INVESTIGATING THE PERFORMANCE OF ESG- THEMED MUTUAL FUNDS IN INDIA

Investors are increasingly considering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors as essential components in their decision-making process. ESG funds play a crucial role in sustainability financing by directing investment toward companies and projects that meet certain environmental, social and governance criterion. The study makes a comparison of ESG funds with the benchmark index (NIFTY 100 ESG index) which is an indicator of the performance of the funds. The comparison revealed how the select ESG themed funds respond to changes in the NIFTY 100 ESG index, with the Quantum ESG Fund being the most responsive and the Axis ESG Integration Strategy Fund being the least.