Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund
Ultra Short Duration Fund · Axis Asset Management Co. Ltd.
Among the 188 similar ultra short duration 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 5 years would have put in ₹6.1 lakh and grown it to about ₹7.3 lakh. Be warned: in its worst stretch, ₹1 lakh briefly shrank to about ₹99,190. 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 Ultra Short Duration Fund is a ultra short duration fund from Axis Asset Management Co. Ltd.. It has a track record of about 8.0 years. As of the latest data it carries an RS rating of 96/99 (its recent momentum versus category peers) and a King Score of 91/100 (a long-term quality composite). The current NAV is ₹16.93 (as of 2026-09-16).
Growth of ₹100 - last 5 years
Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund returns: last 1, 3, 5 and 10 years
| Period | This fund | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 0.58% | 0.54% |
| 3 months | 1.91% | 1.84% |
| 6 months | 3.64% | 3.56% |
| 1 year | 6.89% | 6.7% |
| 3 years (CAGR) | 7.46% | 7.23% |
| 5 years (CAGR) | 6.77% | 6.54% |
The last 5 years return is 6.77% a year (₹1 lakh → ₹1.4 lakh), and the last 3 years return is 7.46% - ahead of its category's 7.23% average by 0.2 points. Its trailing one-year return is 6.89%. 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 Ultra Short Durat | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +8.6% | n/a |
| 2020 | +6.2% | n/a |
| 2021 | +4.1% | n/a |
| 2022 | +5.1% | n/a |
| 2023 | +7.5% | n/a |
| 2024 | +7.9% | n/a |
| 2025 | +7.5% | n/a |
| 2026 | +4.9% | 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 Ultra Short Duration 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 | ₹413,033 | 7.28% |
| 5 years | ₹610,000 | ₹732,170 | 7.23% |
Over 5 years, ₹610,000 invested in monthly instalments would have grown to about ₹732,170 - an XIRR of 7.23%. Figures are pre-tax and assume you stayed invested throughout.
Risk & drawdowns
| Measure | This fund | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| Worst drawdown (lifetime) | -0.81% | -3.12% |
| Worst drawdown (3Y) | -0.09% | -0.06% |
| Volatility (1Y) | 0.92% | 0.87% |
| Sharpe (3Y) | 1.72 | 1.35 |
| Bull-market return | 7.1% | 7.06% |
| Bear-market return | 8.7% | 7.31% |
Timing matters more than people admit: the best possible 1-year stretch in Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund (starting 2018-11-02) gained 9.2%, while the worst (starting 2021-05-17) still made 3.8%. The worst peak-to-bottom fall Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund has ever put investors through is -0.81% - the real test of whether you'd have stayed invested. In falling markets (Nifty below its 200-day average) it has returned about 8.7% annualised, versus 7.1% in rising markets.
How Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund behaves when markets fall
When the market is falling (the Nifty below its 200-day average), Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund has historically returned about 8.7% annualised, versus roughly 7.1% when the market is rising. Its deepest fall on record is -0.81%. Right now it sits about 0.0% at or above its all-time high (last hit 2026-09-16). The real question isn't the average year - it's whether you could hold on through the worst one.
How Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund ranks in its category
Percentile versus its ~188 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 | 6.14% |
| 3Y windows positive | 100.0% |
| Worst 3Y window | 5.04% |
| Median 5Y rolling CAGR | 6.24% |
Instead of one lucky start date, rolling returns test every start date. Across all 3-year windows in its history, Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund returned a median of 6.14% a year, and 100.0% of those windows were positive.
Who manages Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund - and how good are they?
Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund is managed by Sachin Jain and Hardik Shah. 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.
Sachin Jain's full record
Sachin Jain currently runs 8 funds, across Arbitrage Fund, Conservative Hybrid Fund, Index Funds, Liquid Fund and more, with about ₹76,855 Cr under management. The book's average King Score is 68.6/100. This fund is the highest-scored fund they run (King 91/100).
Tap any column heading to sort.
| # | Fund | RS | King | 3M | 6M | 1Y | 3Y CAGR | 5Y CAGR | 10Y CAGR | Sharpe | Roll 3Y | Worst fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund (this page) | 96 | 91 | 1.9% | 3.6% | 6.9% | 7.5% | 6.8% | n/a | 1.72 | 6.1% | -0.8% |
| 2 | Axis Liquid Fund | 98 | 89 | 1.7% | 3.5% | 6.7% | 7.0% | 6.4% | 6.2% | 1.41 | 7.0% | -0.2% |
| 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 CRISIL IBX 50 50 Gilt Plus SDL September 2027 Index Fund | 77 | 78 | 1.5% | 2.8% | 5.9% | 7.4% | n/a | n/a | 0.99 | 7.3% | -0.4% |
| 5 | Axis Arbitrage Fund | 85 | 77 | 1.6% | 3.1% | 6.7% | 7.4% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 0.89 | 6.7% | -0.6% |
| 6 | Axis Nifty SDL September 2026 Debt Index Fund | 75 | 74 | 1.4% | 2.8% | 5.8% | 7.2% | n/a | n/a | 1.04 | 7.5% | -0.3% |
| 7 | Axis Conservative Hybrid Fund | 43 | 38 | 0.4% | -1.6% | -3.2% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.8% | -0.98 | 1.8% | -17.6% |
| 8 | Axis Conservative Hybrid Fund | 21 | 17 | -1.2% | -2.1% | -4.1% | -1.9% | -2.3% | -0.5% | -1.42 | 0.6% | -15.4% |
Hardik Shah's full record
Hardik Shah currently runs 10 funds, across Dynamic Bond, Floater Fund, FoF Domestic, Index Funds and more, with about ₹10,512 Cr under management. The book's average King Score is 70.1/100. This fund is the highest-scored fund they run (King 91/100).
