Mutual funds are often considered by investors who are exploring market-linked instruments aligned with different financial goals and time horizons. Instead of investing directly in individual securities, mutual funds pool money from multiple investors and allocate it across assets such as equities, debt instruments, or a mix of both, based on the scheme’s stated objective. 

Understanding mutual funds as a structured investment option

This structure may help investors participate in the markets in a more organised manner while relying on professional fund management.

What mutual funds represent in an investment journey

At their core, mutual funds are collective investment vehicles. Each investor holds units that represent a proportionate share of the scheme’s portfolio. The value of these units fluctuates based on the market value of the underlying assets. This structure may suit individuals who prefer a managed approach rather than tracking and transacting in individual securities themselves.

Mutual funds are offered across categories to align with varying investment horizons and risk profiles. These categories may include equity-oriented schemes, debt-oriented schemes, and hybrid schemes. The suitability of any category depends on factors such as financial objectives, time horizon, and comfort with market volatility.

How diversification plays a role
One of the key structural features of mutual funds is diversification. By investing across multiple securities, sectors, or maturities, a scheme may reduce the impact of adverse movement in a single investment. This does not eliminate risk, but the likelihood of concentration-related volatility may reduce when investments are spread across assets.

Diversification works differently across categories. For instance, equity-oriented schemes may diversify across industries, while debt-oriented schemes may diversify across issuers and maturity profiles. Investors may choose schemes based on how this diversification aligns with their expectations and financial planning approach.

Investment approaches within mutual funds
Investors may participate in mutual funds through different investment methods. A lump sum approach involves investing a larger amount at one time, while an SIP allows investments at regular intervals. An SIP may suit individuals who prefer staggered investments over time rather than committing a larger amount upfront.

The choice between these approaches may depend on cash flow patterns, market conditions, and personal preference. It is important to note that each method carries market-related risks and outcomes may vary.

Understanding returns and performance measurement
Returns from mutual funds depend on multiple factors, including asset allocation, market movement, and expense ratios. Performance is generally measured over different time frames to provide context on how the scheme has behaved historically.

While historical data may offer perspective, it should not be viewed in isolation. Investors often compare scheme performance against benchmarks or peer averages to understand relative behaviour, though such comparisons are indicative and not predictive.

Past performance may or may not be sustained in future.

Costs and expense considerations
Mutual funds charge an expense ratio, which covers fund management and operational costs. This expense is deducted from the scheme’s assets and may impact overall returns over time. Lower expenses do not automatically translate to better outcomes, but understanding cost structures may help investors make informed comparisons.

Direct and regular plans also differ in expense structures, which may influence long-term outcomes. Investors may review these aspects based on their investment approach and preference for advisory support.

Role of risk and time horizon
All mutual funds are subject to market risks. Equity-oriented schemes may exhibit higher volatility over shorter periods, while debt-oriented schemes may be sensitive to interest rate movements and credit risk. Hybrid schemes combine elements of both, but still carry market-linked uncertainty.

The time horizon plays a significant role in how these risks manifest. Longer investment horizons may allow periods of volatility to smoothen out, whereas shorter horizons may be more sensitive to market fluctuations. Aligning investment horizons with scheme characteristics is an important consideration.

Using tools to estimate potential outcomes
Investors sometimes use tools such as a mutual fund returns calculator to estimate how an investment amount might grow over time under assumed return scenarios. Such tools typically allow users to input variables like investment amount, duration, and expected rate of return to generate illustrative projections.

The calculator is an aid, not a prediction tool. It may provide only an indicative picture.

While a mutual fund returns calculator may help in visualising potential outcomes, it does not account for real-time market conditions or future uncertainties. These projections should therefore be viewed as broad illustrations rather than forecasts.

Factors investors may evaluate before choosing mutual funds
Before selecting mutual funds, investors often evaluate multiple aspects such as scheme objective, asset allocation, historical behaviour across market cycles, expense ratios, and alignment with personal financial goals. Risk appetite and liquidity needs also influence this evaluation.

