Overview
Assets Under Management: $17.7 billion
High-Net-Worth Clients: 994
Average Client Assets: $7 million
Services Offered
Services:
Fee Structure
Primary Fee Schedule (KOTAK ALTERNATE ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED - PART 2A BROCHURE)
| Min | Max | Marginal Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $12,000,000 | 0.50% |
| $12,000,001 | $30,000,000 | 0.40% |
| $30,000,001 | $60,000,000 | 0.30% |
| $60,000,001 | and above | 0.25% |
Illustrative Fee Rates
| Total Assets | Annual Fees | Average Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | $5,000 | 0.50% |
| $5 million | $25,000 | 0.50% |
| $10 million | $50,000 | 0.50% |
| $50 million | $192,000 | 0.38% |
| $100 million | $322,000 | 0.32% |
Clients
Number of High-Net-Worth Clients: 994
Percentage of Firm Assets Belonging to High-Net-Worth Clients: 36.55
Average High-Net-Worth Client Assets: $7 million
Total Client Accounts: 1,240
Discretionary Accounts: 20
Non-Discretionary Accounts: 1,220
Regulatory Filings
CRD Number: 317952
Last Filing Date: 2024-10-24 00:00:00
Website: https://kotak.com
Form ADV Documents
Primary Brochure: KOTAK ALTERNATE ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED - PART 2A BROCHURE (2025-06-30)
View Document Text
KOTAK ALTERNATE ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED
CRD# 317952
27BKC, Plot No. C-27 ‘G’ Block, Bandra Kurla Complex
Mumbai Maharashtra India 400051
Telephone: +91 22 43360000
https://www.kotakalternateasset.com/investment-advisory/#bespoke-advisory
June 30, 2025
FORM ADV PART 2A
BROCHURE
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Kotak Alternate
Asset Managers Limited. If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, contact us at
+91-22-43360000 The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited is available on the SEC's website
at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited is a registered investment adviser. Registration with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a
certain level of skill or training.
Item 2 Summary of Material Changes
Form ADV Part 2 requires registered investment advisers to amend their brochure when information
becomes materially inaccurate. If there are any material changes to an adviser's disclosure brochure,
the adviser is required to notify you and provide you with a description of the material changes.
KAAML has amended this brochure with the following changes:
Item 5: Added an additional tier to the Annual Fee Schedule.
.
•
Item 15: Added two new funds this year: Kotak Iconic Fund II and Kotak Iconic India Equity Feeder Fund.
•
Item 3 Table of Contents
Item 2 Summary of Material Changes .................................................................................................. 2
Item 3 Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... 3
Item 4 Advisory Business ........................................................................................................................ 4
Item 5 Fees and Compensation ............................................................................................................. 5
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management ................................................ 6
Item 7 Types of Clients ............................................................................................................................ 6
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ........................................... 7
Item 9 Disciplinary Information ............................................................................................................. 12
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ............................................................ 13
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
. .................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Item 12 Brokerage Practices ................................................................................................................ 15
Item 13 Review of Accounts ................................................................................................................. 16
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation .......................................................................... 16
Item 15 Custody ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Item 16 Investment Discretion .............................................................................................................. 18
Item 17 Voting Client Securities ........................................................................................................... 18
Item 18 Financial Information ............................................................................................................... 18
Item 4 Advisory Business
Description of Firm
Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited (“KAAML”) is a registered investment adviser based in
Mumbai, India. KAAML was founded in 1994. We are organized as a corporation under the laws of the
country of India. We are also managers to various private funds. We are owned by Kotak Mahindra
Bank Limited and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited. KAAML is registered as an investment
adviser with the Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI") as well as with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission ("SEC").
The following paragraphs describe our services and fees. Refer to the description of investment
advisory service listed below for information on how we tailor our advisory services to your individual
needs. As used in this brochure, the words "we," "our," and "us" refer to Kotak Alternate Asset
Managers Limited and the words "you," "your," and "client" refer to you as either a client or prospective
client of our firm.
Investment Advisory Services and Private Funds
We offer non-discretionary investment advisory services. If you enter into an investment advisory
arrangement with KAAML, you have an unrestricted right to decline to implement any advice provided
by our firm on a non-discretionary basis. We also offer investment advisory services to certain private
funds offered by KAAML or by our affiliates.
In addition, we offer the private funds managed by KAAML or its affiliates (“KAAML Funds”) to you.
The detailed terms, strategies and risks applicable to the KAAML Funds, including restrictions on
investments relating to the KAAML Funds, are found in the private placement memorandum or
subscription agreement.
The KAAML Funds are available for investment only by institutional investors and other sophisticated,
high-net-worth investors, who meet the eligibility requirements of the applicable fund set forth in its
Governing Documents. Wherever such funds are marketed in the US, they are exempt from
registration as an investment company under the U.S. Investment Company Act, as amended (the
"Investment Company Act"), under Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) thereof.
