Introduction to Kotak Mahindra
Kotak Mahindra (International) Limited (KMIL), a hundred percent subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited, is the first Indian financial institution to be granted a license by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) to carry out investment fund management and portfolio management activities for the implementation of investment funds.
Historical Step for the Bank and UAE Financial Sector
The license is a historical step for both the bank and the financial sector of the United Arab Emirates and opens up new ways for cross-border investment flows and the cooperation between the two economies.
About Kotak Mahindra
Kotak Mahindra, one of the most famous banking and financial services groups of the Indian private sector, has a long-defined reputation for innovations in asset management and investment banking. The Kotak Group, founded in 1985, is now active in consumer banks, corporate loans, insurance, asset management and capital markets. With more than 70,000 employees, it manages assets worth over 100 billion US dollars and serves millions of customers worldwide.
International Operations
Kotak Mahindra Bank itself is one of the most valuable banking institutions in India, which are listed on Indian stock exchanges with market capitalization of over 50 billion US dollars. International operations include regulated companies in the United States, Great Britain, Singapore and Mauritius, and now extend deeper to the Middle East with the SCA license.
Role of the SCA
The SCA, founded in 2000, is responsible for regulating securities markets, investment funds and financial services. The license, which Kotak Mahindra was granted, enables the company to establish the funds for retail investors in the UAE – a important milestone, as it becomes more accessible for the large expatriate community and local investors of the UAE who are striving for portfolio diversification.
Commitment to the UAE
"This license is proof of our permanent commitment to the UAE and our vision of promoting globally integrated, transparent capital markets," said Shyam Kumar, President and Head of Kotak International. "India’s economic dynamics continue to arouse global interest, and through this license we are happy to provide UAE investors access to Indian-focused investment strategies so that they can take part in one of the most dynamic and resilient markets in the world."
Future Plans
Kotak Mahindra intends to start funds that are aligned with its successful UCITS (Luxembourg domiciled) and indicated strategies that have attracted strong participation of investors worldwide. The new offers will be specifically geared towards the UAE market and are expected to be opened for subscription in the last quarter of 2025.
Industry Trends
Analysts find that such initiatives between India and the UAE, two economies which are already associated with trade, energy cooperation and transfers. Industry experts also see the move as part of a wider trend of Indian financial institutions that grow internationally. Since India continues to be one of the fastest extended main economies, and is increasingly being projection from the IMF, and global investors are increasingly after exposure to its markets by 2026.
Global Footprint
KOTAK’s presence in the United Arab Emirates will give a direct gate that will be regulated under one of the most respected capital market authorities in the region. For the United Arab Emirates, it underlines confidence in its regulatory environment and his ambition to make international asset managers support products on site, according to analysts. The license contributes to Kotak’s global footprint, whereby the permits are already present in India, the USA, Great Britain, Singapore and Mauritius.
