According to the latest data of Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), total Assets Under Management (AUM) of the 32 fund houses in the country rose to a record high of Rs 5,56,729 crore at the end of October. 
 This represented an increase of Rs 79,740 crore or about 17 per cent from Rs 4,76,990 crore a month ago. All the 32 fund houses recorded an increase in their AUM last month.

In the past one year, the industry-wide total AUM has increased by about Rs 2,50,000 crore or about 45 per cent from Rs 3,07,376 crore at the end of October 2006. Reliance Mutual Fund, part of Anil Ambani Group company Reliance Capital, has retained its top position with AUM of Rs 79,974 crore, followed by ICICI Prudential at Rs 56,213 crore. 

UTI MF remained at the third position with an AUM of Rs 51,753 crore, followed by HDFC MF (rs 47,745 crore) and Franklin Templeton (Rs 32,041 crore) among the top five players. Reliance MF gained Rs 9,533 crore, while ICICI Prudential's AUM rose by Rs 5,842 crore in October this year and UTI MF saw an increase of Rs 6,750 crore.

Heavy inflows
Analysts said that the sharp increase in the AUM was mostly driven by the inflow into the new as well as existing equity-focused schemes, while positions liquidated by the funds following a sharp rally on the bourse also contributed to the increase in assets.