Jio BlackRock Targets August ETF Debut After Building ₹18,000 Crore Asset Base

Jio BlackRock Asset Management is set to launch its first exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in India by August, marking its entry into the country’s fast-growing passive investment segment. The move comes after the fund house accumulated nearly ₹18,000 crore in assets under management (AUM) within about a year of commencing operations.

The asset management company, a joint venture between Jio Financial Services and BlackRock, plans to begin its ETF journey with equity-focused products, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sid Swaminathan told Reuters. The proposed launch would add another category to the firm’s expanding product portfolio, which already includes liquid funds, debt index funds and active equity schemes.

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Focus Shifts To Passive Investment Products

The ETF rollout aligns with BlackRock’s global expertise in passive investing. Globally, the asset manager oversees approximately $5.1 trillion in ETF assets, with the segment accounting for more than one-third of its total assets under management.

According to Swaminathan’s comments to Reuters, the company sees substantial scope for expansion in India’s passive investment space, where penetration remains lower than in several developed markets.

The planned products are expected to provide investors with another avenue to access equity markets through exchange-traded structures, a category that has witnessed increasing acceptance among retail and institutional participants in recent years.

India’s ETF Market Continues To Expand

Data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) showed that index funds and ETFs together managed average assets of about ₹14.8 lakh crore in May. The category accounted for nearly 18% of the mutual fund industry’s average assets under management.

Within the segment, index funds held average assets of ₹3.33 lakh crore, while gold ETFs managed ₹1.84 lakh crore. Other ETFs categories accounted for average assets of ₹9.64 lakh crore.

Despite rapid growth, passive investing remains less dominant in India than in mature markets. Reuters cited industry data showing that index funds and ETFs represent roughly 45% of long-term fund assets in the U.S.

Historically, India’s ETF market has been driven largely by institutional investors, including pension and insurance funds. However, retail participation has increased steadily as digital investment platforms have expanded access to low-cost investment products.

Expansion Plans Beyond ETFs

Jio BlackRock is also preparing to broaden its offerings beyond domestic mutual fund products. The company plans to introduce investment solutions through GIFT City, India’s international financial services hub, in the coming months.

Swaminathan told Reuters that the fund house also expects to use distributor networks for selected offerings, including special investment funds and products linked to GIFT City.

The ETF launch would represent the latest step in Jio BlackRock’s expansion strategy as it seeks to establish a presence across multiple investment categories within India’s mutual fund industry.