Kotak Mutual Fund launches India's first Nifty Chemicals ETF

Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company (Kotak MF) has launched the Kotak Nifty Chemicals ETF, India's first exchange-traded fund (ETF) focused on the chemicals sector. The new fund offer (NFO) opened on 23 October 2025, and will close on 6 November 2025.

The open-ended scheme aims to replicate and track the Nifty Chemicals Index, generating returns that align with the index's performance, subject to tracking error. The minimum investment during the NFO is Rs 5,000, and the scheme will be managed by Devender Singhal, Satish Dondapati, and Abhishek Bisen.

The Nifty Chemicals Index represents a diversified mix of leading Indian chemical companies across sub-sectors such as specialty chemicals, agrochemicals, and industrial chemicals. Over the past several years, India's chemical industry has benefited from China's supply chain disruptions, environmental regulations, and the US-China trade war, positioning the country as an emerging global chemical hub.

Data from NSE and Nifty Indices show that the Nifty Chemicals Total Return Index (TRI) has consistently outperformed the Nifty 500 TRI across long-term horizons.

Over the past decade, the Nifty Chemicals TRI has delivered annualized returns of 21% compared with 14% for the Nifty 500 TRI, while over seven years it gained 20% versus 15% for the broader index. Both indices returned 21% over the five-year period, but the Chemicals TRI posted 6% returns over three years against 16% for the Nifty 500 TRI. Since inception on 1 April 2005, the Chemicals TRI has generated 20% annualized returns compared with 15% for the Nifty 500 TRI, with rolling return data further underscoring its strength, averaging 22.4% over 10 years versus 15.5% for the broader benchmark.

Sector valuations, the fund house said, are currently around long-term averages, offering potential for sustained returns. The fund house believes this ETF provides investors an opportunity to gain sectoral exposure through a cost-efficient and diversified route, amid India's growing role in global chemical manufacturing.

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