10 Worst Performing Mutual Funds within the Final 15 Years (4.4% to 9.0% CAGR Returns)

Over the past 15 years, Indian and world markets have skilled main shifts – from the aftermath of the worldwide monetary disaster, to rising market rallies, to COVID-19-related volatility, and a tech-driven bull market. Regardless of this, a number of mutual funds have didn’t ship even 9% annualised returns. These embrace worldwide, sectoral, and thematic mutual funds which frequently carry increased volatility and focus danger. On this article, we carry you the 10 Worst Performing Mutual Funds within the Final 15 Years (as of 5-June-2025) which delivered between 4.4% to 9.0% CAGR.

There are 11 Mutual Funds that misplaced 10% to 22% in 2025.

How We Recognized These Worst Performing Mutual Funds?

• Thought of fairness mutual funds together with sectoral, thematic and worldwide funds.
• Excluded ETFs and index funds.
• Sorted funds based mostly on their 15-year CAGR returns.
• Solely common plan thought-about as direct plans of mutual funds weren’t current 15 years again.
• We filtered 10 mutual funds that delivered low returns of 4.4% to 9.0% CAGR returns within the final 15 years.
• The info is as of fifth June, 2025 and knowledge supply is from ValueResearch and MoneyControl.

Checklist of 10 Worst Performing Mutual Funds within the Final 15 Years

Deep Dive into These Worst Performing Mutual Funds within the Final 15 Years

#1 – DSP World Mining Fund of Fund – 15-Yr CAGR: 4.4%

• Goal: Invests in BlackRock International Funds – World Mining Fund.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 1.5%
  • 5 yr: 14.3%
  • 10 yr: 10.4%
  • 15 yr: 4.4%
• Expense Ratio: 1.51%
• Beta: 0.65
• Alpha:  -9.12
• Advantages: Publicity to world mining and steel shares, potential hedge throughout commodity rallies.
• Dangers: Extremely cyclical, topic to world commodity demand and value fluctuations.
• Our View: This fund is very delicate to world commodity cycles and has seen massive drawdowns. Its low long-term return regardless of increased volatility makes it a poor match for long-term buyers.

This fund was analysed by us in our earlier article in 10 Worst Performing Mutual Funds in 1 Yr.

#2 – DSP International Clear Power Fund of Fund – 15-Yr CAGR: 4.7%

• Goal: Invests in abroad clear vitality ETFs/funds.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 6.1%
  • 5 yr: 8.5%
  • 10 yr: 3.4%
  • 15 yr: 4.7%
• Expense Ratio: 1.54%
• Beta: 0.52
• Alpha: -3.94
• Advantages: Invests within the rising clear and renewable vitality sector.
• Dangers: Excessive valuation danger, regulatory dependence, and market cycles.
• Our View: The worldwide clear vitality story stays promising, however this fund’s lack of ability to ship sustainable returns raises issues. Higher choices exist for world diversification.

This fund is a part of our earlier article on 10 Worst Performing Mutual Funds in final 10 years.

#3 – DSP World Gold FoF – 15-Yr CAGR: 4.8%

• Goal: Offers publicity to world gold mining firms.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 23.5%
  • 5 yr: 13.4%
  • 10 yr: 12.9%
  • 15 yr: 4.8%
• Expense Ratio: 1.69%
• Beta: 0.51
• Alpha: 12.4
• Advantages: Acts as a hedge towards inflation and geopolitical danger.
• Dangers: Extremely risky, cyclical, and linked to gold costs.
• Our View: Extraordinarily cyclical and risky. Appropriate just for short-term allocations and never for long-term wealth constructing.

#4 – PGIM India Rising Markets Fairness Fund – 15-Yr CAGR: 5.2%

• Goal: Invests in rising market firms excluding India.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 11.0%
  • 5 yr: 2.8%
  • 10 yr: 3.3%
  • 15 yr: 5.2%
• Expense Ratio: 1.39%
• Beta: 0.48
• Alpha: -0.05
• Advantages: Diversified publicity to world EMs with long-term development potential.
• Dangers: Political instability, forex danger, and poor fund efficiency.
• Our View: International EM allocation is sensible, however this fund’s poor observe document makes it a questionable selection for long-term portfolios.