Types of Indian Securities and Investments on which Investment Advisory Services will be
Offered
We offer advice on Indian securities and investments, including but not limited to equity securities,
warrants, corporate debt securities (other than commercial paper), commercial paper, certificates of
deposit, bonds, government securities, mutual funds, private funds, other portfolio management
services, options contracts on securities, options contracts on commodities, futures contracts on
tangibles, futures contracts on intangibles, private placements, unlisted securities, real estate
investment trusts ("REITs"), infrastructure investment trusts ("InvITs"), private investment in public
equity ("PIPEs"), derivatives, structured products, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), Bank Fixed
Deposits and other possible securities that may be of interest to our clients.
Since our investment strategies and advice are based on each client’s specific financial situation, the
investment advice we provide to you may be different or conflicting with the advice we give to other
clients regarding the same security or investment.
Assets Under Management
As of March 31, 2025, we manage assets amounting to USD 5,544,267,631 under various private
funds on a discretionary basis and provide investment advisory services on assets amounting to USD
14,694,442,762 on a non-discretionary basis.
Item 5 Fees and Compensation
Non-Discretionary Investment Advisory Services
Our fee for non-discretionary investment advisory services is based on a percentage of the assets
under management by KAAML and is set forth in the following annual fee schedule. This fee is
negotiable on a case to case basis.
Annual Fee Schedule
Annual Fee (exclusive of applicable taxes)
Assets Under Management
Up to USD 12 million
USD 12 million to 30 million
USD 30 million to 60 million
Above USD 60 million
0.50%
0.40%
0.30%
0.25%
Our periodic investment advisory fee is billed and payable, as invoiced, based on the average daily
balance in the account during the billing period. Fees are typically billed and paid quarterly in arrears
based on the average daily balance of the previous quarter. The specific billing arrangement for your
account is listed in your advisory agreement. All quarterly fees are calculated based on the actual
number of days in the quarter (or other billing period). Details are provided on your invoice.
If the investment advisory agreement is executed at any time other than the first day of the calendar
quarter (or other agreed upon billing period), our fees will be calculated based on the number of days
remaining in the quarter (or billing period). Our advisory fee is negotiable, depending on individual
client circumstances.
At our discretion, we combine the account values of family members or related entities living in the
same household to determine the applicable advisory fee. For example, we may combine account
values for you and your minor children, joint accounts with your spouse, and other types of related
accounts. Combining account values may increase the asset total, which may result in your paying a
reduced advisory fee based on the available breakpoints in our fee schedule stated above.
We will send you an invoice for the payment of our advisory fee before deducting our fee directly from
your account through the custodian holding your funds and securities. We will deduct our advisory fee
only when you have given our firm written authorization permitting the fees to be paid directly from your
account. This authorization is in the agreement signed with the qualified custodian or your agreement
with KAAML. You also have the option of paying our advisory fees within two weeks of receipt of your
invoice to avoid deduction from your account. You will receive an account statement from time to time
from your selected custodian. You should review all statements for accuracy.
We encourage you to reconcile our invoices with the statement(s) you receive from time to time. If you
find any inconsistent information between our invoice and the statement(s) you receive call our main
office number located on the cover page of this brochure.
You may terminate the investment advisory agreement upon 30 days' written notice. You will incur a
pro rata charge for services rendered prior to the termination of the investment advisory agreement,
which means you will incur advisory fees only in proportion to the number of days in the billing
period for which you are a client. If you have prepaid advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you
will receive a prorated refund of those fees. The 30 day notice begins the day after your written notice
is received by KAAML.
Private Funds
Fees charged to our private fund clients may include a fixed annual fee, a performance-based
fee and/or a set-up fee. All internal fees are outlined in the Private Placement Memorandum or
subscription agreements of the specific private fund.
Private funds registered in India offer two share classes: direct and regular. The direct share class has
no distribution commission which is paid out to the distributor and allows KAAML to include the assets
in their advisory fee calculations. Regular share classes do impose a commission which is paid to the
distributor and are not used by KAAML in their advisor accounts.
For our non-discretionary Investment advisory clients, we always recommend the direct share class.
The Investment advisory fee is charged in addition to the management fee being charged by the
private fund.
Additional Fees and Expenses
As part of our investment advisory services to you, we may recommend that you invest in mutual
funds, exchange traded funds, other pooled investment vehicles or any other investment instruments
mentioned above. The fees that you pay to our firm for investment advisory services are separate and
distinct from the fees and expenses charged by mutual funds or exchange traded funds or other
products (described in each fund's prospectus) to their shareholders. These fees will generally include
a management fee and other fund expenses such as legal charges, taxes, audit, fund administration
expenses amongst others. You will also incur transaction charges and/or brokerage fees when
purchasing or selling securities. These charges and fees are typically imposed by the broker-dealer or
custodian through whom your account transactions are executed. We do not share in any portion of
the brokerage fees/transaction charges imposed by the broker-dealer or custodian. To fully understand
the total cost you will incur, you should review all the fees charged by mutual funds, exchange traded
funds, our firm, and others. For information on our brokerage practices, refer to the Brokerage
Practices section of this brochure.
