Axis Credit Risk Fund
Credit Risk Fund · Axis Asset Management Co. Ltd.
Among the 93 similar credit risk funds we track, this one has grown money faster than most. ₹1 lakh invested 5 years ago would be about ₹1.4 lakh today. Investing ₹10,000 every month for the last 10 years would have put in ₹12.1 lakh and grown it to about ₹18.1 lakh. Be warned: in its worst stretch, ₹1 lakh briefly shrank to about ₹96,520. Its ride has historically been comparatively steady.
New to fund research? Start with the 5-minute guide. The detailed numbers below back all of this up.Axis Credit Risk Fund is a credit risk fund from Axis Asset Management Co. Ltd.. It has a track record of about 12.2 years. As of the latest data it carries an RS rating of 87/99 (its recent momentum versus category peers) and a King Score of 84/100 (a long-term quality composite). The current NAV is ₹26.43 (as of 2026-09-16).
Growth of ₹100 - last 5 years
Axis Credit Risk Fund returns: last 1, 3, 5 and 10 years
| Period | This fund | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 0.11% | 0.13% |
| 3 months | 2.17% | 1.98% |
| 6 months | 4.43% | 4.74% |
| 1 year | 8.56% | 9.17% |
| 3 years (CAGR) | 8.78% | 9.99% |
| 5 years (CAGR) | 7.66% | 10.15% |
| 10 years (CAGR) | 7.72% | 7.23% |
The last 10 years return of Axis Credit Risk Fund works out to 7.72% a year (CAGR) - ₹1 lakh invested 10 years ago would be about ₹2.1 lakh today. The last 5 years return is 7.66% a year (₹1 lakh → ₹1.4 lakh), and the last 3 years return is 8.78% - behind its category's 9.99% average by 1.2 points. Its trailing one-year return is 8.56%. Trailing returns flatter or disappoint depending on the end date you pick - the year-by-year and rolling-return sections below are a fairer read.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | Axis Credit Risk Fund | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +7.2% | n/a |
| 2019 | +5.6% | n/a |
| 2020 | +9.4% | n/a |
| 2021 | +7.0% | n/a |
| 2022 | +4.9% | n/a |
| 2023 | +7.9% | n/a |
| 2024 | +8.8% | n/a |
| 2025 | +9.6% | n/a |
| 2026 | +5.7% | n/a |
Calendar-year returns show how bumpy the ride really was - an average hides the good years and the ugly ones.
What a monthly SIP in Axis Credit Risk Fund would have made
A ₹10,000-a-month SIP, using this fund's actual NAV history. SIP returns (XIRR) differ from lumpsum CAGR because your money goes in gradually, averaging your entry price.
| SIP duration | You invested | It became | XIRR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | ₹370,000 | ₹422,593 | 8.82% |
| 5 years | ₹610,000 | ₹754,752 | 8.44% |
| 10 years | ₹1,210,000 | ₹1,813,800 | 7.85% |
Over 10 years, ₹1,210,000 invested in monthly instalments would have grown to about ₹1,813,800 - an XIRR of 7.85%. Figures are pre-tax and assume you stayed invested throughout.
Risk & drawdowns
| Measure | This fund | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| Worst drawdown (lifetime) | -3.48% | -12.96% |
| Worst drawdown (3Y) | -0.34% | -0.52% |
| Volatility (1Y) | 1.49% | 2.84% |
| Sharpe (3Y) | 2.31 | 1.6 |
| Bull-market return | 8.2% | 7.99% |
| Bear-market return | 8.3% | 7.76% |
Timing matters more than people admit: the best possible 1-year stretch in Axis Credit Risk Fund (starting 2015-11-26) gained 12.4%, while the worst (starting 2019-03-25) still made 3.5%. The worst peak-to-bottom fall Axis Credit Risk Fund has ever put investors through is -3.48% - the real test of whether you'd have stayed invested. In falling markets (Nifty below its 200-day average) it has returned about 8.3% annualised, versus 8.2% in rising markets.
How Axis Credit Risk Fund behaves when markets fall
When the market is falling (the Nifty below its 200-day average), Axis Credit Risk Fund has historically returned about 8.3% annualised, versus roughly 8.2% when the market is rising. Its deepest fall on record is -3.48%. Right now it sits about 0.06% below its all-time high (last hit 2026-09-11). The real question isn't the average year - it's whether you could hold on through the worst one.
How Axis Credit Risk Fund ranks in its category
Percentile versus its ~93 category peers - 100th is best-in-class, 50th is average. This is the fairest apples-to-apples read.