It may be useful to review scheme documents carefully to understand how the fund is structured and managed. Decisions are generally more effective when made in the context of an overall financial plan rather than in isolation.

Conclusion
Mutual funds offer a structured way to participate in financial markets across different asset classes and investment styles. Their diversified nature, professional management, and variety of categories may suit investors with varying objectives and horizons. However, outcomes remain linked to market movements and individual scheme characteristics. A thoughtful evaluation of goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon, along with a clear understanding of how mutual funds function, may support more informed investment decisions.

Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

• 55 national final teams from 9 cities & 50 villages across India will travel to Bengaluru

• Scholarships worth 25 lakh shall be awarded to around 200 ELevate winners for their higher education

Enabling Leadership, a non-profit organisation working to equip children from underserved communities with essential life and leadership skills, will host the ELevate 2026 National Finals on February 7 & 8 at the Reva University Campus in Bengaluru. Now in its fourth edition, ELevate has grown into India’s largest mixed-gender football league, the country’s biggest competition for original music compositions, and a national showcase of creativity and innovation through building-block challenges.

Regional Finalists from one of the villages presenting their original composition during the EL Create Regional event

The ELevate 2026 National Finals will be graced by Ms. Meena Chaturvedi, Vice Chair, Gainwell Group as Chief Guest, and Sri. Vikas Kishor Suralkar, I.A.S. Commissioner for School Education, Govt. of Karnataka as the Guest of Honour, who will join educators, donors, partners, volunteers, and supporters in celebrating the achievements of India’s future leaders.

The ELevate journey began over six months ago for the children with qualifiers and regional leagues conducted across 9 cities and 50 villages. More than 10,000 children from government and low-income schools participated in mixed-gender football matches, original music composition abd performance competitions, and building block challenges — demonstrating exceptional teamwork, resilience, and decision-making.

Speaking about the National Finals, Ravi Sonnad, CEO, Enabling Leadership, shares: “ELevate is not about winning trophies. It’s about what children learn about themselves along the way — confidence, courage, teamwork, and the belief that given the right opportunity, they can define their own futures. The awards Enabling Leadership has received in recent months recognise the scale and depth of our work, but ELevate represents its heart. When 650 children step onto a national stage — competing, collaborating, and presenting impact projects — they embody leadership in its truest form. With scholarships supporting their higher education journeys, we are ensuring that talent is met with opportunity.”

From this nationwide journey, 650 outstanding students emerged as National Finalists, representing 55 teams that will now compete at the ELevate 2026 National Finals in Bengaluru. In recognition of both excellence and potential, scholarships worth Rs. 25 lakh will be awarded to approximately 200 national winners, supporting their access to higher education and helping remove financial barriers to their future aspirations.

What sets ELevate apart is its focus on leadership beyond the field and stage. Alongside the competitions, students present impact projects — real-world initiatives designed and implemented by the children themselves to address issues in their schools and communities. These projects reflect the practical application of leadership skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, empathy, and initiative, nurtured through Enabling Leadership’s year-long programs.

Through football, music, and creative problem-solving, ELevate enables children to experience equality in action, challenge stereotypes, and discover their own voice.

About Enabling Leadership

Enabling Leadership is a global non-profit organisation that equips children from under-served backgrounds with the essential Life and Leadership skills necessary for them to work themselves out of the cycle of poverty and become productive and responsible adults.

The organisation currently reaches around 10,000 children across 7 cities and 45 villages in India, Cambodia, Singapore and Kenya. Its programs use the mediums of music (Enabling Leadership Create), football (Enabling Leadership Play) and Lego-type building blocks (Enabling Leadership Build) to inculcate 21st century skills, values and attitudes so students grow to be tomorrow’s role models, global citizens, and change makers.