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Performance-based fees are fees that are based on a share of capital gains or capital appreciation of a
client's account. Side-by-side management refers to the practice of managing accounts that are
charged performance-based fees while at the same time managing accounts that are not charged
performance-based fees.
We collect performance-based fees for the KAAML Funds. The fee charged by each fund is based on
the terms set forth in the Private Placement Memorandum.
Our fees for non-discretionary advisory services are calculated as described in Item 5 Fees and
Compensation section, and are not charged on the basis of a share of capital gains upon, or capital
appreciation of, the market value of assets in your advisory account.
Item 7 Types of Clients
We offer investment advisory services to high net worth individuals, trusts, partnership firms,
companies, LLPs, and pooled investment vehicles (other than investment companies).
In general, we require a minimum of USD 5 million to open and maintain an advisory account. At our
discretion, we have waived, and may in the future waive, this minimum account size. For example, we
may waive the minimum if you appear to have significant potential for increasing your assets under our
advisory services. Investments you choose to make in private funds managed by KAAML are included
in your account minimum.
At our discretion, we may also combine account values for you and your minor children, joint accounts
with your spouse, and other types of related accounts to meet the stated minimum.
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Our Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies
We use one or more of the following methods of analysis or investment strategies when providing
investment advice to you:
Fundamental Analysis - involves analyzing individual companies and their industry groups, such as a
company's financial statements, details regarding the company's product line, the experience and
expertise of the company's management, and the outlook for the company and its industry. The
resulting data is used to measure the true value of the company's stock compared to the current
market value.
Risk: The risk of fundamental analysis is that information obtained may be incorrect and the analysis
may not provide an accurate estimate of earnings, which may be the basis for a stock's value. If
securities prices adjust rapidly to new information, utilizing fundamental analysis may not result in
favorable performance.
Long-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that the value of those securities
will grow over a relatively long period of time, generally greater than one year.
Risk: Using a long-term purchase strategy generally assumes the financial markets will go up in the
long-term which may not be the case. There is also the risk that the segment of the market that you are
invested in or perhaps just your particular investment will go down over time even if the overall
financial markets advance. Purchasing investments long-term may create an opportunity cost -
"locking-up" assets that may be better utilized in the short-term in other investments.
Short-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that they will be sold within a
relatively short period of time, generally less than one year, to take advantage of the securities' short-
term price fluctuations.
Risk: Using a short-term purchase strategy generally assumes that we can predict how financial
markets will perform in the short-term which may be very difficult and will incur a disproportionately
higher amount of transaction costs compared to long-term trading. There are many factors that can
affect financial market performance in the short-term (such as short-term interest rate changes, cyclical
earnings announcements, etc.) but may have a smaller impact over longer periods of times.
Our investment strategies and advice may vary depending upon each client's specific financial
situation. As such, we determine investments and allocations based upon your predefined objectives,
risk tolerance, time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs and other various suitability factors.
Your restrictions and guidelines may affect the composition of your portfolio. It is important that you
notify us immediately with respect to any material changes to your financial circumstances,
including for example, a change in your current or expected income level, tax circumstances, or
employment status.
Cash Management
We manage cash balances in your account based on the yield, and the financial soundness of the
money markets and other short term instruments.
Tax Considerations
Our strategies and investments may have unique and significant tax implications. However, unless we
specifically agree otherwise, and in writing, tax efficiency is not our primary consideration in the
management of your assets. Regardless of your account size or any other factors, we strongly
recommend that you consult with a tax professional regarding the investing of your assets.
Custodians and broker-dealers must report the cost basis of equities acquired in client accounts. Your
custodian will default to the First-In First-Out ("FIFO") accounting method for calculating the cost basis
of your investments. You are responsible for contacting your tax advisor to determine if this accounting
method is the right choice for you..
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. We do not represent or
guarantee that our services or methods of analysis can or will predict future results, successfully
identify market tops or bottoms, or insulate clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
We cannot offer any guarantees or promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met. Past
performance is in no way an indication of future performance.
Other Risk Considerations
When evaluating risk, financial loss may be viewed differently by each client and may depend on many
different risks, each of which may affect the probability and magnitude of any potential losses. The
following risks may not be all-inclusive, but should be considered carefully by a prospective client
before retaining our services.
Liquidity Risk: The risk of being unable to sell your investment at a fair price at a given time due to
high volatility or lack of active liquid markets. You may receive a lower price or it may not be possible
to sell the investment at all.
Credit Risk: Credit risk typically applies to debt investments such as corporate, municipal, and
sovereign fixed income or bonds. A bond issuing entity can experience a credit event that could impair
or erase the value of an issuer’s securities held by a client.
Inflation and Interest Rate Risk: Security prices and portfolio returns will likely vary in response to
changes in inflation and interest rates. Inflation causes the value of future dollars to be worth less and
may reduce the purchasing power of a client’s future interest payments and principal. Inflation also
generally leads to higher interest rates which may cause the value of many types of fixed income
investments to decline.
