- Business
- ICICI Prudential Nifty 100 Low Volatility 30 ETF (LOWVOLIETF.BO) is an open-ended exchange-traded fund that seeks to provide returns before expenses that closely correspond to the total returns of the Nifty 100 Low Volatility 30 Total Return Index, subject to tracking errors arising from fund expenses, cash balance, and other factors. Launched on June 27, 2017, and listed on the BSE and NSE on July 10, 2017, the ETF tracks an index comprising the 30 least volatile stocks from the Nifty 100 universe, selected based on one-year standard deviation of daily price returns and weighted by inverse volatility with turnover caps for replicability. Managed by ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited, a joint venture between ICICI Bank Limited and Prudential Corporation Holdings Limited founded in 1993 and headquartered in Mumbai, India, the fund primarily invests at least 95% of its net assets in the underlying index securities, predominantly large-cap equities (approximately 97%), with minor mid-cap and cash allocations.
The ETF offers investors passive exposure to low-volatility large-cap equities across sectors such as financial services, IT, consumer goods, telecom, and energy; its portfolio features top holdings including HDFC Bank Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, Bharti Airtel Ltd, and Infosys Ltd, mirroring the benchmark's composition. It caters to retail and institutional investors seeking equity market participation with reduced volatility compared to broader indices, benchmarked against the Nifty 100 Low Volatility 30 TRI, with a total expense ratio of 0.41% as of October 31, 2025, minimum investment of INR 5,000, no exit load, and assets under management of approximately INR 3,798 crore as of November 28, 2025. Operations are focused on the Indian market, with units traded on stock exchanges like NSE and BSE under the ticker LOWVOLIETF.BO.
In recent developments, ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company has pursued strategic expansions, including the Competition Commission of India's approval in November 2025 for the acquisition of certain businesses from ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Limited, enhancing its alternative investment offerings such as private equity alongside mutual funds and portfolio management services. The asset manager also announced a merger in October 2025 of the ICICI Prudential CRISIL-IBX AAA Bond Financial Services Index - Dec 2026 Fund into the Corporate Bond Fund, effective November 14, 2025, to streamline debt scheme operations. These moves, alongside robust AUM growth to over INR 3,000 crore for the parent AMC by FY2025, reflect ongoing consolidation and capability enhancement within India's mutual fund industry.