"CITY-WISE AND TIER-WISE MUTUAL FUND INFLOWS AS INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE CORPORATE FINANCE IN A DEVELOPING ECONOMY: A DECADAL ANALYSIS FROM INDIA (2014–2024)"

This study explores mutual fund inflow patterns and AUM growth across Indian cities over a ten-year period (2014)(2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019)(2020)(2021)(2022)(2023)(2024), categorized by city tiers and key economic phases-pre-demonetisation, pre-COVID, and post-COVID.Using indicators such as CAGR, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation, the paper evaluates how mutual fund investments have evolved regionally and their role in promoting sustainable corporate finance.While Tier I cities continue to lead in volume, Tier II cities show stable and consistent growth.Though Tier III city-level data is limited, the combined contribution from these "other cities" accounts for nearly 40% of total AUM inflows, which is a significant indicator of increasing financial participation from smaller towns.The overall trend reflects growing household involvement from across India in capital markets through mutual funds, strengthening the base of sustainable and inclusive corporate finance in India (a developing economy.)