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Freedom251 › Blog › India

Should You Keep Investing in SIPs During a Market Downturn?

By Freedom251 Team · · 3 min read

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Often, but not automatically. If your SIP still suits a long-term goal, you can afford the instalments, and you can tolerate further losses, continuing may keep your investing schedule consistent and buy more units when a scheme’s net asset value (NAV) is lower. But rupee-cost averaging does not guarantee a profit or prevent losses. If you need the money soon, or the scheme no longer fits your goals or risk tolerance, review the plan rather than continuing on autopilot.

This is general investor education for the Indian mutual fund context, not a recommendation about a particular SIP or fund.

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What continuing an SIP does during a downturn

A systematic investment plan (SIP) is a way to invest a fixed amount in a mutual fund scheme at regular intervals, rather than investing the whole amount at once. The SIP is a contribution method; it does not make the scheme itself safer or assure a return.

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When your contribution stays fixed, a lower NAV buys more units and a higher NAV buys fewer. AMFI illustrates the arithmetic with a ₹1,000 contribution: it buys 50 units at an NAV of ₹20, or 100 units at an NAV of ₹10. This is rupee-cost averaging. It describes how units accumulate across purchase prices; it does not predict that the NAV will recover.

AMFI explicitly cautions that rupee-cost averaging “does not assure profit, nor does it protect one against investment losses in declining markets.” Mutual fund schemes are not assured-return products, and you can lose principal. Regular contributions do not cancel market risk.

Why averaging can still leave you with a loss

A lower average purchase cost is not the same as a positive return. If the NAV falls enough, the value of the units you own can remain below the amount you have invested.

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A hypothetical six-month example published by the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) on July 7, 2025 makes the distinction concrete: investing ₹10,000 monthly, or ₹60,000 in total, buys 3,334.1 units at an average acquisition cost of ₹18. At the example’s December NAV of ₹16.5, those units are valued at ₹55,013—below the ₹60,000 contributed. The example illustrates a possible outcome; it is not a forecast or a return expectation.

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Decide based on your plan, not the market headline

A market decline alone cannot tell you whether your particular SIP is suitable. Before the next instalment, work through these questions:

  • When will you need the money? If the goal is near, ask whether you can withstand a further fall before you need to withdraw. SEBI advises against taking equity risk for short-term needs and cautions against volatile or illiquid investments when the money is needed soon.
  • Does the scheme still match the goal and your risk appetite? Review whether its risk remains appropriate for the objective. SEBI advises investors to choose schemes in line with their objectives and risk appetite, and to review whether their needs and portfolio remain aligned.
  • Can you afford the instalment? Continue only if it fits your cash needs and obligations. Do not borrow to invest; SEBI’s investor guidance warns against it.
  • Can you tolerate more losses? A downturn may continue, and averaging offers neither a loss shield nor a recovery schedule. Consider whether you can stay invested through that uncertainty without compromising the goal.

If you need individualized help choosing or assessing an investment, SEBI says you may consult a SEBI-registered Investment Advisor. A market move by itself is not a reason to keep or stop a specific scheme.

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Historical declines are context, not a signal

NISM’s July 7, 2025 article reported the following declines from the September 2024 peak through March 13, 2025. These are historical index observations for that stated period, not current drawdowns, fund returns, or evidence that markets or any particular scheme will recover on a timetable.

Index Reported decline from September 2024 peak through March 13, 2025
Nifty 50 14.6% (NISM, 2025)
Nifty 500 17.6% (NISM, 2025)
Nifty Midcap 150 20.4% (NISM, 2025)
Nifty Smallcap 250 24.3% (NISM, 2025)

Those different declines also underline why a broad market headline cannot establish how a particular mutual fund has performed or whether it suits your circumstances. SEBI notes that market-wide price volatility cannot be diversified away.

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A practical decision

  • Continuing may fit when the goal remains long-term, the scheme remains suitable, the instalment is affordable, and you accept the possibility of further losses.
  • Review the plan when your goal date, finances, or ability to tolerate risk has changed. If the money is needed soon, reassess whether equity exposure remains appropriate rather than relying on averaging.
  • Do not decide from averaging alone. More units at a lower NAV are a mechanical result of a fixed contribution, not proof that the investment is cheap, that the decline is over, or that a profit will follow.

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Indiainvestingmarket downturnmutual fundsrupee-cost averagingSIP

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