Mekkanti Sunil, Dr K. Pushpa Latha 02 07 The purpose of study is to determine the main elements influencing investor preferences and decision by examining consumer perception of public and private mutual funds In order to obtain qualitative insights we employed a mixedmethods approach surveying a wide rang e of investors and conducting indepth interviewsThe results show that while private mutual funds are preferred due to their greater returns and more individualized services public mutual funds must prior itize trust and opennessThe report also emphasizes how financial literacy and market awareness affec t investment decisionsFund managers and legislators can use these information to improve mutual fu nd offerings and better meet investor expectations Copyright (c) Journal of Science Engineering Technology and Management Science. All rights reserved 2026