
Mukesh Ambani to transform India's Mutual Fund industry, partners with world's largest asset manager, what is Jio BlackRock?
JioBlackRock Asset Management, a 50:50 joint venture between Jio Financial Services and BlackRock, has received market regulator Sebi's approval to launch five mutual fund schemes.
These funds are JioBackRock Nifty 50 index, JioBlackRock Nifty 8-13 yr G-Sec Index Fund, JioBlackRock Nifty Smallcap 250 Index Fund, JioBlackRock Nifty Next 50 Index Fund, and JioBlackRock Nifty Midcap 150 Index Fund, an update with Sebi showed on Wednesday.
Of these five schemes, four are equity-oriented index funds while one is a debt-oriented index fund. JioBlackRock Mutual Funds NFO
On July 7, JioBlackRock Asset Management announced the closure of its maiden New Fund Offer (NFO), recording a total investment of Rs 17,800 crore (USD 2.1 billion).
The fund was mobilised from three cash/debt mutual fund schemes: JioBlackRock Overnight Fund, JioBlackRock Liquid Fund and JioBlackRock Money Market Fund.
The three-day NFO received an overwhelming response from over 90 institutional investors and more than 67,000 retail investors. What is Jio BlackRock?
Jio BlackRock is a digital-first asset management company, born out of a strategic partnership between Reliance Jio and global investment giant BlackRock. The venture wants to revolutionize the mutual fund landscape in India by combining Jio's vast telecom reach with BlackRock's investment profile.They want to make investing accessible to millions of Indians especially in Tier II and Tier III cities through mutual fund offerings.
The platform plans to leverage Reliance's digital and financial ecosystem, like the Jio Finance app, which comes pre-installed on smartphones used by over 475 million Jio subscribers and gives direct access to investment products. Jio Blackrock Impact On India's Mutual Fund Industry
India's mutual fund industry has been concentrated in metro cities. In 2017, the top 35 cities accounted for nearly 90% of total Assets Under Management (AUM). By March 2025, this figure dropped to 70%, showing a shift towards greater rural and semi-urban participation.
Jio BlackRock wants to bridge the urban-rural divide and democratize access to wealth-building tools.
Jio BlackRock's strategy focuses on two key pillars: Expanding retail participation through affordable Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs), reportedly starting from just ₹500 per month. Harnessing technology and behavioral nudges to cultivate long-term, consistent investment habits among users.
(With Inputs From PTI)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Tata Capital has submitted revised and updated DRHP at SEBI
Tata Group company Tata Capital Ltd is moving closer to going public. Tata Capital has filed a pre-filing draft offer document (PDRHP) with capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for its initial public offering (IPO). As per reports, submitting offer documents prior to filing is an optional alternative approach for conducting an Initial Public Offering on the mainboard. Under SEBI regulations, firms looking to launch an IPO on the mainboard are required to "pre-file" the offer document with SEBI.


Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Poonawalla Fincorp shares rise after fundraise move. Details here
Shares of Poonawalla Fincorp gained more than 3 percent in intra-day trade on Monday, July 21, following the company's announcement that its Board of Directors will consider two major fundraising proposals during its upcoming board meeting scheduled for July 25, 2025. The move sparked positive investor sentiment, sending the stock to a high of ₹ 466.20 in early trade. In a regulatory filing, the non-banking financial company (NBFC) said the board will evaluate a proposal for raising funds through the preferential issue of equity shares. This equity infusion, if approved, will be carried out in accordance with the Companies Act, SEBI's Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR), and other applicable laws, subject to shareholder approval. In addition to the equity route, the board is also set to consider enhancing the company's limit for raising funds through non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on a private placement basis. The proposed increase would double the current borrowing cap from ₹ 10,000 crore to ₹ 20,000 crore for the financial year 2025–26, again subject to regulatory and other necessary approvals. The company also clarified that its trading window for designated persons and their immediate relatives will remain closed until Sunday, July 27, 2025. This is in compliance with SEBI's Prohibition of Insider Trading Regulations and the company's own internal code of conduct. The upbeat mood around the stock was further supported by Poonawalla Fincorp's earlier disclosure on July 4, where it reported robust growth in its assets under management (AUM). As of June 30, 2025, the company's AUM rose nearly 53 percent year-on-year to ₹ 41,250 crore. On a sequential basis, the company witnessed a healthy 16 percent increase in AUM. The NBFC also reported strong liquidity of ₹ 4,450 crore at the end of the first quarter, reinforcing its financial stability. "In line with our guidance, we have completed the launch of six new businesses and are seeing positive traction," the company said in its quarterly update. The Poonawalla Fincorp stock climbed as much as 3.2 percent during Monday's session, touching an intra-day high of ₹ 466.20. Earlier this month, the stock had reached a 52-week high of ₹ 483.35 and is currently trading just 3.5 percent below that peak. On the flip side, the stock hit its 52-week low of ₹ 267.25 in March 2025. Over the past year, the stock has delivered a moderate return of 10 percent. However, the near-term trend has been more volatile. While the stock has declined about 1 percent so far in July after four consecutive months of gains, it posted impressive monthly returns prior to that—15.4 percent in June, 7.5 percent in May, 7 percent in April, and a sharp 24.5 percent rally in March. The downtrend was seen earlier in the year, with a 9.4 percent drop in February and a marginal 1.3 percent decline in January. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Jane Street to resume trading: Arbitrage vs market manipulation explained