Tap any column heading to sort.
| # | Fund | RS | King | 3M | 6M | 1Y | 3Y CAGR | 5Y CAGR | 10Y CAGR | Sharpe | Roll 3Y | Worst fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund (this page) | 96 | 91 | 1.9% | 3.6% | 6.9% | 7.5% | 6.8% | n/a | 1.72 | 6.1% | -0.8% |
| 2 | Axis Dynamic Bond Fund | 92 | 82 | 1.6% | 3.4% | 6.4% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 7.4% | 0.43 | 8.2% | -7.1% |
| 3 | Axis Long Duration Fund | 79 | 81 | 0.7% | 1.8% | 2.4% | 5.7% | n/a | n/a | -0.19 | 6.5% | -5.6% |
| 4 | Axis Floater Fund | 99 | 80 | 2.2% | 4.0% | 7.3% | 8.3% | 7.2% | n/a | 0.78 | 8.1% | -1.3% |
| 5 | Axis CRISIL IBX SDL May 2027 Index Fund | 82 | 78 | 1.6% | 3.0% | 6.3% | 7.5% | n/a | n/a | 1.07 | 7.8% | -3.6% |
| 6 | Axis CRISIL IBX 50 50 Gilt Plus SDL June 2028 Index Fund | 75 | 76 | 1.5% | 2.5% | 5.8% | 7.4% | n/a | n/a | 0.78 | 7.5% | -0.8% |
| 7 | 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% |
| 8 | Axis Retirement Fund - Dynamic | 45 | 62 | 0.5% | 5.6% | -1.7% | 11.0% | 7.7% | n/a | 0.36 | 14.3% | -17.1% |
| 9 | Axis Retirement Fund - Conservative | 24 | 52 | -0.3% | -0.1% | -0.3% | 7.1% | 6.0% | n/a | 0.1 | 9.7% | -12.7% |
| 10 | 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% |
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) | 0.39% |
| Exit load | No exit load |
| Minimum investment | ₹100 |
| Fund size (AUM) | ₹3,146 Cr |
| Age | 8.0 years |
| Plan / Option | Direct · Growth |
How Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund compares to peers
| Fund | RS | King | 3Y CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirae Asset Ultra Short Duration Fund | 94 | 94 | 7.4% |
| Tata Ultra Short Term Fund | 98 | 93 | 7.5% |
| Sundaram Ultra Short Duration Fund (Formerly Known as Principal Ultra Short Term Fund) | 89 | 90 | 7.3% |
| Mahindra Manulife Ultra Short Duration Fund | 89 | 89 | 7.3% |
| DSP Ultra Short Fund | 95 | 86 | 7.4% |
| WhiteOak Capital Ultra Short Duration Fund | 83 | 85 | 7.0% |
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 Ultra Short Duration Fund review: the bottom line
Related
Frequently asked questions
Is Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund a good mutual fund?
That depends on your goals and risk tolerance - this is descriptive research, not advice. On the numbers, Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund scores 91/100 on our King Score and RS 96/99 within its category, has compounded 7.46% a year over three years, and its worst drawdown was -0.81%. Compare those against your needs and the peer table above.
What is the NAV of Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund today?
The latest NAV is ₹16.93 (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 expense ratio of Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund?
The Direct-plan expense ratio is 0.39% 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 Ultra Short Duration Fund?
Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund is managed by Sachin Jain; Hardik Shah.
Is Axis Ultra Short Duration 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 -0.81% - ₹1 lakh briefly becoming about ₹99,190. 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 Ultra Short Duration 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 5 years grew ₹6.1 lakh into about ₹7.3 lakh (XIRR 7.23%). 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 Ultra Short Duration Fund?
A ₹10,000/month SIP over 5 years would have grown to about ₹732,170 (an XIRR of 7.23%) on ₹610,000 invested, using the fund's actual NAV history. See the SIP table above for other durations.
How does Axis Ultra Short Duration Fund rank among similar funds?
On 3-year returns it sits around the 98th percentile of its category, and its consistency ranks 81th percentile. 100th is best-in-class, 50th is average. See the category-ranking section above.
Is Axis Ultra Short Duration 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 Ultra Short Duration 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.