Jio BlackRock’s ₹500 plan may skip distributors in bold new mutual fund strategy: Report

Jio BlackRock may be preparing to let Indians invest in mutual funds for as little as ₹500. The new asset management venture between Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Financial Services and global investing powerhouse BlackRock is reportedly plotting a low-cost, digital-first entry that could bypass traditional distributors and reshape India’s ₹72.2 trillion mutual fund industry.

According to sources cited in a Reuters report, the firm plans to launch nearly a dozen equity and debt mutual funds. Eight schemes have reportedly been filed with SEBI, adding to the three debt funds launched last month. 

Business Today could not independently verify these details.

The standout move: minimum investment thresholds may start as low as ₹500—or about $5.83—making the funds far more accessible to small-ticket retail investors. “By being direct-only, Jio BlackRock plans to do away with the cost of distribution,” one source told Reuters, suggesting fees would likely undercut industry averages.

Instead of relying on third-party distributors, the firm reportedly plans to leverage Jio’s massive 475 million telecom subscriber base and 8 million active users on its digital finance platforms like MyJio and Jio Finance.

Jio BlackRock will also reportedly integrate parts of Aladdin—BlackRock’s sophisticated investment and risk management system—into its Indian offerings. This would mark one of the first such moves in the country, where retail investors rarely get access to institutional-grade analytics.

While BlackRock is a global leader in passive investing, managing $7.8 trillion through index and exchange-traded funds, the India arm is expected to offer both active and passive products. Passive funds now account for just under 17% of India’s mutual fund assets and are growing 25% year-on-year.

Neither BlackRock nor Jio BlackRock has commented on the Reuters report or confirmed plans around fund pricing or distribution strategy.