US-based trading firm Jane Street found itself at the centre of a regulatory storm in India, after the market watchdog accused it of manipulating index prices to boost profits at the expense of retail investors. On July 3, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) temporarily barred the firm from participating in its securities markets. The regulator alleged that Jane Street carried out a coordinated trading strategy that distorted prices in India's Bank Nifty index, misleading investors and profiting from the resulting volatility. Jane Street, which has denied any wrongdoing, is now challenging the order and has deposited more than ₹4,800 crore (around $560 million) into an escrow account and has resumed trading in the Indian market. The case has left some institutional investors unsettled and may even serve as a larger wake-up call for India's financial market, sparking debate between legal arbitrage and illegal market manipulation. Here's a closer look at what this means. What is Jane Street? Jane Street is a global quantitative trading firm that uses mathematical models and algorithms to trade rapidly and across markets. With operations in more than 45 countries and over 3,000 employees, it is one of the largest players on Wall Street. In 2023, the firm reportedly accounted for more than 10.4 per cent of North America's equity trading volume, up from 7.6 per cent in 2022, according to a report by the Financial Times. In India, the firm traded heavily in both the cash market, where investors buy and sell actual shares, and the derivatives market, where traders use instruments like options and futures to bet on future price movements. What is an arbitrage trading strategy? Arbitrage is a legal trading strategy that takes advantage of price differences in different markets. This means that if a stock is trading at slightly different prices across two exchanges, a trader can buy low in one market and sell high in another. In India, arbitrage often occurs between the cash market and derivatives market, where traders can simultaneously buy and sell related assets to lock in small, low-risk profits. Arbitrage is legal in India as long as these trades are based on existing inefficiencies and do not attempt to create false price movements. Arbitrage may even be beneficial as it can help align prices, thereby improving market efficiency, as former Sebi primary market board member V Raghunathan told CNBC. What is market manipulation? Market manipulation is illegal. It involves deliberately distorting prices or creating a misleading impression of market activity. This could include tactics like artificially inflating demand, moving prices without a valid economic reason, or placing trades solely to influence market outcomes. Difference between arbitrage and market manipulation The difference between arbitrage and manipulation lies in intent and impact. Arbitrage works within the natural functioning of markets, while manipulation seeks to interfere with it. The latter can often harm other investors in the process. What are Sebi's accusations against Jane Street? According to Sebi, Jane Street used multiple entities to carry out a coordinated trading strategy in the Bank Nifty index. The market regulator alleges that one entity bought large volumes of banking stocks in the early morning, which pushed up the index price. At the same time, another entity took positions in the derivatives market anticipating a fall in the index. Near the close of the trading day, particularly on expiry days when derivative contracts are settled, Jane Street is alleged to have sold off the earlier stock purchases in large volumes, pushing the index lower. This price drop, Sebi claims, boosted the profitability of the firm's bets on falling prices. This practice is known as 'marking the close', which is considered manipulative if it involves intentionally influencing prices during the final minutes of trading. Sebi argues that Jane Street's actions created an artificial and misleading appearance of market activity, which in turn caused retail investors to trade at distorted levels and suffer losses. Jane Street's response to Sebi allegation Jane Street has denied any manipulation, describing its actions as basic index arbitrage. The firm has not commented publicly but has indicated it intends to challenge the regulator's order. On July 14, Jane Street deposited ₹4,844 crore into an escrow account, a step that Sebi said was required while reviewing the firm's request to resume trading in Indian markets. Broader market reaction and regulatory concerns The episode has unsettled parts of the institutional investor community. Although Indian stock indices are near all-time highs, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have become increasingly cautious, particularly around midcap and smallcap stocks, where valuations appear stretched and liquidity is thinner. Jignesh Desai, chief executive for institutional equities at Centrum Broking, told Business Standard, 'FIIs are looking for consistency and predictability in regulatory actions, especially around high-frequency and algorithmic trading. As long as Sebi maintains transparency and market stability, this episode is unlikely to deter long-term foreign capital.' Read the full interview here. Meanwhile, K P Krishnan, honorary senior fellow at the Isaac Centre for Public Policy, has pointed out that the outcome of this case will matter not just for Jane Street but for how India defines and regulates complex trading in its increasingly sophisticated markets. What does this crackdown mean? The Jane Street case has raised critical questions about how modern financial markets operate — and how regulators balance market growth and activity with investor protection. Sebi recently reported that 91 per cent of retail traders lost money in the derivatives market last year, with total losses exceeding ₹1 trillion. While these losses cannot be attributed to any single firm, the contrast between large institutional profits and widespread retail losses has renewed concerns about market fairness. Sebi's intervention in this case could mark a turning point in how such strategies are policed.