Consistency (rolling returns)
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median 3Y rolling CAGR | 7.35% |
| 3Y windows positive | 100.0% |
| Worst 3Y window | 6.31% |
| Median 5Y rolling CAGR | 7.61% |
| Median 10Y rolling CAGR | 7.92% |
Instead of one lucky start date, rolling returns test every start date. Across all 3-year windows in its history, Axis Credit Risk Fund returned a median of 7.35% a year, and 100.0% of those windows were positive.
Who manages Axis Credit Risk Fund - and how good are they?
Axis Credit Risk Fund is managed by Devang Shah and Akhil Thakker. Below is each manager's complete track record - every fund they currently run, judged on the same numbers as everything else on this page - so you can see whether this fund is in strong hands or is the outlier in a weak book.
Devang Shah's full record
Devang Shah currently runs 15 funds, across Arbitrage Fund, Conservative Hybrid Fund, Credit Risk Fund, Dynamic Bond and more, with about ₹85,015 Cr under management. The book's average King Score is 65.8/100. Their strongest fund by King Score is Axis Liquid Fund (89/100); Axis Credit Risk Fund ranks #4 of 15 in their book.
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| # | Fund | RS | King | 3M | 6M | 1Y | 3Y CAGR | 5Y CAGR | 10Y CAGR | Sharpe | Roll 3Y | Worst fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Axis Liquid Fund | 98 | 89 | 1.7% | 3.5% | 6.7% | 7.0% | 6.4% | 6.2% | 1.41 | 7.0% | -0.2% |
| 2 | Axis Treasury Advantage Fund | 91 | 89 | 1.7% | 3.3% | 6.5% | 7.4% | 6.7% | 7.0% | 1.56 | 7.7% | -1.5% |
| 3 | Axis Money Market Fund | 95 | 85 | 2.0% | 3.5% | 6.7% | 7.5% | 6.8% | n/a | 1.67 | 6.2% | -1.2% |
| 4 | Axis Credit Risk Fund (this page) | 87 | 84 | 2.2% | 4.4% | 8.6% | 8.8% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 2.31 | 7.3% | -3.5% |
| 5 | Axis Dynamic Bond Fund | 92 | 82 | 1.6% | 3.4% | 6.4% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 7.4% | 0.43 | 8.2% | -7.1% |
| 6 | Axis Long Duration Fund | 79 | 81 | 0.7% | 1.8% | 2.4% | 5.7% | n/a | n/a | -0.19 | 6.5% | -5.6% |
| 7 | Axis Arbitrage Fund | 85 | 77 | 1.6% | 3.1% | 6.7% | 7.4% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 0.89 | 6.7% | -0.6% |
| 8 | Axis Income Plus Arbitrage Active FOF | 56 | 62 | 1.4% | 3.0% | 6.0% | 7.8% | 6.6% | n/a | 0.71 | 6.5% | -2.8% |
| 9 | Axis Retirement Fund - Dynamic | 45 | 62 | 0.5% | 5.6% | -1.7% | 11.0% | 7.7% | n/a | 0.36 | 14.3% | -17.1% |
| 10 | Axis Retirement Fund - Conservative | 24 | 52 | -0.3% | -0.1% | -0.3% | 7.1% | 6.0% | n/a | 0.1 | 9.7% | -12.7% |
| 11 | Axis Conservative Hybrid Fund | 43 | 38 | 0.4% | -1.6% | -3.2% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.8% | -0.98 | 1.8% | -17.6% |
| 12 | Axis Multi Asset Allocation Fund | 72 | 37 | 1.4% | 2.9% | 8.8% | 13.1% | 8.9% | 11.7% | 0.63 | 10.9% | -27.4% |
| 13 | Axis Conservative Hybrid Fund | 21 | 17 | -1.2% | -2.1% | -4.1% | -1.9% | -2.3% | -0.5% | -1.42 | 0.6% | -15.4% |
| 14 | Axis Income Plus Arbitrage Passive FOF | n/a | n/a | 1.8% | 3.3% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | -0.1% |
| 15 | Axis Multi-Asset Active FoF | n/a | n/a | 1.8% | 6.6% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | -8.6% |
Akhil Thakker's full record
Akhil Thakker currently runs 1 fund, across Credit Risk Fund, with about ₹50 Cr under management. The book's average King Score is 84.0/100. This fund is the highest-scored fund they run (King 84/100).
A caveat worth keeping: funds often have co-managers, and results belong to the whole team and process rather than one person. A manager's book tells you about their range and consistency, not a guarantee of skill.
