19.9% | -24.0% |
| 10 | Nippon India Pharma Fund | 75 | 69 | 4.7% | 11.9% | 8.9% | 17.5% | 13.1% | 15.4% | 0.82 | 19.9% | -24.0% |
| 11 | quant Healthcare Fund | 96 | 67 | 11.7% | 25.0% | 17.6% | 19.9% | n/a | n/a | 0.75 | n/a | -25.2% |
| 12 | Kotak Healthcare Fund | 98 | n/a | 11.0% | 27.4% | 25.3% | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.04 | n/a | -18.1% |
| 13 | HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund | 97 | n/a | 10.1% | 25.4% | 24.4% | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.65 | n/a | -14.9% |
| 14 | PGIM India Healthcare Fund | 96 | n/a | 9.8% | 23.0% | 22.4% | n/a | n/a | n/a | 0.42 | n/a | -14.4% |
| 15 | WhiteOak Capital Pharma and Heathcare Fund | 95 | n/a | 9.8% | 23.5% | 20.0% | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.08 | n/a | -15.4% |
This list returns: 1 month to 10 years𝕏 Share this statWhatsApp
Over the last 1 year, the funds on this list averaged 15.1% - the best, Kotak Healthcare Fund, returned 25.3% while the weakest managed 5.1%. That spread is why picking within the funds on this list matters. Over 10 years the average compounding rate is 14.9% a year, which turned ₹1 lakh into about ₹401,100.
| Period | Average | Median | Best fund | Weakest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | -1.1% | -1.3% | quant Healthcare Fund (1.9%) | -2.9% |
| 3 months | 8.1% | 8.3% | Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund (11.9%) | 2.2% |
| 6 months | 20.1% | 21.1% | Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund (27.9%) | 11.9% |
| 1 year | 15.1% | 14.3% | Kotak Healthcare Fund (25.3%) | 5.1% |
| 3 years (CAGR) | 20.3% | 20.8% | SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund (23.5%) | 17.5% |
| 5 years (CAGR) | 14.6% | 14.4% | SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund (17.7%) | 13.1% |
| 10 years (CAGR) | 14.9% | 14.6% | Nippon India Pharma Fund (15.4%) | 14.6% |
Averages across every qualifying fund, refreshed daily. Best-fund links open that fund's full review.
What ₹1 lakh became
The same returns, translated into money - at the average pace and at the best fund's pace:
| Held for | Average pace | ₹1 lakh → (average) | ₹1 lakh → (best fund) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 15.1% a year | ₹115,100 | ₹125,300 |
| 3 years | 20.3% a year | ₹174,100 | ₹188,400 |
| 5 years | 14.6% a year | ₹197,700 | ₹225,900 |
| 10 years | 14.9% a year | ₹401,100 | ₹418,800 |
Pre-tax, from historical returns. The averages smooth over a very bumpy ride - see the worst-fall column in the ranking above for what the journey involved.
This list by the numbers
| Funds that qualify | 18 |
| Combined assets | ₹40,723 Cr |
| Average 3-year return | 20.3% a year (best 23.5%, weakest 17.5%) |
| Average 5-year return | 14.6% a year |
| Average worst-ever fall | -19.1% (deepest: -30.5%) |
| Average expense ratio (Direct) | 0.82% |
| Largest fund by assets | Nippon India Pharma Fund (₹8,635 Cr) |
Put the risk number in rupees: at the average worst fall of -19.1%, ₹1 lakh temporarily becomes about ₹80,900. That is the stretch every ranked fund's investors had to sit through at some point - the ranking rewards the funds that made that wait worthwhile.
Momentum check: what is hot right now
As of 2026-09-16, 9 of the 18 funds here rate RS 90 or above (top-decile recent momentum versus peers). The strongest momentum belongs to Bajaj Finserv Healthcare Fund (RS 98/99). Average return over the last 3 months: 8.1%; over 6 months: 20.1%. Momentum is a snapshot, not a ranking criterion here - but it tells you whether this corner of the market is currently in favour.
Before you pick a pharma & healthcare fund: four checks
- Size it as a satellite, not a core - one theme failing should not decide your year.
- Check the worst-fall column against a diversified fund before you buy the returns column.
- Ask whether you are early or late in the theme - a sector at the top of the 1-year table has usually already run.
- Watch overlap: a banking fund and a large-cap fund can hold many of the same names.
20 years of NAV history in weekly candles, with EMAs, RSI, MACD, Bollinger bands and a drawdown view - on every one of 8,000+ funds. Nobody else in Indian mutual funds draws these.
How to read the table
RS (1-99) is recent momentum versus category peers - 99 is the hottest right now. King (0-100) is the long-term quality composite this list is ranked by. 3M/6M are recent returns; 3Y and 5Y CAGR are annualised longer records. Sharpe is return earned per unit of volatility - higher means smoother compounding. Roll 3Y is the median of every 3-year holding period in the fund's history, the fairest single return number a fund has. Worst fall is the deepest peak-to-bottom loss ever - the number that tests whether you would have stayed invested. Missing values show as n/a, usually because the fund is too young for that measurement.