Horizon and Longevity Risk: The risk that your investment horizon is shortened because of an
unforeseen event, for example, the loss of your job. This may force you to sell investments that you
were expecting to hold for the long term. If you must sell at a time that the markets are down, you may
lose money. Longevity Risk is the risk of outliving your savings. This risk is particularly relevant for
people who are retired, or are nearing retirement.
Recommendation of Particular Types of Securities
We recommend various types of securities and we do not primarily recommend one particular type of
security over another since each client has different needs and different tolerance for risk. Each type of
security has its own unique set of risks associated with it and it would not be possible to list here all of
the specific risks of every type of investment. Even within the same type of investment, risks can vary
widely. However, in very general terms, the higher the anticipated return of an investment, the higher
the risk of loss associated with the investment. A description of the types of securities we may
recommend to you and some of their inherent risks are provided below.
Certificates of Deposit: Certificates of deposit (“CD”) are generally a safe type of fixed income
financial instrument. However, because the returns are generally low, there is risk that inflation
outpaces the return of the CD. Certain CDs are traded in the market place and not purchased directly
from a banking institution.
Government Securities: Municipal securities, while generally thought of as safe, can have significant
risks associated with them including, but not limited to: the credit worthiness of the governmental entity
that issues the bond; the stability of the revenue stream that is used to pay the interest to the
bondholders; when the bond is due to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same amount of interest or yield to maturity.
Bonds: Corporate debt securities (or "bonds") are typically safer investments than equity securities,
but their risk can also vary widely based on: the financial health of the issuer; the risk that the issuer
might default; when the bond is set to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same rate of return.
Stocks: There are numerous ways of measuring the risk of equity securities (also known simply as
"equities" or "stock"). In very broad terms, the value of a stock depends on the financial health of the
company issuing it. However, stock prices can be affected by many other factors including, but not
limited to the class of stock (for example, preferred or common); the health of the market sector of the
issuing company; and, the overall health of the economy. In general, larger, better established
companies ("large cap") tend to be safer than smaller start-up companies ("small cap") are but the
mere size of an issuer is not, by itself, an indicator of the safety of the investment.
Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds: Mutual funds and exchange traded funds ("ETF") are
professionally managed collective investment systems that pool money from many investors and invest
in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, other mutual funds, other securities, or any
combination thereof. The fund will have a manager that trades the fund's investments in accordance
with the fund's investment objective. While mutual funds and ETFs generally provide diversification,
risks can be significantly increased if the fund is concentrated in a particular sector of the market,
primarily invests in small cap or speculative companies, uses leverage (i.e., borrows money) to a
significant degree, or concentrates in a particular type of security (i.e., equities) rather than balancing
the fund with different types of securities. ETFs differ from mutual funds since they can be bought and
sold throughout the day like stock and their price can fluctuate throughout the day. The returns on
mutual funds and ETFs can be reduced by the costs to manage the funds. Also, while some mutual
funds are "no load" and charge no fee to buy into, or sell out of, the fund, other types of mutual funds
do charge such fees which can also reduce returns. Mutual funds can also be "closed end" or "open
end". So-called "open end" mutual funds continue to allow in new investors indefinitely whereas
"closed end" funds have a fixed number of shares to sell which can limit their availability to new
investors.
ETFs may have tracking error risks. For example, the ETF investment adviser may not be able to
cause the ETF’s performance to match that of its Underlying Index or other benchmark, which may
negatively affect the ETF's performance. In addition, for leveraged and inverse ETFs that seek to track
the performance of their Underlying Indices or benchmarks on a daily basis, mathematical
compounding may prevent the ETF from correlating with performance of its benchmark. In addition, an
ETF may not have investment exposure to all of the securities included in its Underlying Index, or its
weighting of investment exposure to such securities may vary from that of the Underlying Index. Some
ETFs may invest in securities or financial instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but
which are expected to yield similar performance.
Commercial Paper: Commercial paper ("CP") is, in most cases, an unsecured promissory note that is
issued with a maturity of 365 days or less.
Real Estate Investment Trust: A real estate investment trust ("REIT") is a corporate entity which
invests in real estate. REITs can be publicly or privately held. Public REITs may be listed on public
stock exchanges. Fluctuations in the real estate market can affect the REIT's value and dividends.
Warrants: A warrant is a derivative (security that derives its price from one or more underlying
assets) that confers the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a security – normally an equity – at a
certain price before expiration. The price at which the underlying security can be bought or sold is
referred to as the exercise price or strike price. Warrants that confer the right to buy a security are
known as call warrants; those that confer the right to sell are known as put warrants. Warrants are in
many ways similar to options. The main difference between warrants and options is that warrants are
issued and guaranteed by the issuing company, whereas options are traded on an exchange and are
not issued by the company. Also, the lifetime of a warrant is often measured in years, while the lifetime
of a typical option is measured in months. Warrants do not pay dividends or come with voting rights.
Options Contracts: Options are complex securities that involve risks and are not suitable for
everyone. Option trading can be speculative in nature and carry substantial risk of loss. It is generally
recommended that you only invest in options with risk capital. An option is a contract that gives the
buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specific price on or before
a certain date (the "expiration date"). The two types of options are calls and puts:
A call gives the holder the right to buy an asset at a certain price within a specific period of time. Calls
are similar to having a long position on a stock. Buyers of calls hope that the stock will increase
substantially before the option expires.
