This fund invests mainly in high-quality corporate bonds and sticks to less than three-year instruments to deliver consistent returns. With a five-year CAGR of about 9.4 per cent on the regular plan, the fund has outpaced both the category and the benchmark returns of 9 per cent in this period. But it has been neck-and-neck with its benchmark for one and three years. The fund is quite a conservative option within short-term debt as it doesn't take credit or duration calls very aggressively and sticks to moderate accrual returns.

In the last one year, AAA-rated corporate bonds have taken up 55-65 per cent of the portfolio, with G-secs making up 10-15 per cent and commercial paper and AA-rated bonds the rest of the portfolio. The fund steadfastly avoids the temptation to bet on falling rates or play the duration game. This may cap returns but it also reduces the year-to-year volatility in returns.

The fund has a low expense ratio. The regular plan costs 0.32 per cent. The direct plan charges an even more modest 0.17 per cent currently.