Invested ₹10 Lakh Pre-COVID, Now Worth ₹37.76 Lakh: ICICI Prudential’s Opportunity Fund Delivers Exceptional Returns

Mumbai: A strategic investment made just before the COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be a golden move for investors. ICICI Prudential India’s Opportunity Fund, launched on January 15, 2019, has delivered an annualized return of over 21%, turning a ₹10 lakh investment into ₹37.76 lakh in seven years.

For context, if the same amount had been invested in the scheme’s benchmark, Nifty 500 TRI, it would have grown to ₹28.05 lakh, registering a 15.97% annualized return. The fund has recorded 13% annual return in the past year, 23% over three years, and 27% over five years, proving its resilience and strong performance even amid market uncertainties.

About the Scheme
The ICICI Prudential India Opportunity Fund is an open-ended equity scheme that focuses on special situations. It follows a bottom-up stock selection strategy, without any restrictions on market capitalization or sector. The underlying philosophy is that periods of uncertainty often create mispricing opportunities at the company, sector, or economy level—whether due to economic slowdowns, regulatory changes, geopolitical events, or temporary operational setbacks.

Special Situations as Investment Opportunities
According to S. Naren, Executive Director & CIO at ICICI Prudential AMC and Fund Manager for the Opportunity Fund, “Special situations are unique opportunities that companies face from time to time, such as market disruptions, industry mergers, or regulatory changes. The objective is to convert these temporary challenges into long-term gains for investors. Identifying them early requires deep research to understand both the company’s intrinsic potential and associated risks.”

The fund’s portfolio remains actively managed, focusing on a limited number of carefully selected companies where market mispricing exists. As of December 31, 2025, the fund had a higher allocation to large-cap stocks, with diversified exposure across financials, IT, pharmaceuticals, construction, and other sectors, combining a special situation strategy with diversification to optimize long-term returns.