Kotak Mahindra Asset Management (Singapore) partnered with European HANetf as the Indian asset manager for defence-oriented ETF scheme launched in July 2025 investing in defence companies of the Asia-Pacific region. The scheme, now called Kotak Indo-Pacific Defence UCITS ETF is compliant with the Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) regulations of the European Union about safety, liquidity and diversification for retail investors.
The fund will provide exposure to investors to rising defense across the Indo-Pacific region including markets of South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore and Taiwan while aiming to benefit from the expanding military budgets and localization initiatives.
Strategic Exposure
The index tracked by the scheme also has a 29.8% exposure to Indian defense companies besides the international exposure.
Shyam Kumar, president and head – Kotak International said, “This launch marks a key milestone as we introduce ETFs to our global product suite, expanding high-conviction investment opportunities for global investors.
Institutional Grade Access
Defense has emerged as a strategically important sector, and the UCITS ETF positions us to tap into this theme while advancing our global product strategy and strengthening our international asset management platform.”
The fund has been made open for investment in dollar terms on May 7 with no restrictions related to NFO period or minimum investment amount.