In April, the HDFC Defence Fund, the only actively managed fund focused on the defence sector, increased its holdings in several key stocks. The fund added 1.75 lakh shares of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), bringing its total to approximately 27.25 lakh shares, up from 25.50 lakh in March. Similarly, it increased its stake in Bharat Electronics by adding 9 lakh shares, resulting in a total of 3.50 crore shares compared to 3.41 crore the previous month. The fund also made a significant addition of 22.32 lakh shares of Aequs, raising its total to 40 lakh shares. Other stocks where the fund increased its stake include BEML, Bharat Forge, Bosch, Eicher Motors, and Premier Explosives. Notably, the fund reduced its stake in Rishabh Instruments by offloading 82,361 shares, leaving it with 5.84 lakh shares. The total portfolio remains unchanged at 22 stocks, with an AUM of ₹9,123 crore (approximately $1.1 billion USD). The fund's strategy focuses on long-term capital appreciation within the defence sector, managed by Rahul Baijal and Priya Ranjan.