CAMS and KFintech: What Mutual Fund Registrars Actually Do
Blog by Aliceblue News Desk
13 November 2026
8 minutes
CAMS and KFintech are registrars, also called RTAs, that fund houses hire to keep investor records. They credit units after a purchase or SIP, process redemptions, send statements, and update details like your bank account and nominee. Each fund house uses one of them, so every mutual fund folio you hold is serviced by either CAMS or KFintech.
You sold a mutual fund last week. The app says “processing,” and the money has not reached your bank. Who is actually working on it?
Usually it is CAMS or KFintech. They are registrars, the companies that keep the ownership records for mutual funds. They are not your fund house, and they are not your broker. This guide explains what they do, which fund houses use which one, how to download your statement, and what to keep updated so your requests do not get stuck.
What Is an RTA in Mutual Funds?
An RTA (registrar and transfer agent) keeps the official record of who owns how many units in each mutual fund scheme. Whenever you invest, sell, or change a detail, the RTA updates your account with that fund house. That account is called a folio.
The fund house, also called an AMC, decides where your money goes. The RTA handles the record-keeping around it. Most fund houses hire one of the two big registrars instead of building their own system for millions of small investors.
Terms you will see below:
- NAV: the price of one unit of a scheme on a given day.
- SIP: a fixed amount invested every month.
- PAN: your tax ID, which links your investments.
- KYC: the identity check every investor completes once.
- OTP: the code sent to your phone to confirm an action.
How Do CAMS and KFintech Work?
Say you start a SIP on an investing app. Behind the screen, this happens:
- The app sends your order to the fund house, which passes it to its RTA.
- The RTA checks your PAN, KYC status, and bank account. A mismatch makes the order fail here.
- It opens a folio if you are new to that fund house, or adds to your existing one.
- It works out your units by dividing the amount by the NAV.
- You get a confirmation by SMS or email, and the entry appears in your statement.
- Later requests, such as a sale or a bank change, go to the same RTA.
Example: A ₹5,000 SIP
Riya, an investor in Chennai, starts a ₹5,000 monthly SIP in a flexi-cap fund. These NAVs are made up for illustration.
Month | Amount (₹) | NAV (₹) | Units credited |
1 | 5,000 | 50 | 100.00 |
2 | 5,000 | 52 | 96.15 |
Total | 10,000 | 196.15 |
At ₹52, her 196.15 units are worth about ₹10,200. The RTA stores each date, NAV and unit count.
Later she sells 100 units at a NAV of ₹55, which gives ₹5,500. Suppose a 1% exit load applies. That is a fee for leaving early, so ₹55 is deducted and ₹5,445 is paid, before any tax on gains. The RTA keeps her purchase dates and costs, which are needed for the capital gains statement. That statement shows the profit or loss on which tax is calculated.
[Image: bar chart. Alt text: “Units bought by Riya’s SIP in months 1 and 2”]
Which Fund Houses Use CAMS or KFintech?
You cannot choose. The fund house picks the RTA for all its schemes. Two published lists agree on these examples:
CAMS | KFintech |
HDFC, SBI, Kotak, DSP, Franklin Templeton, Tata, PPFAS | Axis, Nippon India, Mirae Asset, UTI, Canara Robeco, Motilal Oswal |
Sources disagree on a few other names, so this table lists only the ones both agree on. Fund houses can also switch RTAs. Your account statement or the fund house website names the RTA for your folio.
Key Features
- Folio records: every scheme you own and every transaction in it.
- Transaction handling: purchases, SIPs, switches and redemptions.
- Service requests: changes to mobile number, email, address, bank account and nominee.
- Statements: account statements, the joint CAS and capital gains statements.
- MFCentral: a shared portal owned by CAMS and KFintech, where you can see holdings across both.
How to Download Your CAS
A CAS (consolidated account statement) is one document that lists your mutual fund holdings across fund houses. CAMS and KFintech offer a joint version that covers folios serviced by either of them.
