Latest NPS equity returns: This pension fund has given more than 20% returns from equity in one year

Over the past few months, the stock market has been in a state of chaos. Many investors are witnessing a decline in their equities returns, or worse, a negative return. However, this one NPS pension fund has given more than 20% returns in Tier I equity in the last year. For the same time period, check the returns on other NPS Tier I equity schemes.

According to the NPS Trust website, DSP has offered 20.92% in the Equity Tier I scheme in the last year. On the other hand, other NPS equity schemes are not able to cross 15% return in one year. SBI NPS equity scheme has delivered 3.78%, UTI Pension Fund’s equity scheme has delivered 9.28%, and Kotak Pension Fund’s equity scheme has delivered 10.65% return in the last year. HDFC Pension Fund delivered a return of 9.41% and Kotak Pension Fund delivered 10.65%. Axis Pension Fund delivered 9.245. Note that as per Regulatory directions, schemes of MAX Life Pension Fund Management Limited are discontinued effective from March 18, 2025.

The returns are as of May 21, 2025, as per the NPS Trust website.

The National Pension System (NPS) is a government-regulated, defined contribution pension scheme that allows individuals to build a retirement corpus. It is managed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). Individuals can contribute at their discretion. However, individuals must make a minimum contribution every year to ensure their Tier I NPS account is active.

Subscribers can track their investments through:
Online NPS portal login (via CRA – Central Recordkeeping Agency)
Mobile app for NPS account management
Periodic email statements will be sent to the registered email ID and Annual physical statements sent to the subscriber's address.
This transparency ensures that investors can monitor how their pension funds are performing over time.

The contributions are invested by Pension Funds according to the investment guidelines prescribed by PFRDA for each asset class. Asset class E – Equity shares of companies traded in Futures and Options segment Asset Class C – Corporate Bonds / Debentures which are listed and rated not below A Asset Class G – Government securities and State Development Loans Asset Class A – Alternate Assets.