SBER offers retail investors access to Indian stock market benchmarked to Nifty50 Index
Mumbai, December 5, 2025: Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank and JSC First Asset Management have introduced a new mutual fund, First–India, offering investments linked to the performance of the Nifty50 Index (NSEI), a flagship index on the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE), comprised of stocks from India’s top 50 companies by market capitalization providing Russian retail investors direct exposure to India’s stock market. The launch was announced at the event at the National Stock Exchange of India by Sberbank CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, Herman Gref’s during his business visit to India.
The Nifty50 is one of the most widely followed equity indices among market participants globally. It comprises 50 large-cap, highly liquid stocks listed on the NSE, representing 15 diverse sectors of the Indian economy. In India, there are over 45 passive funds that track the Nifty50, while an additional 22 passive funds outside India track the Nifty50 Index. The Nifty50 index was launched in 1996 and will complete 30 years on April 22, 2026.
Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, NSE:
“We are pleased to support Sberbank in launching Nifty50-linked investment solutions that strengthen capital flows and open India’s equity growth to Russian investors through a trusted benchmark. This initiative reflects strong confidence in India’s markets and deepens the India–Russia financial cooperation. NSE is committed to partnering with Sberbank to enhance market connectivity, uphold regulatory and investor-protection standards, and build liquidity and transparency for these products as we create new opportunities for investors in both countries.”
Herman Gref, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank:
“We are opening another window of investment opportunities for our Russian clients, this time to South Asia. Our new product provides a convenient way to gain exposure to one of the world’s key economic markets—the Indian stock market. Until now, no straightforward options existed for Russian investors seeking personal investments in Indian assets. However, we have created a new and efficient financial bridge between the two countries.”
About National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE): National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) was the first exchange in India to implement electronic or screen-based trading. It began operations in 1994 and is ranked as the largest stock exchange in India in terms of total and average daily turnover for equity shares every year since 1995, based on SEBI data. NSE has a fully integrated business model comprising exchange listings, trading services, clearing and settlement services, indices, market data feeds, technology solutions and financial education offerings. NSE also oversees compliance by trading, clearing members and listed companies with the rules and regulations of SEBI and the exchange. NSE is a pioneer in technology and ensures the reliability and performance of its systems through a culture of innovation and investment in technology. NSE is the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) as per the statistics maintained by Futures Industry Association (FIA) for calendar year 2024. NSE is ranked 2nd in the world in equity segment by number of trades (electronic order book) in 2024, as per the statistics maintained by World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).
For more information, please visit: www.nseindia.com
