What is prompting investors to discontinue SIPs?

You are losing investors and their interest is because they are direct and they have no clue about anything whatsoever but AMCs with the help of SEBI still want people to come direct where AMCs can earn more. To save a very very miniscule brokearage( that is what is given to distributors now which was again miniscule only previously) AMCs are doing this and showing a wrong picture to investors that they will save a lot. If you remove the most important link out of the equation ( just to make additional profit) this is what happens. Eventhough commissions have been slashed to miniscule level distributors have remained loyal( or may be they are afraid or are weak because they are divided but will never want to unite) to their investors and this industry and not done anything drastic and not recommended anything opposite. Insurance JLIPs have performed much better that these funds in any period you take but still distributors have stuck to mutual funds which is surprising.