Cost & fund basics
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Expense ratio (Direct) | 0.8% |
| Exit load | ≈1% if redeemed within 1 year (typical) |
| Minimum investment | ₹5000 |
| Fund size (AUM) | ₹50 Cr |
| Age | 12.2 years |
| Plan / Option | Direct · Growth |
How Axis Credit Risk Fund compares to peers
| Fund | RS | King | 3Y CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICICI Prudential Credit Risk Fund | 88 | 86 | 9.1% |
| Aditya Birla Sun Life Credit Risk Fund | 94 | 86 | 13.1% |
| Aditya Birla Sun Life Credit Risk Fund | 94 | 86 | 13.1% |
| HSBC Credit Risk Fund | 62 | 83 | 11.7% |
| DSP Credit Risk Fund | 97 | 82 | 16.8% |
| HDFC Credit Risk Debt Fund | 73 | 79 | 8.2% |
Overlap warning: funds in the same category often own many of the same stocks - holding several rarely adds the diversification people expect.
What these numbers mean
RS rating (1-99) ranks a fund's recent momentum against its category - higher is stronger right now. King Score (0-100) is a long-term quality composite (returns, consistency, drawdown, risk-adjusted return) versus peers. Max drawdown is the worst peak-to-bottom fall the fund has ever experienced. Rolling returns test every possible start date, so one lucky (or unlucky) entry point can't distort the picture. Every formula behind this page is public - see how we calculate every number.
Axis Credit Risk Fund review: the bottom line
Related
Frequently asked questions
Is Axis Credit Risk Fund a good mutual fund?
That depends on your goals and risk tolerance - this is descriptive research, not advice. On the numbers, Axis Credit Risk Fund scores 84/100 on our King Score and RS 87/99 within its category, has compounded 8.78% a year over three years, and its worst drawdown was -3.48%. Compare those against your needs and the peer table above.
What is the NAV of Axis Credit Risk Fund today?
The latest NAV is ₹26.43 (as of 2026-09-16). NAV (net asset value) is the per-unit price of the fund, published every business day by the AMC.
What is the last 10 years return of Axis Credit Risk Fund?
Over the last 10 years Axis Credit Risk Fund has returned about 7.72% a year (CAGR). In rupees: ₹1 lakh invested 10 years ago would be roughly ₹2.1 lakh today, before tax. See the year-by-year table above for how uneven the ride was.
What is the expense ratio of Axis Credit Risk Fund?
The Direct-plan expense ratio is 0.8% a year. The Direct plan is cheaper than the Regular plan because it carries no distributor commission - over decades that gap compounds meaningfully.
Who is the fund manager of Axis Credit Risk Fund?
Axis Credit Risk Fund is managed by Devang Shah; Akhil Thakker.
Is Axis Credit Risk Fund safe? How risky is it?
No market-linked fund is 'safe' in the fixed-deposit sense - the honest question is how deep its falls get. Its worst historical drawdown was -3.48% - ₹1 lakh briefly becoming about ₹96,520. As a debt fund, its risk profile is typical of that category. Look at the drawdown, volatility and bear-market figures above and ask whether you could stay invested through the bad stretches.
Is Axis Credit Risk Fund good for SIP?
We can't tell you what to do, but here is what actually happened: a ₹10,000 monthly SIP over the last 10 years grew ₹12.1 lakh into about ₹18.1 lakh (XIRR 7.85%). SIPs average your entry price, which helps most in funds that swing hard - check the crash-behaviour section above to see how it treats investors in bad markets.
What are the SIP returns of Axis Credit Risk Fund?
A ₹10,000/month SIP over 10 years would have grown to about ₹1,813,800 (an XIRR of 7.85%) on ₹1,210,000 invested, using the fund's actual NAV history. See the SIP table above for other durations.
How does Axis Credit Risk Fund rank among similar funds?
On 3-year returns it sits around the 84th percentile of its category, and its consistency ranks 73th percentile. 100th is best-in-class, 50th is average. See the category-ranking section above.
Is Axis Credit Risk Fund tax-efficient / what about capital gains?
As a debt fund, gains follow the rules for its asset class - equity-oriented funds are taxed differently from debt. All returns on this page are pre-tax; your actual post-tax return depends on your holding period and slab. This is descriptive information, not tax advice.
Direct or Regular plan - which is shown here?
All figures on this page are for the Direct-Growth plan (no distributor commission, lower cost). Returns are pre-tax; capital-gains tax depends on your own holding period and slab.
See Axis Credit Risk Fund live in the MF Terminal
Everything above is a static snapshot. The terminal is where you actually research it:
- Interactive price chart with EMAs & RSI
- The RS line plotted against its benchmark
- Full holdings, sector mix & portfolio overlap
- Point-in-time backtester & portfolio doctor
- Compare it side-by-side with any peer
- Screen 1,600+ funds on the same metrics
Data: AMFI NAV history, NSE indices, BSE StAR and monthly disclosures. All figures are pre-tax. Descriptive research and education only - nothing here is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any fund. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.