Axis Small Cap Fund vs ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF
Direct Plan where a fund has one, Growth option · Data as on 30-10-2026
Axis Small Cap Fund is a Small Cap fund and ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF is an ETF fund. Axis Small Cap Fund charges 0.69% a year and ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF 0.81%. Their portfolios overlap 31.5%: they hold 64 of the same securities.
ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF
ETF
- Expense ratio
- 0.81%
- NAV
- ₹16.79
Which is better, Axis Small Cap or ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF? Key differences
It depends on what you want from the fund. These are the differences in numbers, from the data on this page.
- Axis Small Cap costs less: 0.69% a year against 0.81%.
- Axis Small Cap fell less in its worst fall since 22-06-2026: −10.0% against −11.6%.
- Axis Small Cap is the larger fund: ₹30,678 Cr against ₹9 Cr.
- Their portfolios overlap 31.5%: 64 of the same holdings.
Past returns do not promise future returns. This page is information, not investment advice.
Key facts
From each fund's scheme summary document and AMFI
| Fact | Axis Small Cap Fund | ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Fund house | Axis Mutual Fund | ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund |
| Category | Small Cap | ETF |
| AUM | ₹30,678 Cr (30-09-2026) | ₹9 Cr (30-09-2026) |
| NAV | ₹126.97 (Direct) | ₹16.79 |
| Expense ratio (Direct) | 0.69% | Not available |
| Expense ratio (Regular) | 1.68% | Not available |
| Riskometer | Very High | Not available |
| Benchmark | Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI | Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI |
| Launch date | 29-11-2013 | 19-06-2026 |
| Minimum investment | ₹100 | During Ongoing/Continuous Offer: On Stock Exchanges: Investors can buy/sell units of the Scheme in round lot of 1 unit and in multiples thereof. Directly with the Mutual Fund: Investors can buy or sell units of the scheme in creation unit size and its mul |
| Lock in | None | None |
| Fund managers | Tejas Sheth, Mayank Hyanki, Krishnaa N | Nishit Patel, Ashwini Shinde, Venus Ahuja |
| Exit load | Exit load of 1% for investments beyond 10% if redeemed within 12 months | There will be no exit load for units sold through the secondary market on the stock exchanges where the Scheme will be listed. Currently, the Scheme is proposed to be listed on BSE and NSE. Investors shall note that the brokerage on sales of the units of the scheme on the stock exchanges shall be borne by the investors. |
Axis Small Cap vs ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF: Returns Comparison
Returns as on 30-10-2026. Up to one year they are absolute returns. Longer periods are a rate per year.
| Fund | 1M | 3M | 6M | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axis Small Cap Fund (Direct) | −5.18% | −4.11% | +3.40% | +1.02% | +13.23% | +14.44% | +18.24% |
| ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF | −5.88% | −6.00% | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Small Cap average | −5.86% | −3.28% | +5.03% | +3.00% | +14.03% | +14.51% | +16.19% |
Category average: the average of the 36 Small Cap funds, same plan type.
Axis Small Cap vs ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF: Year-wise Returns
| Year | Axis Small CapAxis Small Cap | ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETFICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF | Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026to date | +4.39% | -- | +1.00% |
| 2025 | −0.95% | -- | −5.48% |
| 2024 | +26.40% | -- | +27.21% |
| 2023 | +35.57% | -- | +49.09% |
| 2022 | +4.11% | -- | −2.64% |
| 2021 | +60.71% | -- | +63.34% |
Axis Small Cap vs ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF: Rolling Returns
Every holding period of both funds, against Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI, the benchmark of both
Axis Small Cap vs ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF: Risk and Drawdowns
How much each fund swings, and the worst fall over the same days
Risk and return
| Measure | Axis Small Cap Fund (Direct) | ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Return (CAGR) | +21.76% | −15.77% |
| Standard deviation | 14.59% | 15.60% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.09 | -1.35 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.46 | -1.65 |
| Maximum drawdown | −34.6% (24-03-2020) | −11.6% (23-10-2026) |
| Beta | -- | 1.00 |
| Alpha | -- | −0.42% |
From daily NAVs, 05-12-2013 to 30-10-2026. Standard deviation: how much the daily value swings, scaled to a year. Sharpe: return above the risk-free rate (NSE's overnight rate index) per unit of swing. Sortino: the same, counting only the falls. Beta and alpha compare each fund with its own benchmark's TRI.
Drawdowns
How far below its previous high each one was on every day: the falls an investor had to sit through. 0% means it was at a new high.