A put gives the holder the right to sell an asset at a certain price within a specific period of time. Puts
are very similar to having a short position on a stock. Buyers of puts hope that the price of the stock
will fall before the option expires.
Selling options is more complicated and can be even riskier.
The option trading risks pertaining to options buyers are:
Risk of losing your entire investment in a relatively short period of time.
The risk of losing your entire investment increases if, as expiration nears, the stock is below the
strike price of the call (for a call option) or if the stock is higher than the strike price of the put
(for a put option).
European style options which do not have secondary markets on which to sell the options prior
to expiration can only realize its value upon expiration.
Specific exercise provisions of a specific option contract may create risks.
Regulatory agencies may impose exercise restrictions, which stops you from realizing value.
The option trading risks pertaining to options sellers are:
Options sold may be exercised at any time before expiration.
Covered Call traders forgo the right to profit when the underlying stock rises above the strike
price of the call options sold and continues to risk a loss due to a decline in the underlying
stock.
Writers of Naked Calls risk unlimited losses if the underlying stock rises.
Writers of Naked Puts risk substantial losses if the underlying stock drops.
Writers of naked positions run margin risks if the position goes into significant losses. Such
risks may include liquidation by the broker.
Writers of call options could lose more money than a short seller of that stock could on the
same rise on that underlying stock. This is an example of how the leverage in options can work
against the option trader.
Writers of Naked Calls are obligated to deliver shares of the underlying stock if those call
options are exercised.
Call options can be exercised outside of market hours such that effective remedy actions
cannot be performed by the writer of those options.
Writers of stock options are obligated under the options that they sold even if a trading market
is not available or that they are unable to perform a closing transaction.
The value of the underlying stock may surge or decline unexpectedly, leading to automatic
exercises.
Other option trading risks are:
The complexity of some option strategies is a significant risk on its own.
Option trading exchanges or markets and option contracts themselves are open to changes at
all times.
Options markets have the right to halt the trading of any options, thus preventing investors from
realizing value.
Risk of erroneous reporting of exercise value.
If an options brokerage firm goes insolvent, investors trading through that firm may be affected.
Internationally traded options have special risks due to timing across borders.
Risks that are not specific to options trading include market risk, sector risk and individual stock risk.
Option trading risks are closely related to stock risks, as stock options are a derivative of stocks.
PIPES: In a Private Investment in Public Equity ("PIPE") transaction, investors typically purchase
securities directly from a publicly traded company in a private placement. Depending on the structure
of the transaction, this can be done at a premium to or at a discount from the market price of the
company's common stock. Risks of investing in PIPES include but may not be limited to substantial
entry requirements, limited liquidity, limited investor control, potential for unfunded commitments, and
loss of investment.
Derivatives: Derivatives are types of investments where the investor does not own the underlying
asset. There are many different types of derivative instruments, including, but not limited to, options,
swaps, futures, and forward contracts. Derivatives have numerous uses as well as various risks
associated with them, but they are generally considered an alternative way to participate in the market.
Investors typically use derivatives for three reasons: to hedge a position, to increase leverage, or to
speculate on an asset's movement. The key to making a sound investment is to fully understand the
characteristics and risks associated with the derivative, including, but not limited to counter-party,
underlying asset, price, and expiration risks. The use of a derivative only makes sense if the investor is
fully aware of the risks and understands the impact of the investment within a portfolio strategy. Due to
the variety of available derivatives and the range of potential risks, a detailed explanation of derivatives
is beyond the scope of this disclosure.
Structured Products: A structured product, also known as a market-linked product, is generally a pre-
packaged investment strategy based on derivatives, such as a single security, a basket of securities,
options, indices, commodities, debt issuances, and/or foreign currencies, and to a lesser extent,
swaps. Structured products are usually issued by investment banks or affiliates thereof. They have a
fixed maturity, and have two components: a note and a derivative. The derivative component is often
an option. The note provides for periodic interest payments to the investor at a predetermined rate, and
the derivative component provides for the payment at maturity. Some products use the derivative
component as a put option written by the investor that gives the buyer of the put option the right to sell
to the investor the security or securities at a predetermined price. Other products use the derivative
component to provide for a call option written by the investor that gives the buyer of the call option the
right to buy the security or securities from the investor at a predetermined price. A feature of some
structured products is a "principal guarantee" function, which offers protection of principal if held to
maturity. Investing in structured products involves a number of risks including but not limited to:
fluctuations in the price, level or yield of underlying instruments, interest rates, currency values and
credit quality; substantial loss of principal; limits on participation in any appreciation of the underlying
instrument; limited liquidity; credit risk of the issuer; conflicts of interest; and, other events that are
difficult to predict.
