Jio BlackRock to Launch First Two Outbound Funds From GIFT City in Two Months

Jio BlackRock Asset Management plans to roll out its debut pair of outbound funds through the GIFT City route in the coming two months, a global equities offering and a second fund targeting emerging markets, Moneycontrol reported.

The move comes after the asset manager secured the regulatory clearances needed to run cross-border operations.

CIO Rishi Kohli said the firm had narrowed down roughly ten potential products from BlackRock's international lineup, drawing on inputs from family offices, wealth managers and distributors, before settling on two funds to take forward first; both are now well into the regulatory filing process.

Kohli was quoted as saying the firm's GIFT City licence is already in place and that the first launches will be a global equity fund alongside an emerging-markets fund.

Why Outbound First

Kohli said the outbound route offers a quicker payoff for now, pointing to Indian investors' appetite for global diversification that goes beyond conventional index bets like the S&P or Nasdaq.

The report noted the firm had previously signalled it would file for its first funds once clearances came through, setting up its GIFT City-based unit to run both directions of business, helping Indian investors reach overseas markets, and eventually giving foreign investors a route into Indian assets.

On the inbound side, Kohli told the news publication that the coming six months would be a turning point, tying this timeline to a domestic equity market that has moved sideways for roughly two years following weaker-than-expected earnings, but which is now showing early signs of turning a corner amid firmer macro conditions and stronger March-quarter numbers.

He noted that while domestic SIP inflows have stayed steady, investors are increasingly going to need access to more advanced diversification options, something the new GIFT City funds aim to provide by opening the door to BlackRock's wider global toolkit, including multi-asset and alternative strategies, with hedge-fund-style options expected further down the line.

Kohli indicated that some inbound activity from the firm could begin to take shape roughly six months out, adding that he sees a broader pipeline of up to 20 products that could be introduced over the next three to four years, depending on how investors respond.

The Bigger Picture

Since these outbound funds sit within GIFT City under IFSCA's regulatory framework, they fall outside the $7 billion cap that applies industry-wide to overseas investments by domestic mutual funds.

The timing also fits into Jio BlackRock's larger plans for 2026, which include a long-short hybrid strategy called PRISM under the SIF framework, alongside a wider push into GIFT City-based offerings, the report added.