NEW DELHI, MAR 17 : Goldman Sachs Group Inc has agreed to buy exchange-traded fund (ETF) specialist Benchmark Asset Management for Rs 1.60 billion to benefit from rising affluence among millions of middle-class people, Economic Times reported Thursday. The acquisition will give Goldman Rs 30 billion in assets under management at the bottom of the industry table, but a platform to expand quickly in cities where ETFs are gaining currency because of their ease of investing and low cost, the paper said. Goldman, which was idling its licence since September 2008, will be entering an industry that has seen assets fall nearly a fifth since its peak in November 2009 due to regulatory curbs on entry load and commissions to distributors. Compiled by Deepak Joshi Filed by Raj Kumar Ray +91 (22) 66497000. feedback@tickerplantindia.com Copyright (c) TickerPlant Ltd.