JioBlackRock Mutual Fund Files Draft Document with SEBI to Launch Gold ETF — October 5, 2026

JioBlackRock Mutual Fund has submitted draft scheme information documents to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to launch an open-ended exchange-traded fund named the JioBlackRock Gold ETF. The filing marks another major step by the joint venture between Jio Financial Services and global asset management powerhouse BlackRock as it builds out its product footprint in the Indian asset management industry.

Key Details of the Proposed Gold ETF

According to the draft offer document filed with the capital markets regulator, the investment objective of the JioBlackRock Gold ETF is to generate returns that are in line with the performance of physical gold in domestic prices, subject to tracking errors:

• Benchmark: The scheme's performance will be benchmarked against the Domestic Price of Gold.
• Asset Allocation: The fund will invest 95% to 100% of its assets in physical gold and gold-related instruments, with the remaining 0% to 5% held in debt and money market instruments to manage liquidity.
• Issue Price: The New Fund Offer (NFO) price will be ₹10 per unit.
• Minimum Application Amount: Investors can enter with a minimum investment of ₹500, and in multiples of ₹1 thereafter.
• Loads: Both entry load and exit load are nil.
• Target Subscription: The fund house aims to raise a minimum target amount of ₹5 crore during the NFO period.

The fund will not offer any plans or options such as Growth or IDCW, operating strictly as a direct exchange-traded instrument traded on stock exchanges.

What This Means for Indian Investors

Gold has historically served as a core asset class in Indian households, functioning both as a cultural staple and as a strategic hedge against inflation, market downturns, and currency fluctuations. In recent years, domestic investors have steadily shifted towards paper gold vehicles, including exchange-traded funds and sovereign gold bonds, driven by transparency, liquidity, purity assurances, and the absence of storage or making charges.

By setting the minimum application threshold at ₹500 and levying no exit load, JioBlackRock is clearly aiming to broaden retail market participation. The low cost and democratic entry size align with the joint venture's broader ambition of leveraging digital reach and low-cost passive structures across India's Tier-2, Tier-3, and rural markets.

Expansion of the JioBlackRock Product Pipeline

The gold ETF filing comes alongside a series of other regulatory submissions by JioBlackRock Mutual Fund as it prepares a comprehensive product suite for Indian investors. The asset manager recently filed draft papers for active and passive products, including equity offerings like the JioBlackRock Nifty 50 ETF and multi-asset strategies such as the JioBlackRock Income Plus Arbitrage Omni FoF.

Once regulatory clearances from SEBI are secured, the launch of the JioBlackRock Gold ETF will place the AMC in direct competition with established players in the gold ETF segment, including Nippon India Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, HDFC Mutual Fund, and SBI Mutual Fund.

Tags: JioBlackRock Mutual Fund SEBI Gold ETF Jio Financial Services BlackRock Mutual Funds