Futures: Futures are financial contracts obligating the buyer to purchase an asset (or the seller to sell
an asset), such as a physical commodity or a financial instrument, at a predetermined future date and
price. The primary difference between options and futures is that options give the holder the right to
buy or sell the underlying asset at expiration, while the holder of a futures contract is obligated to fulfill
the terms of his/her contract. Buyers and sellers in the futures market primarily enter into futures
contracts to hedge risk or speculate rather than to exchange physical goods. Futures are not only for
speculating. They may be used for hedging or may be a more efficient instrument to trade than the
underlying asset.
Private Placements: A private placement (nonpublic offering) is an illiquid security sold to qualified
investors and are not publicly traded.
Risk: Private placements generally carry a higher degree of risk due to illiquidity. Most securities that
are acquired in a private placement will be restricted securities and must be held for an extended
amount of time and therefore cannot be sold easily. The range of risks are dependent on the nature of
the partnership and are disclosed in the offering documents.
Item 9 Disciplinary Information
We are required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a client's
evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. Our affiliate has been involved
in the events described below.
A foreign regulatory agency took certain disciplinary actions against one or more of our affiliates
for alleged violations of certain securities regulations, rules, and/or statutory provisions. The
details on these matters related to our affiliate's disciplinary history can be found on the IAPD. The
IAPD link is www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
The following entities are affiliates under common ownership and control:
Securities Broker-Dealers
o Kotak Securities Ltd., regulated by the SEBI
o Kotak Mahindra Inc., regulated by the SEC and member FINRA
Investment Managers or Investment Advisers
o Kotak Mahindra (International) Limited
o Kotak Mahindra Asset Management (Singapore) Pte. Limited
o Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited
o Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited
Investment Banks or Custodians
o Kotak Mahindra (UK) Limited
o Kotak Mahindra Trusteeship Services Limited
o Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited
Insurance Companies
o Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company Limited
KAAML is jointly held by a foreign bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (“KM Bank”) and Kotak
Mahindra Capital Company Limited a merchant banker registered with Securities and Exchange Board
of India. Conflicts of interest may exist owing to the structure (of KAAML) since KM Bank’s services
include wealth management, financial planning and banking services. As noted above, KAAML has a
number of affiliations in the financial industry and KAAML conducts business with some of these
affiliated companies.
KAAML may pay or receive a referral fee or any other payment to or from its affiliates. KAAML also has
the option of paying or receiving a referral fee from other non-affiliated third parties.
Individuals providing investment advice on behalf of our firm are not registered representatives with our
affiliate broker dealers.
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
Description of Our Code of Ethics We strive to comply with applicable laws and regulations
governing our practices. Therefore, our Code of Ethics includes guidelines for professional standards
of conduct for persons associated with our firm. Our goal is to protect your interests at all times and to
demonstrate our commitment to our fiduciary duties of honesty, good faith, and fair dealing with you.
All persons associated with our firm are expected to adhere strictly to these guidelines. Persons
associated with our firm are also required to report any violations of our Code of Ethics. Additionally,
we maintain and enforce written policies reasonably designed to prevent the misuse or dissemination
of material, nonpublic information about you or your account holdings by persons associated with our
firm.
Clients or prospective clients may obtain a copy of our Code of Ethics by contacting us at the
telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
We serve as the general partner or are affiliated with the KAAML Funds in which you may be solicited
to invest. Our Company, certain members of its management, and other knowledgeable employees
may acquire, directly or indirectly, investment interests in the KAAML Funds or have other financial
interests (e.g. General Partner, Officers, Board Members, etc.) in the KAAML Funds. This presents a
conflict of interest because we have investments and/or are compensated by the private funds.
Conflicts that arise are mitigated through our Company’s fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest
of our clients, contractual limitations that govern our activities as adviser or general partner, as
applicable, and the requirement of our Company not to place its interests before its clients’ interests
when managing the funds. If you are an investor in a KAAML Fund, refer to the private fund’s offering
documents for detailed disclosures regarding the private funds.
While our firm and persons associated with our firm endeavor at all times to put the interest of our
clients ahead of our own as part of our fiduciary duty, you should be aware that this situation may
create a conflict of interest since the Board of Directors has an interest to recommend investing in
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd given the management and/or ownership interest in Kotak Mahindra Bank
Ltd.
Principal Transactions
We direct trades to one or more affiliated broker dealers that act as principal or as agent, and buy
securities from (or sell securities to) our clients in regard to certain transactions. These transactions
present a conflict of interest as both our employees as well as the broker dealer earns transactional
fees (mark-ups or mark-downs) from such transactions and has an incentive to execute client orders in
this manner. We address this conflict in the following manner:
1. We will only trade as principal when we believe the transaction is in the best interest of our
clients; and
2. We believe the transaction fulfills our duty of best execution with respect to the particular
transaction.
Agency Cross Transactions
An agency cross transaction for an advisory client occurs when we, or one of our affiliates, acts as a
broker for a transaction in which one of our advisory clients is on one side of the transaction and
another person (not an advisory client) is on the other side of the transaction. We may, when we
consider the transaction to be in your best interest, execute such transactions. We could receive
compensation from each party to the transaction, and would therefore have a conflict of interest.
