India's first two private sector mutual fund schemes, Franklin India Bluechip Fund (FIBCF) and Franklin India Prima Fund (FIPF), will soon complete two decades of consistent performance. The two schemes were the first to be launched in December 1993 after the mutual fund industry was thrown open to the private sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Harshendu Bindal President, Franklin Templeton Investments India said, "We are proud that two of our schemes have helped investors achieve their financial goals over the past twenty years. To perform consistently over two decades is a commendable achievement and is a testimony to the time-tested investment philosophy of Franklin Templeton and a reflection of the depth and experience of our investment team, who have been managing these funds through this period. This is a landmark event not just for Franklin Templeton, but for the entire Indian mutual fund industry."

Speaking about the experience, Mr. K.N. Sivasubramanian, Chief Investment Officer, Franklin Equity - India, Franklin Templeton Investments said, "Whilst the journey has been satisfying for both us and investors, the past 20 years have been a chastening experience. Markets often throw up surprises and investing is a continuous learning process. The track record of these two funds is an indication that equities can potentially yield good results over a longer time horizon. The experience of investing through market cycles has helped us realize that the key to successful investing is a level head, ability to ignore the noise and having a long term perspective."

Talking about the investment process and equity markets, Mr. Anand Radhakrishnan, Head of Equities & Portfolio Manager, said, "Our approach has been to construct a diversified portfolio of stocks with strong fundamentals that will perform well across market cycles. A combination of team-based approach to investing and room for 'individual judgment' has helped us deliver consistent risk-adjusted returns for our investors.

We believe that current market conditions are conducive for taking long term exposure to the India story. Most of the market challenges appear to be priced in and we are confident that the economy and Corporate India will benefit from a turnaround in the next year or so. Recent policy actions, along with India's inherent long term growth drivers (read consumption and investment) will enable wealth creation for investors in the coming decades. "

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