DSP Short Term Fund
Short Duration Fund · DSP Asset Managers Private Limited
Among the 148 similar 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 10 years would have put in ₹12.1 lakh and grown it to about ₹17.1 lakh. Be warned: in its worst stretch, ₹1 lakh briefly shrank to about ₹97,250. 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.DSP Short Term Fund is a short duration fund from DSP Asset Managers Private Limited. It has a track record of about 13.7 years. As of the latest data it carries an RS rating of 73/99 (its recent momentum versus category peers) and a King Score of 74/100 (a long-term quality composite). The current NAV is ₹54.0 (as of 2026-09-16).
Growth of ₹100 - last 5 years
DSP Short Term Fund returns: last 1, 3, 5 and 10 years
| Period | This fund | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | -0.19% | -0.05% |
| 3 months | 1.22% | 1.33% |
| 6 months | 2.77% | 2.93% |
| 1 year | 5.39% | 5.66% |
| 3 years (CAGR) | 7.22% | 7.44% |
| 5 years (CAGR) | 6.23% | 6.8% |
| 10 years (CAGR) | 6.97% | 7.05% |
The last 10 years return of DSP Short Term Fund works out to 6.97% a year (CAGR) - ₹1 lakh invested 10 years ago would be about ₹2 lakh today. The last 5 years return is 6.23% a year (₹1 lakh → ₹1.4 lakh), and the last 3 years return is 7.22% - behind its category's 7.44% average by 0.2 points. Its trailing one-year return is 5.39%. 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 | DSP Short Term Fund | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +6.6% | n/a |
| 2019 | +9.9% | n/a |
| 2020 | +10.2% | n/a |
| 2021 | +3.5% | n/a |
| 2022 | +3.6% | n/a |
| 2023 | +7.3% | n/a |
| 2024 | +8.3% | n/a |
| 2025 | +7.8% | n/a |
| 2026 | +3.6% | 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 DSP Short Term 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 | ₹409,595 | 6.72% |
| 5 years | ₹610,000 | ₹724,772 | 6.83% |
| 10 years | ₹1,210,000 | ₹1,714,615 | 6.78% |
Over 10 years, ₹1,210,000 invested in monthly instalments would have grown to about ₹1,714,615 - an XIRR of 6.78%. Figures are pre-tax and assume you stayed invested throughout.
Risk & drawdowns
| Measure | This fund | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| Worst drawdown (lifetime) | -2.75% | -3.48% |
| Worst drawdown (3Y) | -0.66% | -0.52% |
| Volatility (1Y) | 1.68% | 1.48% |
| Sharpe (3Y) | 0.66 | 0.83 |
| Bull-market return | 7.1% | 7.56% |
| Bear-market return | 9.0% | 8.33% |
Timing matters more than people admit: the best possible 1-year stretch in DSP Short Term Fund (starting 2014-01-31) gained 12.0%, while the worst (starting 2021-06-14) still made 2.2%. The worst peak-to-bottom fall DSP Short Term Fund has ever put investors through is -2.75% - the real test of whether you'd have stayed invested. In falling markets (Nifty below its 200-day average) it has returned about 9.0% annualised, versus 7.1% in rising markets.
How DSP Short Term Fund behaves when markets fall
When the market is falling (the Nifty below its 200-day average), DSP Short Term Fund has historically returned about 9.0% annualised, versus roughly 7.1% when the market is rising. Its deepest fall on record is -2.75%. Right now it sits about 0.19% below its all-time high (last hit 2026-08-14). The real question isn't the average year - it's whether you could hold on through the worst one.
How DSP Short Term Fund ranks in its category
Percentile versus its ~148 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 | 7.73% |
| 3Y windows positive | 100.0% |
| Worst 3Y window | 4.55% |
| Median 5Y rolling CAGR | 7.14% |
| Median 10Y rolling CAGR | 7.55% |
Instead of one lucky start date, rolling returns test every start date. Across all 3-year windows in its history, DSP Short Term Fund returned a median of 7.73% a year, and 100.0% of those windows were positive.
Who manages DSP Short Term Fund - and how good are they?
DSP Short Term Fund is managed by Karan Mundhra and Shantanu Godambe. 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.
Karan Mundhra's full record
Karan Mundhra currently runs 5 funds, across Arbitrage Fund, Liquid Fund, Overnight Fund, Short Duration Fund and more, with about ₹32,218 Cr under management. The book's average King Score is 80.8/100. Their strongest fund by King Score is DSP Liquidity Fund (88/100); DSP Short Term Fund ranks #4 of 5 in their book.
Tap any column heading to sort.
| # | Fund | RS | King | 3M | 6M | 1Y | 3Y CAGR | 5Y CAGR | 10Y CAGR | Sharpe | Roll 3Y | Worst fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DSP Liquidity Fund | 96 | 88 | 1.7% | 3.5% | 6.6% | 7.0% | 6.4% | 6.1% | 1.37 | 6.9% | -0.2% |
| 2 | DSP Ultra Short Fund | 95 | 86 | 1.9% | 3.6% | 6.8% | 7.4% | 6.7% | 6.4% | 1.68 | 6.9% | -1.1% |
| 3 | DSP Overnight Fund | 85 | 84 | 1.3% | 2.6% | 5.3% | 6.1% | 5.7% | n/a | -1.62 | 5.2% | 0.0% |
| 4 | DSP Short Term Fund (this page) | 73 | 74 | 1.2% | 2.8% | 5.4% | 7.2% | 6.2% | 7.0% | 0.66 | 7.7% | -2.8% |
| 5 | DSP Arbitrage Fund | 75 | 72 | 1.6% | 3.0% | 6.5% | 7.2% | 6.6% | n/a | 0.74 | 5.7% | -0.6% |
Shantanu Godambe's full record
Shantanu Godambe currently runs 11 funds, across Aggressive Hybrid Fund, Corporate Bond Fund, Dynamic Asset Allocation or Balanced Advantage, FoF Domestic and more, with about ₹24,646 Cr under management. The book's average King Score is 71.6/100. Their strongest fund by King Score is DSP Corporate Bond Fund (85/100); DSP Short Term Fund ranks #7 of 11 in their book.
