About Kotak Mahindra’s international business


One of the leading financial services organizations in India, Kotak has significant presence in various businesses including commercial banking, retail banking, stock broking, asset management, life insurance and investment banking.

With an international presence since 1994, the international subsidiaries of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. operating through offices in London, New York, Dubai, Mauritius, San Francisco and Singapore specialize in managing a wide range of India investment funds through which overseas investors can invest in India. Investors can access the asset management capabilities of the international subsidiaries through funds domiciled outside India. We offer asset management services to institutions and high net worth individuals based outside India through a range of offshore Indian funds, as well as through specific advisory and discretionary investment management mandates for institutional investors.

Kotak is a differentiated solution provider for India investments with a wide range of India investment solutions that span all major asset classes including listed equity, private equity, real estate and fixed income. We also lead manage and underwrite international issuances of securities.

With its commendable track record, large presence on the ground and a large team of dedicated staff in India, Kotak is suitably positioned for managing assets in the Indian Capital markets.

The international business of Kotak offers various funds across different strategies to international investors only.

We offer funds across five broad strategies:

Long Only Strategy - With a long only outlook, we manage funds across large capitalization and mid-capitalization biases, a fund without a capitalization bias, a series of concentrated funds and thematic funds (across sectors like infrastructure & realty). We also manage a Shariah-compliant mandate.

Quasi Private Equity Strategy - With this strategy, we seek to invest in listed, under-researched mid–market companies in India through secondary markets, PIPE, and IPO using a private equity approach. The investment team seeks to provide active post-investment value-add to investee companies where feasible.

Dynamic Strategy - Under this strategy, we seek to generate absolute return by exploiting the growth in the Indian economy and the price inefficiencies in the Indian stock market while managing risk during volatile periods to limit draw-downs. With a mix of varied strategies like Core Equity, Long/Short Equity, Limited Risk, and Cash/Arbitrage give the product a multi-dimensional nature, allowing it to adapt to different stages of the market cycle.

Debt Strategy - With this strategy, we aim to generate returns predominantly through investments in debt/money market instruments and government securities in India. The funds under this strategy offer differential risk and return options based on the investor’s view on interest rates, currencies and the investment horizon. 12 month closed ended funds are available for investors with a low to medium risk profile where investments are primarily made into fixed term instruments maturing within the life of the product. Long term debt funds are available to investors who have a directional view on interest rates as the performance of the fund is dependent on changes in interest rate apart from income, if any, generated through income yielding instruments. It should be noted that investments in India are subject to the usual risks associated with emerging markets, including but not limited to risk of losing some or all of the capital invested.

Cash Alternative Strategy - Our arbitrage strategy provides an opportunity to investors looking for low volatility and moderate INR returns. By evaluating the difference between the price of a stock in the futures and spot market, we enter into trades where the carry yield is higher than that of cash funds. Depending on the opportunities available, they may square off or roll over the positions.

The Kotak Group operates internationally through the following three subsidiaries:
  • Kotak Mahindra (UK) Limited (KMUK)
    A 100% subsidiary of Kotak (the parent company), KMUK is one of the first firms of Indian origin to be authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom. A member of the London Stock Exchange, KMUK is registered with the Securities Exchange Board of India as a Foreign Institutional Investor (FII).

    KMUK had its registered office in London, with branch offices in Dubai and Singapore. Infact it is the first Indian company to be authorized to operate from its branch in the Dubai International Financial Centre, and is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. It is also regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
  • Kotak Mahindra Inc. (KM Inc)
    Regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in the United States, this subsidiary of the Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, offers investors in the US, an opportunity to invest in India through a range of India specific funds.
    KM Inc has its registered office in New York with a branch office in San Francisco.
  • Kotak Mahindra International Limited (KMIL)
    This subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd is registered with the Financial Services Commission-Mauritius.
    KMIL has a registered office in Mauritius and a representative office in Dubai.