#5 – Aditya Birla SL International Rising Alternatives Fund – 15-Yr CAGR: 6.1%

• Goal: Targets long-term capital development by world EM shares.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 11.2%
  • 5 yr: 12.8%
  • 10 yr: 8.5%
  • 15 yr: 6.1%
• Expense Ratio: 0.61%
• Beta: 4.32
• Alpha: 1.69
• Advantages: Entry to world firms throughout sectors and geographies.
• Dangers: Efficiency volatility and rising market instability.
• Our View: Generated inline with a financial institution FD returns. Traders ought to assume whether or not they can take danger and put money into such funds or put money into a easy FD with zero or low danger.

#6 – HSBC International Rising Markets Fund – 15-Yr CAGR: 5.9%

• Goal: Publicity to world EM fairness alternatives.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 5.6%
  • 5 yr: 7.2%
  • 10 yr: 6.5%
  • 15 yr: 5.9%
• Expense Ratio: 0.79%
• Beta: 0.52
• Alpha: -5.7
• Advantages: Worldwide diversification, potential EM development.
• Dangers: Foreign money and political dangers in EM international locations, underperformance.
• Our View: Damaging Alpha and inconsistent efficiency. Higher to go for broader world or US-focused funds.

#7 – Kotak International Rising Market Fund – 15-Yr CAGR: 7.3%

• Goal: Invests in rising markets globally.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 7.7%
  • 5 yr: 8.2%
  • 10 yr: 5.5%
  • 15 yr: 7.3%
• Expense Ratio: 1.25%
• Beta: NA
• Alpha: NA
• Advantages: International EM publicity with potential upside.
• Dangers: Market volatility, forex depreciation, lower-than-benchmark returns.

Our View: Appropriate for buyers wanting restricted EM publicity. Efficiency doesn’t justify lengthy holding interval.

This fund is an element our earlier article we wrote on 10 Worst Performing Mutual Funds in final 5 years.

#8 – Franklin Asian Fairness Fund – 15-Yr CAGR: 7.6%

• Goal: Invests in Asian firms (ex-Japan).
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 6.4%
  • 5 yr: 5.4%
  • 10 yr: 6.7%
  • 15 yr: 7.6%
• Expense Ratio: 1.57%
• Beta: 0.62
• Alpha: -6.01
• Advantages: Targeted publicity to high-growth Asian economies.
• Dangers: Area-specific dangers like commerce wars, political instability.
• Our View: Regardless of entry to high-growth Asian markets, the fund has not created important long-term wealth.

#9 – LIC MF Kids’s Fund – 15-Yr CAGR: 7.9%

• Goal: Aimed toward long-term wealth creation for youngsters’s future wants.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 13.6%
  • 5 yr: 15.6%
  • 10 yr: 9.4%
  • 15 yr: 7.9%
• Expense Ratio: 1.68%
• Beta: 1.35
• Alpha: -4.42
• Advantages: Objective-based investing with equity-debt combine.
• Dangers: Conservative allocation could end in decrease long-term returns.
• Our View: Not engaging in comparison with friends in child-oriented funds. Might go well with for conservative buyers solely.

#10 – Sundaram International Model Theme FoF – 15-Yr CAGR: 9.0%

• Goal: Invests in world firms with robust model fairness.
• Annualised returns:
  • 3 Yr: 15.6%
  • 5 yr: 13.1%
  • 10 yr: 9.5%
  • 15 yr: 9.0%
• Expense Ratio: 1.42%
• Beta: NA
• Alpha: NA
• Advantages: Publicity to globally established client manufacturers.
• Dangers: Concentrated bets, world valuation dangers.
• Our View: International model investing can work in sure cycles. Nonetheless, excessive volatility and valuation dangers could restrict long-term compounding.

Ultimate Ideas

If you’re presently invested in any of those mutual funds, it’s necessary to evaluate:

• Does this fund align together with your monetary objectives and danger profile?
• Is the fund’s poor efficiency because of market cycles or poor fund administration?
• Are there higher alternate options in comparable classes?

Evaluate short-, medium- and long-term efficiency earlier than making an exit. At all times seek the advice of an advisor earlier than making portfolio-level modifications.

Suresh KP is a seasoned monetary knowledgeable with over 20 years of expertise. He’s NISM Licensed Funding Adviser and Analysis Analyst. For extra about his experience and certifications, go to About Suresh KP

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