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We spend a lot of time deciding which stocks to buy. Very few of us stop to ask a slightly different question: what kind of business do I actually want to own?
That is the idea behind BSE’s new Saatvik 100, launched in June 2026. It tracks 100 companies from the BSE 500 that fit a set of Saatvik principles.
These include ideas around non-violence, restraint and mindful consumption, closely aligning with principles associated with Jain philosophy, particularly Ahimsa. But you do not have to be Jain to understand the question behind it. Most of us have businesses we would simply rather not put our money into.
And what makes the index interesting is that it still looks very familiar. HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, L&T and Infosys are among its biggest holdings. Financial services make up 37.5% of the index, followed by consumer discretionary, energy and IT.
So this isn't really about choosing between your values and your portfolio. It is about adding another filter alongside growth, valuation and risk.
The performance numbers make the idea even more intriguing.
BSE’s back-tested data shows the Saatvik 100 delivered a 13.7% annualised total return over the 10 years to May 2026. The index was only launched in 2026, so this is back-tested performance, not a 10-year live track record.
BSE isn't alone either. In July, NSE launched the Nifty 500 Ahimsa Index, which selects companies from the Nifty 500 based on Ahimsa principles and excludes those classified in the Orange and Red bands under its screening framework.
