Structural Shifts in Retail Investor Behavior: A Post-Pandemic Analysis of Perception and SIP Adoption Towards Bank-Sponsored Mutual Funds in Semi-Urban India

This study examines perceptions and behavioural patterns of retail investors towards bank-sponsored mutual funds, with a particular focus on State Bank of India (SBI) Mutual Fund and Systematic Investment Plans (SIP) in the Ahilyanagar district. The research attempts to determine the main factors influencing investment decisions in semi-urban India against the backdrop of a swiftly changing post-pandemic financial landscape. Data was gathered from 384 respondents using structured questionnaires and stratified random sampling in a descriptive research approach. Statistical techniques like percentage analysis and hypothesis testing were deployed to develop relationship between demographic factors and investment choices. These findings imply that in order to improve financial inclusion, Asset Management Companies (AMCs) must implement phygital strategies, which is a combination of digital freedom with local trustworthy engagement, in the flourishing semi-urban markets. Financial institutions can use this strategy roadmap to maximize the penetration in the developing Indian markets and also to reduce the literacy gap of current as well as prospective investors.