ICICI BHARAT 22 ETF: Introduction
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund launched ICICI Bharat 22 ETF on November 24, 2017. This ETF follows the S&P BSE Bharat 22 Index. It is an open-ended ETF. It invests in the components of the Bharat 22 Index in the same proportion. It is passively investing in the Bharat 22 index with minimum tracking error. If you want to understand the advantages and disadvantages of investing in Bharat 22 ETF, you should know in detail about the different components of the Bharat 22 Index.
What is Bharat 22 Index.
As the name suggests, the Bharat 22 Index consists of 22 selected Public and private sector companies from the Bombay Stock Exchange. The Central Government of India has partially disinvested in these companies under its disinvestment program. This index primarily focuses on government-owned public sector companies, which are spread across various sectors.
Chart showing key features of ICICI Bharat 22 ETF
|
Fund Size (AUM) |
17,067 crore investment In 22 Stocks |
|
Net Asset Value (NAV) |
₹109.05 (as on 18 July 2025) |
|
Expense Ratio |
0.07% |
|
Exit Load |
NIL |
|
Returns since inception |
15.1% annualized |
List of Top companies and their % in AUM as on July 2025
| Larsen & Toubro Ltd. | Infrastructure Developers | 15.35% |
| ITC Limited | FMCG/Tobacco | 13.51% |
| NTPC Ltd. | Power Generation | 8.97% |
| Axis Bank Ltd. | Private Sector Bank | 8.37% |
| State Bank of India | Public Sector Bank | 7.71% |
| Power Grid Corporation | Power Generation & Distribution | 7.70% |
| Bharat Electronics Ltd. | Aerospace & Defence | 6.03% |
| Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) | Oil & Gas | 5.38% |
| Coal India Ltd. | Coal Mining | 5.05% |
| National Aluminium Co. Ltd. | Aluminium | 4.48% |
The top 10 holdings cover over 83% of the portfolio, so the performance of the ETF will largely depend on the performance of these stocks. ETF’s portfolio is well diversified across different sectors like Private and Public Sector Banks, Power generation, Metal, Oil & gas, Aluminium, FMCG, and infrastructure, etc.
What is the advantage of investing in ICICI BHARAT 22 ETF
1. This ETF invests almost 100% in equities of the Bharat 22 Index. It is keeping only a minimum AUM amount in cash or cash equivalents. Your investment in Bharat 22 ETF is well diversified across sectors. It is getting invested in Indian public sector companies and blue-chip government holdings.
2. The expense ratio is 0.12% ( as of June 30, 2025). It is very low. So, investment is very cost-effective.
3. By investing in this ETF, investors will get exposure to government-owned Public sector companies and some blue-chip companies.
4. You will get liquidity for your investment. Being an ETF, investors can buy and sell it on the stock exchange.
Disadvantages of Investing in ICICI Bharat 22 ETF
- Your Investment will get concentrated mainly in Large-cap stocks.
- The performance of ETF is mainly dependent upon the performance of PSU companies. Performance is very volatile, and it is not consistent.
- You can expect the investment return to be like large-cap investing. Around 12 to 15%.
- Since it is an ETF, a D-MAT account is required for investing in it. Those investors who want simple mutual fund investing without a DMAT account can choose ICICI Prudential Bharat 22 FOF (Fund of Funds). It is a mutual fund scheme investing in the Bharat 22 index and does not require D-MAT ac for investing.
5 Years Performance as of July,25
| Period | Absolute Returns | CAGR (Annualised) |
| 1 Year | -6.02% | -5.99% |
| 2 Years | 62.35% | 27.37% |
| 3 Years | 133.06% | 32.55% |
| 5 Years | 333.97% | 34.10% |
| Since Inception | 205.53% | 15.74%/yr |
Returns given by this fund are quite volatile. Last year’s return is -ve. But it has given a good return in 3 Yr – 33% & 5 Yr – 34%.
ICICI Bharat 22 ETF Share Price
ICICI Bharat 22 companies list
Conclusion
Bharat 22 ETF gives investors the option to invest in government-owned public sector and blue-chip private companies. This ETF is ideal for Investors who wish to invest in diversified government-backed industries. Investors get high liquidity and transparency by investing in Bharat 22 ETF. Returns will be the same as those of the Bharat 22 Index. It will give returns like large-cap investing, approximately. 12 to 15%.
Frequently ask Questions
1. How can I invest in the ICICI Bharat 22 ETF?
Since it is an ETF, so investor requires D-MAT AC and Trading AC with a stockbroking platform like GROWW, Zerodha, etc. You can select the options of Lump-sum investment or SIP by using the Stockbroking platform.
2. Is ICICI BHARAT 22 ETF a good investment option?
Returns given by this fund are quite volatile. Last year’s return is -ve. But it has given a good return in 3 Yr – 33% & 5 Yr – 34%. It is a good option for investors who want exposure in Govt government-owned PUC.
3. What is the exit load of BHARAT 22 ETF?
Bharat 22 EFT does not have any Exit load.
4. Should I invest in Bharat 22 ETF?
An investor who wants exposure in government-owned Public Sector companies and some blue-chip private companies can choose this ETF. But this ETF return will be like large-cap investing. Approximately, you can expect a return of 12 to 15%.
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