What is Nifty ETF? Types, Advantage, Risks, Taxation

When most investors want to check the stock market, one of the first things they look at is how the Nifty 50 index is doing. A Nifty ETF is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the Nifty 50 index, offering investors low-cost, diversified exposure to India’s top 50 companies by free-float market capitalization, tradable on stock exchanges like regular shares. In this article, we will explore the Nifty ETF and how you can benefit by investing in the same.

Understanding Nifty ETFs and How They Work

The benchmark index, Nifty 50, is often considered a barometer of the Indian stock exchange. The Nifty 50 index comprises the top 50 largest Indian companies listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE). The index represents the free-float market capitalisation weighted average of these companies, and its value is impacted by its components.

An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is an instrument which pools money from investors and invests it into various securities such as stocks, indices, commodities, and bonds. Unlike mutual funds, an ETF is traded on the stock market and can be bought and sold during market hours.

A Nifty ETF is an instrument that invests in the companies that comprise the Nifty 50 index or related indices. These ETFs invest in the companies that comprise the index in a similar proportion to track the performance of the index closely.

The goal of a Nifty ETF is to closely track and replicate the returns of the underlying index. This allows investors to get exposure to the components of Nifty without directly investing in individual companies.

Since the ETF’s portfolio is identical to the underlying index, it can generate returns similar to the index. In practice, there could be slight fluctuations in the returns due to factors such as fund expenses, and tracking errors among others. 

For example, if the Nifty 50 index generated returns of over 12% in a year, an ETF tracking the index will be able to generate returns close to 12% as well. On the other hand, if the index declines by 6% in a year, the ETF’s value will also decline by about 6%.

Being an ETF, a Nifty 50 ETF’s value increases or decreases as the index fluctuates. Moreover, investors can easily buy and sell units of the ETF on the stock exchange.  

Types of Nifty ETFs

Here are some of the common types of Nifty ETFs

Nifty 50 ETF: Invests in the 50 largest companies that comprise the Nifty 50 index. Eg. Groww Nifty 50 ETF

Nifty Bank ETF: Invests in the companies that make up the Nifty Bank index.

Nifty Midcap 150 ETF: Similar to the Nifty 50, this ETF tracks and aims to replicate the returns of the Nifty Midcap 150 index.

Sectoral ETFs: These ETFs track a specific sectoral index, such as Nifty Auto, Nifty Infrastructure, and Nifty IT.

Advantages of Investing in Nifty ETFs

Investing in a Nifty ETF offers several advantages to investors, such as:

Diversification

A Nifty ETF is an excellent way for investors to diversify their portfolio. A Nifty ETF gives investors exposure to several companies across various sectors. Investors can also get exposure to multiple companies within an industry through a Nifty ETF.

Lower Risk

Since an ETF offers greater diversification, it also helps in spreading the risk across multiple companies. There is no over-concentration in a particular company, and the performance of the ETF depends on the overall index.

Accessibility

The Nifty ETF is highly accessible to investors as they can easily buy and sell units of an ETF on the stock market just like shares. This also provides more flexibility to investors, allowing them to enter or exit an investment at their convenience.

Lower Costs

A Nifty ETF is beneficial to investors as the associated costs and management fees are lower than those of mutual funds. Moreover, an investor can invest in several companies through one ETF, which results in lower transaction costs.

Risks to Consider While Investing in a Nifty ETF

• Nifty ETFs are primarily equity-oriented ETFs and are subject to market risks. External factors may impact the performance of the overall market or specific sector, which can affect the returns of the ETF.
• Tracking error is a key risk that one should consider. Some ETFs may be unable to accurately track the underlying index, which leads to differences in the returns between the index and the ETF.
• Nifty ETFs are typically liquid, but certain ETFs are not traded often and may face liquidity issues.
• Although a Nifty ETF is cheaper than a mutual fund, it carries costs such as the expense ratio. Investors should carefully assess the expense ratios and compare them with other ETFs before investing.

Nifty ETF vs. Nifty Index Fund

Although a Nifty Index Fund offers diversification similar to that of a Nifty ETF, there are some key differences between the two.

Who Should Invest in a Nifty ETF

A Nifty ETF can be a suitable investment option for:

• Investors looking to build a diverse portfolio.
• Investors who want a broader market exposure with lower risk
• Suitable for investors who do not wish to make active investment decisions.
• Ideal for investors with a long-term investment horizon.

How to Invest in a Nifty ETF

Investing in a Nifty ETF is a convenient and easy process -

• Open a demat and trading account with an SEBI-registered broker or depository participant.
• Log in to your trading platform with the provided credentials.
• Search for the ETF you want to invest in.
• Enter the quantity and the price at which you want to purchase the ETF.
• Once the ETF is credited to your demat account, regularly monitor its performance to make investment decisions accordingly.

Taxation on Nifty ETFs

Since Nifty ETFs are equity-oriented ETFs, gains realised on selling the ETFs can attract short-term or long-term capital gains tax based on the holding period of the investment.

• Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG): If units are sold within 12 months, STCG is taxed at 20% flat under Section 111A 
• Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG): If held for more than 12 months, LTCG above ₹1.25 lakh is taxed at 12.5% flat without indexation under Section 112A.
• Dividends: Any dividends received through the Nifty ETF are added to the investor’s income, which is taxed as per the applicable tax slab.