HDFC Mutual Fund has opened a new fund offer for HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure (Feb 2030), a close-ended debt scheme. The asset management company behind it is HDFC Asset Management Company Limited.
The NFO runs from 16-11-2026 to 30-11-2026. The fund aims to earn income from debt papers and government securities maturing by the scheme’s end, around February 2030.
The twist is in the payout. Half or three quarters of every income distribution goes to the Indian Cancer Society (ICS) to treat underprivileged patients. The gift is tax deductible under the old regime, and HDFC AMC adds a matching sum.
HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure (Feb 2030) NFO details
Particulars | Details |
Fund name | |
Fund type | Close-ended income scheme, tenure of 1,169 days |
Category | Fixed maturity plan |
Nature of scheme | Active debt; Potential Risk Class A-III |
Benchmark | NIFTY Medium Duration Debt Index A-III |
Fund managers | Anil Bamboli (Head, Fixed Income) and Gopal Agrawal (Senior Fund Manager, Equities and Overseas Investments) |
NFO opens | 16-11-2026 |
NFO closes | 30-11-2026 |
Allotment & reopening date | On or around 07-12-2026 (5 working days after NFO closes); no reopening, units list on NSE and/or BSE |
Minimum investment | ₹50,000 and multiples of ₹1,000 |
Additional investment | Not applicable |
SIP amount | Not applicable |
NAV | ₹10 per unit |
Indicative yield/YTM | Not available |
Plans and options | Regular and Direct; IDCW payout with 50% (default) or 75% donation |
Stamp duty | 0.005% |
Entry load | NIL |
Exit load | Not applicable (exit before maturity only via the stock exchange) |
AMC details
Particulars | Details |
AMC name | HDFC Asset Management Company Limited |
Assets under management | |
Website | |
Registered office | HDFC House, 2nd Floor, H.T. Parekh Marg, 165-166, Backbay Reclamation, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020 |
Contact number | 1800 3010 6767 / 1800 419 7676 (toll free) |
Source: AMFI India: New fund offer: HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure (Feb 2030)
What has HDFC Mutual Fund launched?
This is a fixed maturity plan, or FMP: a debt mutual fund with a fixed end date. You can buy units only during the NFO, and the fund returns your money when it matures, 1,169 days after allotment.
The fund lends money. It buys bonds issued by companies, short-term money market papers and government bonds, each maturing on or before the scheme’s own end date.
It is actively managed: the managers pick papers rather than copy an index, and plan to hold most till maturity.
There is no Growth option. The fund may instead pay an Income Distribution cum Capital Withdrawal (IDCW), which works like a dividend, intended every six months if there is surplus. ICS collects 50% or 75% of each gross IDCW from your bank account.
It is the fifth fund in a series begun in 2011; per the scheme document, the ICS Cancer Cure Fund had disbursed ₹341.14 crore to over 18,000 patients by March 2026.
Also read: Everything you need to know about a new fund offer (NFO)
How does the strategy work?
Picture a lending pool with a giving tap: your money is lent out till early 2030, and part of the interest flows to cancer patients.
Step | What happens? |
1 | You invest at ₹10 a unit during the NFO and pick the 50% or 75% donation option |
2 | Units are allotted around 07-12-2026 and listed on NSE and/or BSE |
3 | Within 30 business days, managers buy papers maturing by the scheme’s end |
4 | Most papers are held to maturity, so trading stays low |
5 | The trustees may declare an IDCW, intended half yearly, if surplus exists |
6 | The IDCW reaches your bank; ICS then debits your chosen share as a donation |
7 | HDFC AMC gives ICS an equal sum from its CSR budget, up to ₹16 crore a year |
8 | Around February 2030, the fund pays you the final NAV value within 3 working days |
Let’s understand through an example
Meera, a 52-year-old doctor in Ahmedabad on the old tax regime, invests ₹5 lakh in the Direct Plan with the 75% option, getting just under 50,000 units.
Say the fund declares an IDCW of ₹12,000 on her units (a purely illustrative figure, not an estimate).
ICS debits 75% of the gross amount, so ₹9,000 goes to cancer treatment, and HDFC AMC adds its matching sum. Meera can deduct half of ₹9,000, or ₹4,500, if her total donations stay within 10% of her adjusted gross total income. The full ₹12,000 is still taxable in her hands.
