New Delhi, Aug. 27 -- Equity mutual funds offer investors exposure to multiple stocks through a single mutual fund scheme. Depending on the category and investment mandate, these funds can invest across large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap stocks, or follow strategies focused on value, contrarian, sectors or themes.

According to the latest data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) for July 2026, there are 573 schemes in the equity fund category. Sectoral and thematic funds account for the largest share, with 251 schemes.

When diversified equity funds (excluding sectoral/ thematic funds) are compared based on their 10-year SIP returns, small-cap and mid-cap funds feature prominently among the top performers, according to Valu...