Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit 2025 - Bengaluru: Industry leaders map the road to a digital, inclusive MF future

Mutual Fund Summit 2025, Bengaluru

At the Bengaluru edition of the Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit 2025, presented by HDFC Mutual Fund and powered by Axis Mutual Fund, the spotlight turned to technology, scale, and inclusion and how they are redefining India’s mutual fund story. The session brought together Navneet Munot, MD & CEO, HDFC AMC, Vishal Jain, CEO, Zerodha Fund House, and Sandeep Jethwani, Co-founder, Dezerv, bringing legacy strength, digital disruption, and advisory innovation on one stage.

The conversation opened with a look at how far the industry has come since COVID. Sandeep Jethwani said that while mutual funds have delivered access and efficiency, the next phase is about building trust through technology. With over 1,800 schemes, data-driven guidance and account-aggregator tools can now help investors make more informed and transparent decisions.

Adding a reality check, Vishal Jain highlighted that mutual fund penetration still stands at about 4 percent, with around 5.7 crore unique PAN-based investors. To align with the vision of Viksit Bharat over the next two decades, the industry must bring 30-40 crore more Indians into investing. This, he noted, demands wider distribution and technology that simplifies journeys, products, and communication. In a country as large as India, technology is not just an enabler; it’s the only way to scale trust and access.

Building on this momentum, Navneet Munot traced how technology has consistently reshaped India’s markets; from demat accounts and T+1 settlement to digital public infrastructure and UPI. Today, nearly 96 percent of HDFC AMC’s transactions happen digitally. Yet, he emphasised, human connection remains as important as automation.

The discussion further moved to affordability and access, with panelists noting that low-ticket SIPs and faster KYC processes have been possible only through digital integration. As costs drop, inclusion will deepen.

The session closed with a look at AI, seen as both inevitable and transformative. Navneet Munot called it a game-changer for personalization, compliance, and scale; while Sandeep Jethwani stressed that, it will amplify rather than replace human advisory relationships. The conversation ended on a clear message: technology may drive scale, but trust and empathy will sustain India’s investor revolution.

For more highlights and the full discussion, visit https://www.moneycontrol.com/msite/mutual-fund-summit-2025