For more details, please visit: enablingleadership.org.

tridorian, the region’s premier people-centric Google Cloud Partner, today announced its official launch into the United States with a new regional headquarters in Chicago. This milestone follows a period of hyper-growth built primarily in Singapore and Thailand, where the firm scaled to $15.6M ARR in just 24 months before expanding operations across Southeast Asia. tridorian is now one of the region’s fastest-growing digital transformation firms.

The U.S launch reflects growing global demand for the capabilities tridorian has developed in Southeast Asia: helping organizations move beyond experimentation to deploy secure, governed AI systems in production, grounded in real data and integrated into everyday business workflows. Rather than signaling a shift away from the region, the expansion represents the next chapter of what the team has built together.

Across Southeast Asia, tridorian has worked closely with enterprises in regulated and high-growth sectors to modernize cloud foundations, migrate and optimize critical workloads, and prepare data platforms for AI at scale, laying the groundwork for reliable, production-ready systems.

“We built this in Southeast Asia, together with our customers and our teams,” said Jimmy Jigmo, Chief Executive Officer of tridorian. “Reaching $15.6M ARR across two countries in two years wasn’t about chasing trends—it came from doing the hard work of making AI operate reliably in real environments. Being invited to bring that approach into the U.S. is something we’re proud of. It shows that what we’ve built here stands up on a global stage.”

tridorian’s execution-led approach is reflected in customer outcomes delivered across the region. In Singapore, Ryobi-G partnered with tridorian to build a real-time monitoring system on Google Cloud, achieving 99% availability, doubling project capacity, and reducing deployment time by more than 50%, while Nanyang Inc. transformed fragmented order processing into an automated system with agents, saving 850 hours monthly, boosted client retention by 65%, achieving a 257% ROI in its first year. In Thailand, Thai Wacoal successfully accelerated its ‘trend-to-market’ cycle by automating product content generation and brand reviews, significantly reducing manual tasks and unlocking strategic capacity for its creative teams. Shop Global implemented an AI-powered search and personal shopper experience, driving a 20% topline revenue increase, while in Indonesia, FDC Dental Clinic modernized patient journeys, cutting down patient booking time by 87%.

“The opportunity for transformation is vast,” said Andhika, Chief Revenue Officer at tridorian. “Whether in Singapore or Chicago, leaders are asking the same question: ‘How do we rethink our business in the AI-Native era?’ We’ve answered that question countless times across the Asia Pacific. Now we’re bringing those playbooks to the U.S.”

tridorian will continue investing in regional capabilities, talent, and delivery excellence across Southeast Asia, while expanding its global footprint to support customers with increasingly complex transformation programs.
 

About tridorian
tridorian is a Google Cloud-focused services and solutions company helping organizations modernize platforms, data, and applications. As a people-centric Google Cloud Premier Partner, tridorian specializes in building secure, governed AI systems designed for production. With operations spanning eight countries and customers across 14, tridorian ensures that technology only succeeds when the people using it do.
 

tridorian.com | www.linkedin.com/company/tridorian.

The Indian economy has the potential to become the world’s third-largest economy within the next two to three years. The opportunities are already presenting themselves. Trade agreements signed with the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union are expected to give a major boost to exports. However, there was an expectation that the latest Union Budget would announce concrete measures to encourage investments by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in India, as well as to increase investment in India’s retail sector, said Dr. Dhananjay Datar, Chairman of Adil Group of Super Stores (Dubai) and popularly known as the “Masala King”.

Dr. Dhananjay Datar, Chairman, Adil Group of Super Stores, Dubai

Welcoming the Union Budget announced today, he said, “The retail sector holds immense latent potential to significantly strengthen the Indian economy. However, India has very few professionals in this sector, and those who do exist are unable to compete effectively in international markets due to the burden of high taxation. As a solution, the government should reduce the tax burden on professionals and the common public, and encourage NRIs as well as international businesses to invest directly in India’s retail sector.”

