Short answer — go to a mix of research/ screener sites, aggregator/investing apps and primary sources:

Where to research (best for screening, metrics and comparisons)

• Value Research Online — category monitors, rolling returns, fund factsheets and screener tools. (valueresearchonline.com)
• Morningstar India — fund ratings, style box, performance comparison and screeners. (morningstar.in)
• Moneycontrol — lists, performance trackers and news for ELSS / mid‑cap lists. (moneycontrol.com)

Where to compare and invest (user-friendly apps / direct plans)

• Groww — good for filtering ELSS and mid‑cap funds and comparing direct plans. (groww.in)
• ET Money — fund comparison, SIP tools and easy investment flows. (etmoney.com)
• Zerodha Coin — popular for buying direct‑plan mutual funds (no distributor commission) and demat holding option. (support.zerodha.com)

Primary / regulatory sources (factsheets, NAVs, rules)

• AMC websites and myCAMS — download scheme factsheets, SID/KIM and official portfolio holdings. (mycams.camsonline.com)
• AMFI / SEBI / Income Tax Department — for official NAV disclosures, ELSS definitions, lock‑in and tax rules. (amfiindia.com)

Quick checklist — what to look for when screening mid‑cap or ELSS funds

• Category and mandate: confirm it’s in the “Mid‑Cap” or “ELSS (Tax‑saver)” category on research sites. (valueresearchonline.com)
• Performance: look at 3‑, 5‑ and 7‑year rolling returns (not only 1‑year). (valueresearchonline.com)
• Risk vs return: standard deviation, Sharpe (or downside measures), and maximum drawdown — mid‑cap funds can be more volatile. (morningstar.in)
• Fund manager tenure & consistency: longer tenure and consistent process matter for active mid‑cap funds. (morningstar.in)
• AUM & concentration: very small AUM (illiquidity) or very large AUM (capacity issues) can be relevant for mid‑caps; check top 10 holdings & sector bets. (valueresearchonline.com)
• Expense ratio / TER and exit load: pick lower TER direct plans when possible. (valueresearchonline.com)
• For ELSS specifically: 3‑year lock‑in for each investment (each SIP instalment locks for 3 years), qualifies for Section 80C deduction (up to ₹1.5 lakh), and LTCG taxation rules apply — confirm current LTCG threshold/rate with the tax authority when you transact. (investor.sebi.gov.in)

A few practical steps

1. Use Value Research or Morningstar to screen “Mid‑Cap” or “ELSS” and sort by 3–5 year rolling returns and low risk metrics. (valueresearchonline.com)
2. Open the AMC factsheet (or AMFI/myCAMS) to verify holdings, AUM and the scheme information document (SID). (mycams.camsonline.com)
3. If you want the best long‑term returns net of costs, buy the direct plan either via the AMC website or a direct‑plan platform (Zerodha Coin, Groww, ET Money) to avoid distributor trail. (support.zerodha.com)

Notes / cautions

• Mid‑cap funds are higher risk and can underperform large‑caps in periods of market stress; regulator guidance and disclosure requirements for small/mid funds have increased — check liquidity and risk disclosures. (reuters.com)
• Tax rules (LTCG thresholds/rates, Section 80C limits) have seen changes recently — always verify the current rates with the Income Tax Department / your tax adviser before making tax‑sensitive decisions. (incometaxindia.gov.in)

If you want, I can:

• run a quick screener and list top‑rated mid‑cap or ELSS funds by 3/5‑year rolling returns (and include TER, AUM, manager tenure), or
• show exactly how to filter on Value Research / Morningstar step‑by‑step.

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