The top 10, decoded𝕏 Share this statWhatsApp
- LIC MF Healthcare Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 87/100, RS 91/99 right now. 3-year return 21.4% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 15.1% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹84,900). Sharpe 1.0.
- ICICI Prudential Pharma Healthcare and Diagnostics (P.H.D) Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 81/100, RS 69/99 right now. 3-year return 21.1% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 20.6% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹79,400). 5-year pace 15.4% a year, median 3-year rolling return 25.4%, sharpe 1.02.
- SBI Healthcare Opportunities Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 79/100, RS 93/99 right now. 3-year return 23.5% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 30.5% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹69,500). 5-year pace 17.7% a year, median 3-year rolling return 20.6%, sharpe 1.24.
- Aditya Birla Sun Life Pharma and Healthcare Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 76/100, RS 87/99 right now. 3-year return 20.8% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 20.5% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹79,500). 5-year pace 13.7% a year, median 3-year rolling return 19.8%, sharpe 1.04.
- ITI Pharma and Healthcare Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 76/100, RS 85/99 right now. 3-year return 18.9% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 17.7% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹82,300). Median 3-year rolling return 21.5%, sharpe 0.84.
- UTI Healthcare Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 75/100, RS 89/99 right now. 3-year return 23.0% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 27.1% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹72,900). 5-year pace 15.3% a year, median 3-year rolling return 17.6%, sharpe 1.17.
- DSP Healthcare Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 75/100, RS 90/99 right now. 3-year return 20.8% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 21.7% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹78,300). 5-year pace 14.7% a year, median 3-year rolling return 22.9%, sharpe 1.03.
- Tata India Pharma & Healthcare Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 73/100, RS 76/99 right now. 3-year return 18.8% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 19.8% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹80,200). 5-year pace 14.1% a year, median 3-year rolling return 21.2%, sharpe 0.9.
- Nippon India Pharma Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 69/100, RS 75/99 right now. 3-year return 17.5% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 24.0% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹76,000). 5-year pace 13.1% a year, median 3-year rolling return 19.9%, sharpe 0.82.
- Nippon India Pharma Fund (Sectoral/ Thematic) - King Score 69/100, RS 75/99 right now. 3-year return 17.5% a year, against a worst-ever fall of 24.0% (₹1 lakh briefly ₹76,000). 5-year pace 13.1% a year, median 3-year rolling return 19.9%, sharpe 0.82.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best pharma & healthcare fund right now?
On our data-driven ranking as of 2026-09-16, LIC MF Healthcare Fund scores highest (King Score 87/100). That is a description of its record versus peers, not a recommendation - rankings move as NAVs update, and the right fund depends on your goals and risk tolerance.
Should a sector fund be a core holding?
The data says treat it as a satellite. A sector fund concentrates into one slice of the economy, so it can lead for years and then lag for years - the drawdown column on this page is usually deeper than a diversified fund's. Most investors who use these size them small beside a diversified core.
Sector funds top the 1-year charts - why not just buy the leader?
Because that is usually when the cycle is mature. A sector's best 12 months are often the 12 months before its worst. That is exactly why this page ranks on King Score - long-term quality including drawdown and consistency - rather than on the last year alone.
Do these funds have higher risk than diversified funds?
Structurally yes: fewer stocks, one economic driver, no mandate to rotate away when the theme turns. Check the worst-fall column against a flexi cap fund's and the difference is usually plain.
What is the average 1-year return of pharma & healthcare funds right now?
As of 2026-09-16, the 17 qualifying funds averaged 15.1% over the last year (median 14.3%). The best, Kotak Healthcare Fund, returned 25.3%; the weakest returned 5.1%. One year is weather, not climate - check the 5 and 10 year columns before drawing conclusions.
Which pharma & healthcare fund gave the highest return in the last 10 years?
Nippon India Pharma Fund leads with 15.4% a year over 10 years - ₹1 lakh became about ₹418,800 pre-tax. The average across funds with a 10-year record is 14.9% a year. A decade-long record says a lot about the past and nothing certain about the next decade.
How is this list ranked?
Direct-Growth sector and theme schemes matched on mandate, AUM above Rs 50 crore, ranked by King Score (3Y return, consistency, drawdown and Sharpe percentiles within category), then by 1-year return where a fund is too young to score. The full formulas are public - see our methodology page. No fund pays to be here and rankings cannot be bought.
Should I invest in the #1 fund on this list?
We cannot tell you that - MF Terminal is descriptive research, not investment advice. A top rank says the past record was strong versus peers. Read the fund's full page, check the drawdowns you would have to sit through, and decide against your own horizon.
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All figures pre-tax, from AMFI NAV history. Rankings are descriptive and change with the data. Nothing here is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any fund. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.