New to Finance & Investing (21, India) - Need Help Building a Long-Term Portfolio

Hi everyone, I’m 21 years old and very new to finance and investing. I’ve saved up ₹2,30,000 and can invest ₹15,000 every month. My goal is to build a strong portfolio for the long term and grow my wealth over time. After doing some research, I understand that mutual funds might be a safer bet for long-term investing compared to stocks, but I’m still quite confused about how to create a solid, diversified portfolio. I’ve consulted a friend who gave me a few mutual fund suggestions, and I’ve shortlisted the following: 1. HDFC NIFTY 50 INDEX FUND 2. UTI NIFTY NEXT 50 INDEX FUND 3. DSP NIFTY 50 EQUAL WEIGHT INDEX FUND These are all NIFTY-based funds, but I’m not sure if I should focus solely on these or diversify into other categories like small-cap, mid-cap, etc. I want a mix that balances risk and reward, but I’m not sure how to distribute my investments across these types of funds. I would really appreciate if anyone with experience could help me out. Some of the questions I have are: • Should I stick to NIFTY index funds, or should I explore small-cap, mid-cap, or sectoral funds too? • How much of my portfolio should be allocated to each type of fund (e.g., large-cap, mid-cap, small-cap)? • Are there any other funds or investment strategies I should consider? Any advice on building a strong, diversified portfolio would be really helpful! Thanks in advance!