The SBI CRISIL IBX Gilt Index - June 2036 Fund recorded a 3.3% return over the last three months, outpacing other debt-oriented index funds. Investors should note that performance rankings frequently shift across different timeframes and benchmarks. Evaluating both short-term gains and long-term consistency remains important for fixed-income portfolios.
The SBI CRISIL IBX Gilt Index - June 2036 Fund has recorded the highest returns among debt-oriented index mutual funds over a three-month period, according to industry data as of July 29, 2026. The fund delivered a 3.3% return, positioning it ahead of other notable schemes in the category. For comparison, the Kotak Nifty SDL Apr 2032 Top 12 Equal Weight Index Fund reported a 3.2% return, while the SBI CRISIL IBX Gilt Index - Apr 2029 Fund posted a 1.8% gain during the same period.
Consistency Against Benchmarks
When evaluating debt funds, investors often look at how closely a fund follows its benchmark index and whether it manages to add extra value. The SBI CRISIL IBX Gilt Index - June 2036 Fund has demonstrated a track record of outperforming its specific benchmark. On a one-year basis, the fund delivered returns that exceeded its benchmark by 2.0 percentage points, with the benchmark itself returning 2.4%. Over a three-year period, the fund achieved a 7.7% return, surpassing its benchmark’s 6.8% yield by 0.9 percentage points.
Understanding Performance Fluctuations
Performance leaders in the debt index space often change depending on the time horizon being measured. While the SBI June 2036 Gilt fund leads in the three-month and three-year categories, other funds have shown strength over different intervals. For example, the Kotak Nifty SDL Apr 2032 Top 12 Equal Weight Index Fund achieved a 3.9% return over a six-month horizon, making it the top performer for that specific period. Additionally, the SBI CRISIL IBX SDL Index - Sep 2027 Fund topped the one-year leaderboard with a 5.6% return.
Fund Size and Portfolio Context
The data focused on funds with a minimum Assets Under Management (AUM) of Rs 1,500 crore to ensure a relevant comparison among larger schemes. Within this segment, the ICICI Pru Nifty PSU Bond Plus SDL Sep 2027 40:60 Index Fund remains the largest by size, managing a corpus of Rs 8,089.0 crore. Since index funds are designed to mirror an underlying index, their primary goal is to minimize tracking difference while providing exposure to specific government or corporate debt securities. Investors may track the consistency of these returns across multiple timeframes rather than focusing on a single period, as interest rate cycles and bond price movements can significantly impact debt fund performance.