Indians set to gain easy access to emerging markets through Kotak

Mumbai, Feb 22 (UNI) Kotak Asset Management today announced a partnership that brings a world-class investment manager to Indian investors providing a platform to invest in emerging markets globally.

They have tied-up with US-based T Rowe Price, one of the world's leading independent investment management firms, to launch a fund that would invest in the Luxembourg-domiciled T Rowe Price Funds SICAV Global Emerging Markets Equity Fund.

''T Rowe Price Emerging Markets equity team manages over USD 11 billion in dedicated global emerging market equity assets. The fund would aim to outperform the MSCI Emerging Markets Index over the medium to long term by investing in the T Rowe Price Fund, which invests primarily in a widely diversified, global portfolio of transferable equity and equity related securities of companies established or conducting a significant proportion of their business activities in the economically emerging countries of Latin America, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East,'' the CEO Kotak Asset Management Co, Sandesh Kirkire explained.

''Asset Management is proud to introduce a fund which will provide its existing investors&potential investors the opportunity to participate in global markets. The tie-up with T Rowe Price will ensure quality management of the investor's money and provide valuable participation in emerging markets,'' the President&CEO of T Rowe Price Global Investment Services Limited, Todd Ruppert said.

''We believe the combination of our respective capabilities will benefit Indian investors over both the short and long term,'' Executive Vice Chairman&Managing Director Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak opined.

''T Rowe Price, founded in 1937, is an independent global investment management firm based in Baltimore, Maryland USA. As of 31 December 2006 the T Rowe Price group of companies managed USD 334.7 bn for investors worldwide. Ours is an independent public holding company with substantial employee ownership and is also included in the S&P 500 Index,'' Mr Ruppert added.

Besides, Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund is in the business of asset management. Set up in 1998, Kotak Mutual Fund currently manages assets in excess of Rs 13,311.40 crore contributed by over 4,00,000 investors, as on January 31, 2007, company officials sadded.

UNI