Portfolio allocation of this NFO
This is a single asset class fund that holds only debt and money market instruments.
Instrument | Allocation range |
Debt, money market instruments and government securities | 0% to 100% |
Units of debt mutual fund schemes | 0% to 5% |
Debt derivatives | Up to 50% of net assets |
Securitised debt | Up to 40% of net assets |
Overseas debt securities | Up to 35% of net assets |
It will not short sell or buy AT1 or AT2 bonds or InvIT units.
Investment strategy and risk controls
Each paper is checked for credit risk (can the borrower repay?), interest rate risk (how will its price react to rate moves?) and liquidity risk (can it be sold?), using HDFC AMC’s own credit analysis.
Papers are matched to the fund’s end date, so it is mostly buy and hold. Derivatives such as interest rate swaps can manage risk, and any breach of limits must be fixed within 30 days.
Costs are unusually low. There is no investment management fee, the base expense ratio is capped at 0.03% a year, and the AMC bears distribution costs, so both plans cost the same.
Anil Bamboli, with over 32 years in fund management and at HDFC AMC since 2003, leads the fund alongside Gopal Agrawal.
Also read: A comprehensive guide to mutual funds in India
Potential benefits of this charity fund
Potential benefit | Why does it matter? |
Giving built into investing | Part of every payout funds cancer treatment automatically |
Matching gift from the AMC | HDFC AMC adds an equal amount, up to ₹16 crore a year |
Tax deduction on donations | Half the donation is deductible under Section 133 (formerly Section 80G), old regime only |
Very low running cost | No management fee; base expense ratio up to 0.03% |
Key risks to know before investing
Risk | What does it mean? |
Bond prices fall when rates rise; this matters most if you sell before maturity | |
Credit risk | A borrower may delay or miss payments, cutting the NAV and payouts |
Liquidity risk | Units trade thinly on the exchange and may sell below NAV |
Market risk | Prices of the fund’s papers move with market conditions until maturity |
Derivative risk | Hedges may not fully offset losses and can add costs |
Who may consider this fund?
Investor type | Why it may fit |
Old regime taxpayer who already donates | Giving and a Section 133 receipt come through one investment |
Investor with money idle till early 2030 | The maturity matches a three-year horizon |
Company, firm or trust with a giving budget | The deduction is open to any taxpayer under the old regime |
Who may not find this NFO suitable?
Investor type | Why it may not fit |
Retiree living on payouts | Half or more of each payout is donated, and payouts are not assured |
New regime taxpayer | No deduction on the donation |
Anyone who may need the money before 2030 | No redemption with the fund; exchange sales may be at a discount |
Return maximiser | The full IDCW is taxed even though most may be donated |
How does it compare with traditional options?
Option | Risk | Return potential | Volatility | Liquidity | Horizon | Suitable investor |
Low | Fixed | None | Early exit with penalty | 1 to 5 years | Safety seeker | |
Debt mutual fund | Low to moderate | Moderate | Low | High | 1 to 3 years | Income seeker |
Hybrid fund | Moderate | Moderate to high | Moderate | High | 3 years plus | Balanced investor |
Equity mutual fund | High | High | High | High | 5 years plus | Growth seeker |
This NFO | Low to moderate | Moderate, 50% to 75% donated | Low if held to maturity | Exchange only | About 3 years | Donor with idle money |
HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure NFO review by Zenith Finserve
Judge this fund as a way to give, not to grow money. It fits someone who already donates, files under the old regime and has a lump sum that can sit untouched till February 2030.
The structure is clean: near-nil costs, plain debt and an AMC match that can double what reaches patients. The trade-off is that you keep only 25% to 50% of each payout but pay tax on all of it.
Our reading: it works as a small satellite beside your core debt holdings. Check your tax regime, cash needs till 2030 and preferred donation share first, since that choice is final.
How Zenith Finserve can help
At Zenith Finserve, we follow a process driven investment framework. We assess your goals, cash flows, risk profile, time horizon, existing investments, loans and tax situation before suggesting investments.
We align our investment suggestions with your financial objectives and review them periodically to keep them suitable as your circumstances change.
Want help placing a fund like this in your plan? Explore our mutual fund advisory.
Similar NFOs on Zenith and how this fund compares?
Zenith has no open comparable NFO to link right now.