Axis Small Cap Fund (Direct)
ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF
Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI
| Fund | Worst fall | High before it | Bottom | Back at the high | Time to climb back | Below its high today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axis Small Cap Fund (Direct) | −10.0% | 08-09-2026 | 23-10-2026 | Not yet | -- | −8.3% |
| ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF | −11.6% | 08-09-2026 | 23-10-2026 | Not yet | -- | −9.6% |
| Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI | −11.5% | 08-09-2026 | 23-10-2026 | Not yet | -- | −9.4% |
From daily values since 22-06-2026, the first day every fund has.
Axis Small Cap vs ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF: Portfolio Overlap
From each fund's latest monthly portfolio: Axis Small Cap Fund, September 2026; ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF, September 2026
Holdings in common
- Overlap
- 31.5%
- Held by both
- 64
- Only in Axis Small Cap
- 64
- Only in ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF
- 186
| Security | % of Axis Small Cap | % of ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Welspun Corp Limited | 1.51% | 1.60% |
| Navin Fluorine International Limited | 1.40% | 1.36% |
| Karur Vysya Bank Limited | 1.28% | 1.38% |
| Gland Pharma Limited | 1.22% | 1.04% |
| RBL Bank Limited | 1.03% | 1.12% |
| City Union Bank Limited | 1.94% | 0.98% |
| Sai Life Sciences Limited | 1.84% | 0.95% |
| PNB Housing Finance Limited | 1.24% | 0.95% |
| Sansera Engineering Limited | 1.86% | 0.90% |
| Krishna Institute Of Medical Sciences Limited | 2.46% | 0.89% |
| Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited | 1.29% | 0.86% |
| Kalpataru Projects International Limited | 1.15% | 0.70% |
| Craftsman Automation Limited | 1.33% | 0.70% |
| Carborundum Universal Limited | 0.74% | 0.65% |
| Syrma SGS Technology Limited | 1.45% | 0.62% |
| Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Limited | 1.25% | 0.62% |
| Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited | 0.63% | 0.60% |
| Data Patterns (India) Limited | 0.78% | 0.58% |
| Computer Age Management Services Limited | 0.58% | 0.73% |
| Amber Enterprises India Limited | 0.54% | 0.65% |
| KFin Technologies Limited | 0.66% | 0.51% |
| Timken India Limited | 0.63% | 0.50% |
| Kaynes Technology India Limited | 0.69% | 0.49% |
| Brigade Enterprises Limited | 1.54% | 0.48% |
| Aditya Infotech Limited | 0.94% | 0.47% |
| Onesource Specialty Pharma Limited | 0.45% | 0.54% |
| Sagility Limited | 0.72% | 0.44% |
| Pine Labs Limited | 0.68% | 0.43% |
| Affle 3i Limited | 0.63% | 0.43% |
| Delhivery Limited | 0.43% | 1.11% |
| Central Depository Services (India) Limited | 0.43% | 1.01% |
| Inventurus Knowledge Solutions Limited | 0.59% | 0.41% |
| Anant Raj Limited | 0.52% | 0.41% |
| Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited | 0.42% | 0.41% |
| Cyient Limited | 0.90% | 0.39% |
| Azad Engineering Ltd | 0.66% | 0.38% |
| R R Kabel Limited | 0.77% | 0.38% |
| Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited | 0.55% | 0.36% |
| PG Electroplast Limited | 0.60% | 0.36% |
| Balrampur Chini Mills Limited | 0.63% | 0.34% |
| Aptus Value Housing Finance India Limited | 0.33% | 0.38% |
| CCL Products (India) Limited | 2.24% | 0.32% |
| Vijaya Diagnostic Centre Limited | 0.97% | 0.32% |
| Aarti Industries Limited | 0.31% | 0.44% |
| CreditAccess Grameen Limited | 0.71% | 0.31% |
| Rainbow Childrens Medicare Limited | 0.46% | 0.29% |
| Can Fin Homes Limited | 0.78% | 0.27% |
| CESC Limited | 0.26% | 0.38% |
| TBO Tek Limited | 1.10% | 0.26% |
| Minda Corporation Limited | 1.30% | 0.25% |
| Titagarh Rail Systems Limited | 0.25% | 0.29% |
| Devyani International Limited | 0.48% | 0.25% |
| Jubilant Ingrevia Limited | 0.66% | 0.25% |
| Tenneco Clean Air India Limited | 0.40% | 0.23% |
| CIE Automotive India Limited | 0.44% | 0.22% |
| Aadhar Housing Finance Limited | 0.28% | 0.21% |
| Doms Industries Limited | 0.81% | 0.21% |
| Engineers India Limited | 0.21% | 0.38% |
| Birlasoft Limited | 0.30% | 0.20% |
| Ather Energy Limited | 0.20% | 1.22% |
| Firstsource Solutions Limited | 0.18% | 0.36% |
| SPR Auto Technologies Ltd | 0.11% | 0.37% |
| RHI Magnesita India Limited | 0.55% | 0.11% |
| Aditya Birla Real Estate Limited | 0.09% | 0.27% |
Overlap: for each holding both funds own, the smaller of its two weights, added up. 31.5% means 31.5% of each fund's money sits in positions the other also holds. Matched by ISIN. Cash and hedged positions are left out.