Tap any column heading to sort.
| # | Fund | RS | King | 3M | 6M | 1Y | 3Y CAGR | 5Y CAGR | 10Y CAGR | Sharpe | Roll 3Y | Worst fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DSP Corporate Bond Fund | 99 | 85 | 1.8% | 3.3% | 6.2% | 7.4% | 6.0% | n/a | 1.14 | 5.7% | -3.2% |
| 2 | DSP Overnight Fund | 85 | 84 | 1.3% | 2.6% | 5.3% | 6.1% | 5.7% | n/a | -1.62 | 5.2% | 0.0% |
| 3 | DSP Gilt Fund | 89 | 82 | 1.7% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 6.7% | 6.0% | 7.4% | 0.04 | 8.1% | -7.6% |
| 4 | DSP Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund | 80 | 81 | 0.3% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 10.2% | 8.6% | 9.4% | 0.6 | 10.2% | -19.3% |
| 5 | DSP Nifty SDL Plus G-Sec Sep 2027 50 50 Index Fund | 77 | 80 | 1.5% | 2.7% | 5.9% | 7.4% | n/a | n/a | 1.02 | 7.4% | -0.3% |
| 6 | DSP Nifty SDL Plus G-Sec Jun 2028 30 70 Index Fund | 71 | 76 | 1.4% | 2.5% | 5.7% | 7.4% | n/a | n/a | 0.86 | 8.0% | -2.7% |
| 7 | DSP Short Term Fund (this page) | 73 | 74 | 1.2% | 2.8% | 5.4% | 7.2% | 6.2% | 7.0% | 0.66 | 7.7% | -2.8% |
| 8 | DSP CRISIL-IBX 50 50 Gilt Plus SDL - April 2033 Index Fund | 60 | 67 | 0.8% | 2.2% | 5.0% | 7.2% | n/a | n/a | 0.34 | 7.7% | -1.8% |
| 9 | DSP Aggressive Hybrid Fund | 28 | 58 | -1.6% | 0.2% | -4.2% | 9.2% | 8.4% | 11.7% | 0.26 | 14.6% | -28.8% |
| 10 | DSP 10Y G-Sec Fund | 50 | 53 | 0.3% | 0.9% | 2.1% | 6.2% | 4.9% | 6.2% | -0.09 | 7.2% | -5.5% |
| 11 | DSP Income Plus Arbitrage Omni FoF | 44 | 48 | 1.2% | 2.6% | 5.2% | 9.6% | 6.0% | 8.2% | 0.46 | 7.6% | -17.0% |
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) | 0.3% |
| Exit load | ≈1% if redeemed within 1 year (typical) |
| Minimum investment | ₹100 |
| Fund size (AUM) | ₹2,752 Cr |
| Age | 13.7 years |
| Plan / Option | Direct · Growth |
How DSP Short Term Fund compares to peers
| Fund | RS | King | 3Y CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahindra Manulife Short Duration Fund | 94 | 89 | 7.7% |
| Axis Short Duration Fund | 96 | 86 | 7.8% |
| Sundaram Short Duration Fund (Formerly Known as Principal Short Term Debt Fund) | 87 | 86 | 7.4% |
| Bandhan Short Duration Fund | 99 | 85 | 7.7% |
| Baroda BNP Paribas Short Duration Fund | 95 | 84 | 7.5% |
| ICICI Prudential Short Term Fund | 97 | 83 | 7.8% |
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.
DSP Short Term Fund review: the bottom line
Related
Frequently asked questions
Is DSP Short Term Fund a good mutual fund?
That depends on your goals and risk tolerance - this is descriptive research, not advice. On the numbers, DSP Short Term Fund scores 74/100 on our King Score and RS 73/99 within its category, has compounded 7.22% a year over three years, and its worst drawdown was -2.75%. Compare those against your needs and the peer table above.
What is the NAV of DSP Short Term Fund today?
The latest NAV is ₹54.0 (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 DSP Short Term Fund?
Over the last 10 years DSP Short Term Fund has returned about 6.97% a year (CAGR). In rupees: ₹1 lakh invested 10 years ago would be roughly ₹2 lakh today, before tax. See the year-by-year table above for how uneven the ride was.
What is the expense ratio of DSP Short Term Fund?
The Direct-plan expense ratio is 0.3% 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 DSP Short Term Fund?
DSP Short Term Fund is managed by Karan Mundhra; Shantanu Godambe.
Is DSP Short Term 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 -2.75% - ₹1 lakh briefly becoming about ₹97,250. 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 DSP Short Term 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 ₹17.1 lakh (XIRR 6.78%). 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 DSP Short Term Fund?
A ₹10,000/month SIP over 10 years would have grown to about ₹1,714,615 (an XIRR of 6.78%) on ₹1,210,000 invested, using the fund's actual NAV history. See the SIP table above for other durations.
How does DSP Short Term Fund rank among similar funds?
On 3-year returns it sits around the 79th percentile of its category, and its consistency ranks 72th percentile. 100th is best-in-class, 50th is average. See the category-ranking section above.
Is DSP Short Term 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 DSP Short Term 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.