Below, it sits beside two existing HDFC debt funds, using each fund’s hdfcfund.com page as viewed on 05-11-2026.
Feature | This NFO | ||
Mandate | Active debt FMP to February 2030 | Active, open-ended, 3 to 4 year portfolio duration | Passive, tracks an April 2029 government bond index |
Costs | No management fee; base expense up to 0.03%; exit load not applicable | Direct TER 0.70%; exit load nil | Direct TER 0.21%; exit load nil |
Liquidity | Exchange sale only before maturity | Any business day | Any business day |
Risk | Interest rate and credit risk | Interest rate and relatively high credit risk | Mainly interest rate risk |
Track record | Not available | Since 01-01-2013; 8.08% since inception | Since 10-03-2023; 7.68% since inception |
Why chosen: HDFC Medium Term Fund shares this NFO’s benchmark; the G-Sec Apr 2029 Index Fund has a similar end date but holds only government bonds. Past performance may or may not be sustained in future.
Also read: Should you invest in a new fund offer (NFO)?
Frequently asked questions
What is HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure (Feb 2030)?
It is a close-ended debt scheme from HDFC Mutual Fund with a tenure of 1,169 days.
It invests in bonds, money market papers and government securities that mature by the scheme’s end, around February 2030.
Part of every income payout is donated to the Indian Cancer Society to treat underprivileged cancer patients.
Is HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure NFO good to invest in?
It depends on why you are investing. If you want to give to cancer care, file under the old tax regime and can lock money till 2030, it offers a low-cost, matched way to donate.
If you want income or the best post-tax return, it is not built for that, because 50% to 75% of each payout goes to charity.
When does the HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure NFO open and close?
The NFO opens on 16-11-2026 and closes on 30-11-2026, as per HDFC Mutual Fund’s NFO page.
Units are expected to be allotted on or around 07-12-2026. After that, you can buy or sell units only on NSE and/or BSE.
How does the donation work in this fund?
You choose the 50% option (the default) or the 75% option at the time of investing. When the fund declares an IDCW, the full amount is credited to your bank account.
ICS then debits your chosen share of the gross IDCW, before TDS, as a donation and issues you a donation certificate.
Can I change my donation option later?
No. Once you pick the 50% or 75% IDCW donation option, it cannot be changed.
Money debited by ICS as a donation is not refunded. Decide the share carefully before you apply.
How much tax can I save on the donation?
The donation qualifies under Section 133 of the Income Tax Act, 2025, which replaced Section 80G, but only under the old tax regime.
Half of the donated amount is deductible, and total donations above 10% of your adjusted gross total income are ignored.
ICS issues a donation certificate in Form 114 (formerly Form 10BE) to support your claim.
How is the IDCW from this fund taxed?
The whole IDCW is taxed at your income tax slab rate, including the part you donate.
For resident investors, TDS of 10% applies if your IDCW from the fund house crosses ₹10,000 in a financial year. The donation deduction then partly offsets this if you are on the old regime.
Can I exit HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure before maturity?
You cannot redeem units with the fund before maturity. You can sell them on NSE or BSE, which needs a demat account.
Exchange prices depend on demand and may be below the NAV, so an early exit could mean a lower amount than expected.
What is the expense ratio of HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure?
HDFC AMC charges no investment management fee. The scheme’s base expense ratio is capped at 0.03% a year, and the AMC bears costs beyond that along with all distribution expenses.
As a result, the Direct and Regular plans carry the same cost.
Who manages the HDFC Charity Fund for Cancer Cure (Feb 2030)?
Anil Bamboli, HDFC AMC’s Head of Fixed Income, and Gopal Agrawal, Senior Fund Manager for Equities and Overseas Investments, are the named managers.
Bamboli has over 32 years of experience in fund management, research and fixed income dealing, and has been with HDFC AMC since July 2003.
Does the fund have a Growth option?
No. Both the Direct and Regular plans offer only the IDCW payout option, with a 50% or 75% donation sub-option.
The fund is built to pass regular cash to ICS, so profits are paid out rather than kept inside the fund.
What happens when the fund matures?
At maturity, around February 2030, the fund pays you the value of your units at that day’s NAV within 3 working days.
Gains are taxed at your slab rate, as this is a specified debt fund under tax rules. The trustees may also convert, roll over or merge the scheme, subject to regulations.