He further added, “Despite India’s massive population and the enormous turnover potential of the retail market, the number of professionals in this sector is still inadequate. As a result, Indians go abroad to do business, while large-scale employment generation does not take place within the country, and local wage levels are not as attractive compared to foreign countries. To address this, if the government attracts NRIs and international businesses to the Indian retail sector by offering tax incentives and encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI), it will lead to the creation of new jobs and both direct and indirect employment. Employees will receive better wages, and as the number of professionals increases, competition will reduce product prices, making goods more affordable for the common consumer. Many NRIs run highly successful businesses across the world, but are reluctant to invest in India. This situation needs to change.”

Highlighting the immense untapped potential of India’s retail sector and the highly promising future ahead for the country, Dr. Datar noted that a few years ago India was a buyer’s market, but today it has transformed into a seller’s market.

VinFast continues to strengthen its presence in the Indian market after being honored by leading industry publications within the Vikatan Group media ecosystem. The company received the titles Investor of the Year and Urban Electric Vehicle of the Year 2026 for its VF 7 model. These awards recognize VinFast’s long-term commitment to India and highlight its market approach through structured investment in electric vehicles and a product portfolio aligned with local demand.

Mr. Pham Sanh Chau, CEO of VinFast Asia (right), received the Nanayam Vikatan Business Star Award from Mr. Muruganandam, Chief Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu

As part of the Business Star Awards organized by the business magazine Nanayam Vikatan, the Investor of the Year title was presented to VinFast in recognition of its long-term, landmark investment commitment to India’s green mobility ecosystem, with a key focus on its electric vehicle manufacturing complex project in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

This investment impressed the jury by demonstrating strong execution capability, strategic clarity, and VinFast’s confidence in India’s manufacturing potential. At the same time, the project helps drive the formation of a new industrial corridor, create jobs, and develop the supplier ecosystem in southern Tamil Nadu, in line with the Make in India initiative and global sustainable development goals.

At the same time, the VinFast VF 7 received the Urban Electric Vehicle of the Year award at the Motor Vikatan Awards 2026, an annual event hosted by the automotive magazine Motor Vikatan. The award reflects positive recognition from industry experts for the electric SUV developed by VinFast to suit urban traffic conditions in India, offering a balance of design, performance, safety standards, and comfort, thereby affirming the company’s product capability and localization strategy in this market.

Nanayam Vikatan and Motor Vikatan are both part of Vikatan Group, a leading magazine ecosystem in South India established in 1926. With strong credibility, a long history, and a large readership, Vikatan awards are regarded as an influential benchmark for the business community, investors, and consumers in the region.

Mr. Pham Sanh Chau, Chief Executive Officer of VinFast Asia, said, “Being recognized in two important award categories demonstrates how VinFast is steadily building its position in India, not only through long term investment commitments but also through products developed to match local conditions and user needs. This recognition provides further momentum for us to accelerate implementation, expand the electric vehicle ecosystem, and maintain a long term partnership with the Indian market.”

Mr. B. Srinivasan, Chief Executive Officer of Vikatan Group, shared, “VinFast India represents the new-age investor—bold in vision, swift in execution, and deeply aligned with India’s growth story. By unravelling the true potential of the port city of Thoothukudi, VinFast India has helped create a conducive industrial ecosystem, played a positive role in employment generation, and restored the city’s importance on India’s manufacturing map. Their investment is not just capital at work, but confidence in India’s future.”

Recognition from Vikatan Group further extends the series of achievements VinFast has received in India in recent years, reflecting the convergence of its investment strategy, local manufacturing capability, and electrified product portfolio, which are gradually establishing a strong brand position in the world’s third-largest automotive market.

After just one year of presence, VinFast has steadily made its mark in India’s electric vehicle market through a long term development strategy, a premium product portfolio, and the establishment of a comprehensive electric vehicle ecosystem covering manufacturing, retail, charging infrastructure, and after sales services. With a firm commitment to innovation, sustainable development, and a user centric approach, VinFast continues to contribute to the transition toward green mobility and the long-term growth of India’s automotive industry.

