Zerodha Fund House's Vishal Jain on how to keep products simple, affordable
Zerodha Fund House is an early-stage asset manager, managing around Rs 6,700 crore.
- Sep 16, 2025,
- Updated Sep 16, 2025 5:31 PM IST
What was the problem you were grappling with?
When we started out, the big question was, why aren’t more Indians investing? Despite all the buzz around mutual funds, only about 3% Indians invest in them. We felt there was a real opportunity to make investing simpler, more accessible, something that could make it a ritual.
Whom did you approach for advice and why?
We leaned on the strengths of our parent companies, Zerodha Broking and smallcase (a fintech company). Together, they bring rich expertise in capital markets, having built digital infrastructure and retail platforms at scale with a strong grasp of investor behaviour.
What was the advice you received?
Keep it simple. Make it transparent and affordable. And above all, make it accessible. The takeaway was clear—to enable more people to design better financial outcomes, we need to offer products that are easy to understand and digital-first, offering seamless investment journey and user experience. Passive, index-based products came out as the ideal fit: low-cost, easy to understand and transparent.
How effective was it in resolving the problem?
In just 18 months since launch, we had crossed `6,700 crore in AUM and garnered the trust of over 700,000 investors. This rapid success
Demonstrates a key insight: when we innovate with a clear focus on addressing customer needs and pain points, investors respond positively.
Our focus remains on simplifying the investment process, educating investors, and enabling more Indians to take that crucial first step towards financial growth.
—Team BT
What was the problem you were grappling with?
When we started out, the big question was, why aren’t more Indians investing? Despite all the buzz around mutual funds, only about 3% Indians invest in them. We felt there was a real opportunity to make investing simpler, more accessible, something that could make it a ritual.
Whom did you approach for advice and why?
We leaned on the strengths of our parent companies, Zerodha Broking and smallcase (a fintech company). Together, they bring rich expertise in capital markets, having built digital infrastructure and retail platforms at scale with a strong grasp of investor behaviour.
What was the advice you received?
Keep it simple. Make it transparent and affordable. And above all, make it accessible. The takeaway was clear—to enable more people to design better financial outcomes, we need to offer products that are easy to understand and digital-first, offering seamless investment journey and user experience. Passive, index-based products came out as the ideal fit: low-cost, easy to understand and transparent.
How effective was it in resolving the problem?
In just 18 months since launch, we had crossed `6,700 crore in AUM and garnered the trust of over 700,000 investors. This rapid success
Demonstrates a key insight: when we innovate with a clear focus on addressing customer needs and pain points, investors respond positively.
Our focus remains on simplifying the investment process, educating investors, and enabling more Indians to take that crucial first step towards financial growth.
—Team BT