Debt MFs confident of surfing Covid-19 2nd wave despite corporate defaults

Industry players say shift to high-quality paper will help them tide the turmoil

Debt mutual funds (MFs) have faced multiple headwinds in the form of defaults and downgrades since 2018, but the second wave of Covid-19 may not be one of them, even though it is expected to add pressure on the creditworthiness of India Inc.
 
The industry appears to be better prepared this time around, thanks to the large concentration of top-rated papers in its portfolio.
 
Before the default of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) in 2018, debt MFs’ investments in government securities and AAA-rated papers amounted to 80-85 per cent of their total assets. Industry players say this