About VinFast
VinFast (NASDAQ: VFS), a subsidiary of Vingroup JSC, one of Vietnam’s largest conglomerates, is a pure-play electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer with the mission of making EVs accessible to everyone. VinFast’s product lineup today includes a wide range of electric SUVs, e-scooters, and e-buses. 

VinFast is currently embarking on its next growth phase through rapid expansion of its distribution and dealership network globally and increasing its manufacturing capacities with a focus on key markets across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Learn more at: vinfastauto.in

Key Financial Highlights

Aster DM Healthcare for Q3 FY26:

• Revenue for Q3 FY26 grew 13% YoY to INR 1,186 Crs

• Operating EBITDA (ex-Kasaragod) grew 17% YoY to INR 237 Crs. in Q3 FY26

• Operating EBITDA Margins (ex-Kasaragod) stood at 20.2% in Q3 FY26 Vs. 19.3% in Q3 FY25

• Normalised PAT¹ (ex-Kasaragod) grew 22% YoY to INR 98 Crs. In Q3 FY26

Aster + QCIL (Combined Proforma) Performance for Q3 FY26

• Revenue for Q3FY26 grew by 15% to INR 2,366 Cr

• Operating EBITDA grew by 22% to INR 503 Cr

• Operating EBITDA margin stood at 21%

• Post NCLT order, Shareholders’ meeting to be convened between Feb 27 and Mar 13, 2026

Aster DM Healthcare, one of the leading integrated healthcare service providers in India, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025.

Aster DM Healthcare delivers steady Q3 FY26 performance

Commenting on the performance for Q3 FY26, Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder and Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare, said, “As we move closer to the completion of merger between Aster and Quality Care India Limited, the proforma performance of the combined platform remains encouraging. On a proforma basis in Q3 FY26, revenues grew by 15% YoY to Rs. 2,366 Cr and operating EBITDA increased by 22% YoY to Rs. 503 Cr. The combined performance remained largely consistent throughout the three quarters of FY26, supported by strong patient volumes and improving case mix.

Over the past year, the combined entity has added over 560 beds, taking the combined capacity to 10,620 beds across 28 cities, with a pipeline of more than 4,000 additional beds to support long-term growth. With continued focus on strengthening clinical talent, leadership depth, and execution excellence, we remain well positioned to deliver sustainable expansion and provide high-quality, accessible healthcare at scale.

We are also pleased with the progress made on the merger and are confident of shareholders’ approval pursuant to the NCLT order marking an important step in toward creating a scaled, integrated healthcare platform to become the top 3 hospital chains in India.”

On Q3 FY26 performance of Aster DM Healthcare, Dr. Moopen said, “We have delivered a steady performance with revenues increasing 13% YoY to Rs. 1,186 Cr and excluding the impact of the newly commissioned Kasargod facility, operating EBITDA grew 17% year on year, with margins expanding to 20.2%, reflecting strong operating leverage and cost management.”

India Performance Highlights

Overall Business: Double-digit YoY growth in Revenue & Operating EBITDA led by growth in Kerala, strong growth in international revenue and better case mix

• ARPP IP rose 9% YoY to INR 1,22,294 in Q3 FY26, driven by improved specialty mix

• CONGO mix increased by 240 bps to 52% in Q3 FY26

• Total patient volume grew by 10% YoY with IP volume growing by 5% YoY and OP volume growing by 11% YoY in Q3 FY26.

