Satish Donadapati: Managing ₹20,440 Cr in Passive Funds

THE PIP (TL;DR)

This fund manager’s focus on efficient passive investing directly influences the performance and reliability of your index-tracking funds. Satish Donadapati, Fund Manager – ETF at Kotak AMC, manages ₹20,440 crore across 19 Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and 23 Index Funds as of June 2026. His philosophy centers on passive investing, aiming to mirror benchmark index performance precisely. For those invested, this means a commitment to transparent, low-cost market exposure with minimal deviation from the underlying index.

Satish Donadapati, a seasoned Fund Manager for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) at Kotak Asset Management Company (AMC), currently oversees a substantial and critical portfolio. As of June 2026, he is responsible for managing 19 distinct ETFs and 23 Index Funds, which collectively represent an impressive Assets Under Management (AUM) valued at ₹20,440 crore. This significant responsibility places him at the helm of a large segment of passive investment vehicles.

Donadapati’s core investment philosophy is firmly rooted in the principles of passive investing, a strategy designed to accurately replicate the performance of a specific market index rather than seeking to outperform it through active stock picking. This deliberate approach underpins the management of these funds, emphasizing efficiency and adherence to the benchmark’s movements.

For individuals who channel their savings into index funds and ETFs through Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) or other portfolio allocations, Donadapati’s focus directly impacts their investments. His management style is meticulously geared towards minimizing ‘tracking error’ and ‘tracking difference’, critical metrics that measure how closely a fund’s returns match its underlying benchmark. This ensures that your passive investments faithfully reflect the market segment they aim to track.

Donadapati’s professional path to this specialized role began with a diverse background, moving from an Army family upbringing to initial stints in sales at Aviva Life Insurance and Bajaj Capital. He then transitioned into product management for Mutual Funds at Centurion Bank of Punjab before joining Kotak Mutual Fund in 2008, eventually moving into portfolio management for passive funds in 2019. He finds profound satisfaction in the accurate and responsible management of investor capital, consistently delivering on the promise of transparent, low-cost market exposure that passive funds offer.

ONE THING TO CONSIDER TODAY

It’s always a good practice to periodically check the tracking error and expense ratio of your index funds or ETFs to ensure they are efficiently mirroring their intended benchmarks and aligning with your investment goals.