Clients may revoke the authorization to effect agency cross transactions at any time by providing us
with written notice. In circumstances where we execute an agency cross transaction, we undertake to
confirm that the buyer and seller are not related parties and that the transactions are executed at
market price. We will review all trades executed as an agency cross for compliance with our best
execution policy.
Internal Cross Transactions
An internal cross trade occurs when the Company effects a transaction between two advisory clients. It
may be the case that we effect a transaction between two or more client accounts. This would occur
where one client desires or needs to purchase certain securities which another client desires or needs
to sell. In such transactions a potential conflict of interest exists in that one client may be
disadvantaged by the transaction. For example, we could cause a transaction in a security to occur at
a price above the market price for such security that would then be available on the open market,
which would benefit the selling account and harm the buying account. As a fiduciary, we effect cross
transactions only to the extent such transactions are consistent with our duty to obtain best execution,
and seek to ensure that no client is disfavored by the cross trade. We will maintain a written record of
each cross transaction annotated to disclose the terms of the transaction. In doing so, we do not
receive additional compensation other than our advisory fees, as disclosed at Item 5 above.
Personal Trading Practices
Our firm or persons associated with our firm may possess the same securities that we recommend to
you or securities in which you are already invested. A conflict of interest exists in such cases because
we have the ability to trade ahead of you and potentially receive more favorable prices than you will
receive. To mitigate this conflict of interest, it is our policy that neither our firm nor persons associated
with our firm shall have priority over your account in the purchase or sale of securities.
Item 12 Brokerage Practices
We maintain relationships with several affiliated broker-dealers. While you are free to choose any
broker-dealer or other service provider as your custodian, we recommend that you establish an
account with a brokerage firm with which we have an existing relationship. Such relationships may
include benefits provided to our firm, including but not limited to market information and administrative
services that help our firm manage your account(s). We believe that the recommended broker-dealers
provide quality execution services for our clients at competitive prices. Price is not the sole factor we
consider in evaluating best execution. We also consider the quality of the brokerage services provided
by recommended broker-dealers, including the value of the firm's reputation, execution capabilities,
commission rates, and responsiveness to our clients and our firm. In recognition of the value of the
services recommended broker-dealers provide, you may pay higher commissions and/or trading costs
than those that may be available elsewhere.
Research and Other Soft Dollar Benefits
If KAAML does not have discretion for your account, you may select any bank, broker-dealer or
custodian of your choice. You have the option of using KM Bank or Kotak Securities Limited ("Kotak
Securities), an affiliate custodian/broker-dealer licensed in India. You are not required to use one of
our affiliates
We do not receive soft dollar benefits from any broker-dealer or qualified custodian. And we do not
receive benefits or research from the bank, broker-dealer or custodian you select, unless you select
either KM Bank or Kotak Securities.
Before placing orders with a particular broker-dealer or custodian, we determine that the commissions
to be paid are reasonable in relation to the value of all the brokerage and research products and
services provided by that qualified custodian. In some cases, the commissions charged by a particular
broker for a particular transaction or set of transactions may be greater than the amounts charged by
another broker-dealer that did not provide research services or products.
investment adviser, we have access
to
the
institutional platform of our
Economic Benefits
As a registered
affiliated qualified custodian.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
We may receive client referrals from KM Bank and Kotak Securities in exchange for cash or other non-
cash compensation as a normal part of our affiliate relationship.
Directed Brokerage
Clients may choose to use a particular broker for custodial or transaction services on behalf of the
client's portfolio but may not direct us to do so. For these arrangements, the client is responsible for
negotiating the commission rates and other fees to be paid by the client and may not receive best
execution. This may cost clients more money and result in a delay in placing and executing trades for
their accounts and otherwise adversely impact management of their accounts. Because these
accounts are held away from KAAML's recommended qualified custodians and are considered non-
discretionary under SEBI’s regulations, KAAML is not able to enter trades on behalf of their clients for
accounts held at other banks, broker-dealers or custodians. Thus, when directing brokerage business,
you should consider whether the commission expenses, execution, clearance, and settlement
capabilities that you will obtain through your broker are adequately favorable in comparison to those
that we would otherwise obtain for you.
Aggregated Trades
We do not combine multiple orders for shares of the same securities purchased for advisory accounts
we manage (the practice of combining multiple orders for shares of the same securities is commonly
referred to as "aggregated trading"). Accordingly, you may pay different prices for the same securities
transactions than other clients pay. Furthermore, we may not be able to buy and sell the same
quantities of securities for you and you may pay higher commissions, fees, and/or transaction costs
than other clients.
Investment Share Classes
Certain investments, including mutual funds and private funds are sold with different share classes,
which carry different cost structures. These share classes are known as direct and regular. The direct
share class has no distribution commission to be paid out to the distributor and allows KAAML to
include the assets in their advisory fee calculations. Regular share classes do impose a commission
which is paid out the distributor and are not used by KAAML in their advisory accounts.
