Nifty BeES, India's first exchange-traded fund (2001)

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Nifty BeES (Nifty Benchmark Exchange-Traded Scheme), launched on 28 December 2001 by Benchmark Mutual Fund on the National Stock Exchange of India , was the first exchange-traded fund in India and the first equity-index ETF in Asia. It tracked the Nifty 50 index , with each unit representing one-tenth of the Nifty 50 index value, and was listed and continuously traded on the NSE during market hours at prices close to its net asset value. The launch of Nifty BeES preceded any mainland Chinese or Japanese equity ETF and inaugurated passive index investing as a viable instrument for Indian retail, institutional, and provident fund investors.

Benchmark Mutual Fund on WebNotes

Nifty BeES, India's first exchange-traded fund (2001)