• ALOS improved by 4% YoY to 3.1 days in Q3FY26, aided by increased robotics surgeries and efficient hospital operations

• Significant growth in MVT revenue by 41% YoY

• Healthy growth in Oncology revenue by 27% YoY; contribution increased to 11% in Q3 FY26 from 10% in Q3 FY25

• Aster Labs revenue grew by 17% YoY in Q3 FY26 and Op. EBITDA grew by 31% YoY with margins improved to 10.5% in Q3 FY26 as compared to 9.4% in Q3 FY25

Core Hospital Business

• Core hospitals & clinics business delivered an Op. EBITDA margin of 21.4% in Q3 FY26 (22.8% Ex-Kasargod)

• Matured hospital Operating EBITDA margins stood at 25.1% in Q3 FY26 (24.4% in Q3 FY25)

• Aster Medcity revenue grew by 24% YoY and Op. EBITDA grew by 33% YoY in Q3 FY26 with margins at 30%

• Aster MIMS Calicut revenue grew by 14% YoY and Op. EBITDA grew by 20% YoY in Q3 FY26; Margin at 26%

• Aster Whitefield revenue grew by 14% YoY in Q3 FY26

Cluster-wise Performance:

• Kerala total patient volume increased by 15% YoY delivering 20% YoY revenue growth

• Andhra & Telangana revenue grew 13% YoY, supported by 9% YoY increase in total patient volume

• Growth in Kerala MVT revenue of 64% YoY during the quarter

• Kerala Cluster Operating EBITDA grew by 18% YoY (28% ex-Kasargod) with margins at 22.9% (25.4% ex. Kasargod) in Q3FY26 from 23.5% in Q3FY25

• Andhra & Telangana cluster Operating EBITDA grew by 7% YoY with margin at 13.2% in Q3FY26

Update on Merger

Post receipt of the shareholders’, CCI and stock exchange approval, the Company has completed the preferential allotment of ~3.6% stake to Blackstone and TPG in the Company in lieu of initial acquisition of 5.0% stake in Quality Care India Ltd. by the Company. The shares issued under the preferential allotment are now listed on stock exchanges (BSE and NSE).

The Company received no-objection letter from the Stock Exchanges for the merger and has made application with National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in December 2025. As per NCLT direction, the shareholders meeting is to be convened between February 27, 2026, and March 13, 2026.

The closing of transaction is pending fulfilment of regulatory and compliance requirements, including receipt of NCLT and shareholders’ approval. The transaction is expected to be completed by Q1 FY27.

QCIL Q3 FY26 Performance

QCIL has posted a strong performance in Q3 FY26, reporting a 17% year-on-year increase in revenue to INR 1,181 Cr. Operating EBITDA grew by 32% to INR 279 Cr, supported by a healthy operating EBITDA margin of 23.7%, underscoring the company’s continued focus on operational excellence and sustainable growth.

Combined Proforma Performance for Q3 FY26

The combined entity (Aster and QCIL), with over 10,620+ beds across 39 hospitals in 28 cities, delivered strong proforma results this quarter—revenue up 15% to INR 2,366 Cr and Operating EBITDA up 22% to INR 503 Cr (ex-Kasaragod up by 25% to INR 516 Cr) with healthy EBITDA margin at 21% (22% ex-Kasargod) and ROCE at 20.7% (ex-Kasargod 21.2%), reflecting the platform’s strength and potential.

About Aster DM Healthcare, India

Aster DM Healthcare Limited is one of the largest healthcare service providers operating in India with a strong presence across primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary healthcare through 20 hospitals with 5,451 beds, 10 clinics, 203 pharmacies (Operated by Alfaone Retail Pharmacies Private Limited under brand license from Aster), and 302 labs and patient experience centers across 5 states in India, delivering a simple yet strong promise to different stakeholders: “We’ll Treat You Well.”

DISCLAIMER: Certain statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties like government actions, local, political or economic developments, technological risks, and many other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statements. Aster DM Healthcare will not be in any way responsible for any action taken based on such statements and undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. QCIL Numbers are Indicative and subject to statutory audit adjustments. Proforma numbers for merger entity are also subject to finalization and audit of the merged accounts. Actual amounts, losses or impact on net profit could materially differ from those that have been estimated. In addition, other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated include harmonization of accounting policies and practices.