Largest holdings only in Axis Small Cap Fund
| Security | % of fund |
|---|---|
| Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited | 2.32% |
| Avalon Technologies Limited | 1.51% |
| HDFC Bank Limited | 1.26% |
| Blue Star Limited | 1.20% |
| Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited | 1.16% |
Largest holdings only in ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF
| Security | % of fund |
|---|---|
| Sona Blw Precision Forgings Ltd. | 1.68% |
| Redington (India) Ltd. | 1.09% |
| HFCL Ltd. | 1.04% |
| Brookfield India Real Estate Trust REIT | 1.01% |
| Cupid Ltd. | 0.95% |
Asset and sector split
Share of each fund, from its latest monthly portfolio
Asset allocation
| Asset | Axis Small Cap | ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Equity | 90.3% | 96.7% |
| Debt | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Cash and others | 9.2% | 3.3% |
Market cap of stocks
| Market cap | Axis Small Cap | ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Large Cap | 6.3% | 0.0% |
| Mid Cap | 9.4% | 2.7% |
| Small Cap | 74.1% | 93.0% |
| Not on AMFI's list | 0.5% | 1.0% |
Share of the whole fund. Groups follow AMFI's latest list: Large Cap is the 100 largest companies, Mid Cap the next 150, Small Cap the rest.
Largest sectors
| Sector | Axis Small Cap | ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Products | 8.2% | 8.6% |
| Chemicals & Petrochemicals | 8.5% | 5.7% |
| Auto Components | 7.9% | 8.4% |
| Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology | 7.6% | 7.8% |
| Banks | 7.7% | 5.1% |
| Finance | 6.0% | 7.6% |
| Capital Markets | 2.8% | 5.4% |
The six largest sectors of each fund's stocks, % of the fund.
Axis Small Cap vs ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF: Expense Ratio
What each plan charges a year, from AMFI's expense ratio file
| Charge | Axis Small Cap Fund | ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Total expense ratio (Direct) | 0.69% | Not available |
| Base expense ratio (Direct) | 0.51% | 0.00% |
| Total expense ratio (Regular) | 1.68% | Not available |
| Base expense ratio (Regular) | 1.35% | 0.21% |
The expense ratio comes out of the fund's assets every day, so every return on this page is already after it. Base expense ratio: the fund house's own fee. The total adds brokerage, transaction costs, and levies with GST.
More comparisons
Each fund against the others of its category
Axis Small Cap Fund vs ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Axis Small Cap Fund and ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF?
Axis Small Cap Fund is a Small Cap fund, ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF is an ETF fund, run by Axis Mutual Fund and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund. Their portfolios overlap 31.5%. Axis Small Cap Fund charges 0.69% a year and ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF 0.81%.
Which has the lower expense ratio, Axis Small Cap Fund or ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF?
Axis Small Cap Fund charges less: 0.69% a year against 0.81%. These are the total expense ratios reported to AMFI.
How much do Axis Small Cap Fund and ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF overlap?
31.5%. They hold 64 of the same securities, the largest shared ones being WELCORP, NAVINFLUOR, KARURVYSYA. From each fund's latest monthly portfolio.
Can I invest in both Axis Small Cap Fund and ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF?
Yes. 31.5% of each fund's money sits in the same holdings, so some of the two investments would move together.
Who manages Axis Small Cap Fund and ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF?
Axis Small Cap Fund: Tejas Sheth, Mayank Hyanki, Krishnaa N. ICICI Prudential Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF: Nishit Patel, Ashwini Shinde, Venus Ahuja.
Sources: NAV and expense ratio from AMFI. Holdings from each fund house's monthly portfolio statement. Fund facts from each scheme summary document.
This page is information, not investment advice. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks; read all scheme related documents carefully. Past returns do not promise future returns. Figures come from AMFI, NSE, BSE and each fund house's own documents.