- Open the CAS page on the CAMS or KFintech website. Type the address yourself.
- Choose “Detailed” if you want transaction history.
- Pick the period: current financial year, previous financial year, or a specific period.
- Enter your PAN if asked. On the KFintech form, PAN is optional.
- Set a password for the PDF. KFintech asks for at least 8 characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a special character.
- Submit. The PDF is sent to the email registered in your folios.
If nothing arrives, check that you have an email address registered in your folios. Units held in a demat account, which holds investments electronically, are reported by the depository (NSDL or CDSL), not by the RTA.
For help, KFintech lists a toll-free number, 1800 419 7744, and the email [email protected] on its investor page.
Advantages
- Your records stay with the RTA, not your app. Switching to another investing app does not change your folio.
- One place to check everything. A CAS lets you compare your app with the registrar’s record.
- Tax filing is easier. The capital gains statement shows gains and losses on each sale.
- More ways to update details. You can change a nominee through MFCentral, the RTA site, the fund house site, or your demat account.
Risks and Limitations
- You cannot pick your RTA, so you may deal with both.
- Different details in your KYC and your folio, such as another mobile number, can make OTPs and payouts fail.
- Payouts go to the bank account saved in your folio, so update it before you sell.
- Rejected paperwork, especially for nominee changes, can delay requests.
- RTAs keep records. They do not recommend funds or tell you when to buy or sell.
- Fake callers pretend to be from CAMS or KFintech. Do not share your OTP or PIN with anyone.
Tips for Beginners
- Note your RTA’s name the day you open a folio.
- Use the same PAN, mobile, email, and bank details everywhere.
- Add a nominee to every folio.
- Download your CAS once or twice a year and compare it with your app.
- If a request is stuck, contact the RTA first, then the fund house.
CAMS vs KFintech
Point | CAMS | KFintech |
Based in | Chennai, set up in 1988 | Hyderabad |
Background | HDFC Group invested in 2000 | Formerly Karvy Fintech, renamed KFin Technologies in 2019 |
Share of mutual fund assets serviced | About 68% in FY25, 67.2% in the latest quarter reported | |
Fund houses serviced | 26 of 51 AMCs | |
Other work | AIF services, payments, insurance | Corporate registry, NPS |
Shared portal | MFCentral | MFCentral |
AIFs are pooled funds meant for larger investors. For you, the service is much the same. Your fund house decides which one handles your folio.
Both companies are listed on the stock exchanges. That is separate from using their services, and nothing here suggests buying or selling their shares.
An RTA and a depository are also different:
RTA (CAMS or KFintech) | Depository (NSDL or CDSL) | |
Holds | Mutual fund units in folios | Shares and demat units, electronically |
You use it for | Mutual fund records and requests | Demat account statements |
Common Mistakes
- Writing to the wrong RTA. CAMS cannot fix a KFintech folio. Check your statement first.
- Leaving old contact details. Alerts and payouts go to the old number. Update it.
- Skipping the nominee. Your family’s claim takes longer without one.
- Relying on one app. It shows only what you bought through it. A CAS shows the full picture.
- Clicking links in messages. Go to the official site directly.
- Not reading your statement. Check the units against your SIP amount and the NAV once a month.
Who Needs to Know This?
Anyone who invests in mutual funds. It matters most if you run SIPs through more than one app, hold funds from several fund houses, or file tax on fund gains.
If you only trade shares and F&O (futures and options), you will rarely deal with a registrar, because your shares sit in a demat account.
Conclusion
CAMS and KFintech keep the records behind your mutual funds. They credit your units, pay out your sales and issue your statements. You cannot choose between them, but you can keep your bank, mobile and nominee details correct and download your CAS now and then. That small effort avoids many common delays. If a request does get stuck, you will know where to start: the RTA that holds your folio.
FAQs
Blog by Aliceblue News Desk