Item 13 Review of Accounts
Your investment adviser representative will monitor your accounts on an ongoing basis and will
conduct account reviews at least once every 6 months, to ensure the advisory services provided to you
are consistent with your investment needs and objectives. Additional reviews may be conducted based
on various circumstances, including, but not limited to:
contributions and withdrawals;
market moving events;
security specific events; and/or
changes in your risk/return objectives.
The individuals conducting reviews may vary from time to time, as personnel join or leave our firm.
KAAML may provide you with written portfolio reports, our views on the markets and recommendations
we may have for your portfolio throughout the year.
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation
We do not receive any compensation from any third party in connection with providing investment
advice to you although we compensate individuals or firms for client referrals as allowed under the
applicable regulations.
Refer to the Brokerage Practices section above for disclosures on research and other benefits we may
receive resulting from our relationship with your account custodian.
Item 15 Custody
We do not have physical custody of any of your funds and/or securities. Your funds and securities will
be held with a bank, broker-dealer, or other qualified custodian of your choice. You should carefully
review your account statements for accuracy.
We will also provide invoices to you reflecting the amount of the advisory fee that will be paid by your
or deducted from your account (with your approval). If you have a question about the fees deducted
on your account statement or listed on your invoice, contact us immediately at the telephone number
on the cover page of this brochure.
Private Funds
We serve as the investment manager to five private funds offered to US investors: Kotak Optimus
India Allocation Aggressive Scheme, Kotak Optimus India Allocation Moderate Scheme, Kotak Iconic
Fund, Kotak Iconic Fund II and Kotak Iconic India Equity Feeder Fund (the "KAAML Funds," whether
one or more), private pooled investment vehicles in which clients are solicited to invest. The KAAML
Funds are offered to certain sophisticated investors, who meet requirements under applicable state
and/or federal securities laws. Investors to whom the KAAML Funds are offered will receive a private
placement memorandum and other offering documents. The fees charged by the KAAML Funds are
separate and apart from our advisory fees. You should refer to the offering documents for a complete
description of the fees, investment objectives, risks and other relevant information associated with
investing in the KAAML Funds. Persons affiliated with our firm may have made an investment in the
KAAML Funds and may have an incentive to recommend the KAAML Funds over other investments.
In our capacity as investment manager to the KAAML Funds, we will have access to the KAAML
Funds' assets and securities, and therefore have custody over such assets and securities. We provide
each investor in the KAAML Funds with audited annual financial statements. If you are an investor in
one or more KAAML Funds and have questions regarding the financial statements or if you did not
receive a copy, contact us directly at the telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
KAAML may also recommend investments to you in other private funds that are not managed by
KAAML. These may be managed by affiliates or non-affiliates of KAAML. KAAML does not purchase
any private fund using discretion for your account.
Wire Transfer and/or Standing Letter of Authorization:
Our firm, or persons associated with our firm, may effect wire transfers from client accounts to one or
more third parties designated, in writing, by the client without obtaining written client consent for each
separate, individual transaction, as long as the client has provided us with written authorization to do
so. Such written authorization is known as a Standing Letter of Authorization. An adviser with authority
to conduct such third party wire transfers has access to the client's assets, and therefore has custody
of the client's assets in any related accounts.
However, we do not have to obtain a surprise annual audit, as we otherwise would be required to by
reason of having custody, as long as we meet the following criteria:
1. You provide a written, signed instruction to the qualified custodian that includes the third party’s
name and address or account number at a custodian;
2. You authorize us in writing to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or
from time to time;
3. Your qualified custodian verifies your authorization (e.g., signature review) and provides a
transfer of funds notice to you promptly after each transfer;
4. You can terminate or change the instruction;
5. We have no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the third party, the
address, or any other information about the third party;
6. We maintain records showing that the third party is not a related party to us nor located at the
same address as us; and
7. Your qualified custodian sends you, in writing, an initial notice confirming the instruction and an
annual notice reconfirming the instruction.
Item 16 Investment Discretion
If you enter into a non-discretionary investment advisory arrangement with our firm, we will not place
trades in your account but will instead provide you with recommendations that you have the right to
execute on your own. You have an unrestricted right to decline to implement any advice provided by
our firm on a non-discretionary basis.
In the case of the KAAML Funds, KAAML has discretion only on the investment selections within the
KAAML Funds but we do not purchase KAAML Funds (or any other private funds) for you without your
written consent.
Item 17 Voting Client Securities
We do not vote proxies on behalf of your advisory accounts. At your request, we may offer you advice
regarding corporate actions and the exercise of your proxy voting rights. If you own shares of
applicable securities, you are responsible for exercising your right to vote as a shareholder.
KAAML has a voting policy in place for the proxy voting on behalf of the private funds. As a fiduciary
agent on behalf of the fund, the Investment Manager takes into consideration the best interests of
KAAML funds and fund investors while making a decision for the proxy voting. The voting disclosures
are disclosed on KAAML’s website on a quarterly basis.
Item 18 Financial Information
Our firm does not have any financial condition or impairment that would prevent us from meeting our
contractual commitments to you.
We have not filed a bankruptcy petition at any time in the past ten years.