The Indian stock market has delivered exceptional returns over the past decade, but experienced investors know that putting all your eggs in one geographical basket can be risky. Global diversification protects your portfolio from domestic economic downturns, currency depreciation, and localised market volatility. More importantly, it gives you direct access to global tech giants, artificial intelligence leaders, and global conglomerates.
For international investments, the LRS limit is USD 250,000 per financial year for each resident individual. In this blog, we will explore some of the top brokerage platforms that allow Indian investors to access global markets.
Dhan
Dhan allows investors to invest directly in US stocks and ETFs from India. It operates through the GIFT City financial center which is a regulated financial centre governed by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), and provides access to 10,000+ US stocks and ETFs with fractional investments starting from $1.
Dhan charges a brokerage of 0.25% of the transaction value on both buy and sell, with no account maintenance or custody fees. Investors can also set up SIPs in US stocks and ETFs. Furthermore, unlike many platforms that hold shares with a US custodian, Dhan’s regulator, depository and exchange are all based in India, making it one of the best brokers to invest in US stocks from India.
INDmoney
INDmoney offers US stocks through INDmoney Global IFSC (Private) Limited, a member of NSE International Exchange regulated by IFSCA in GIFT City. Investors can buy 10,000+ US stocks and ETFs, including fractional shares from $1.
Withdrawals from the US stocks wallet can be directly linked to Indian bank accounts and carry zero transfer fees. Dividends from eligible US stocks are credited directly to your US Stocks wallet in USD, which can be used to buy more global shares and ETFs or withdrawn to your bank accounts.
Vested
Vested Finance is a platform specifically built for investors who want access to international markets. While most traditional brokers added US stocks as an afterthought to their services, Vested focuses entirely on cross-border investing.
Vested offers 10,000+ US stocks and ETFs from $1 through its app. It also gives access to 50+ international funds based in GIFT City and Luxembourg under the LRS. It also partners with major Indian banks to streamline the LRS remittance process, significantly reducing the friction traditionally associated with funding overseas accounts.
ICICI Direct
For investors who prefer the trust and security of a traditional, bank-backed full-service broker, ICICI Direct offers a robust Global Investments facility. ICICI Direct provides access to six markets: the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, enabling investors to invest in various international funds & ETFs.
It allows investors to buy fractional shares in the US with no minimum investment or balance. Funds can be transferred from an ICICI Bank account under the LRS, and pricing depends on the subscription plan chosen.
Upstox
Upstox offers a US Stocks account with access to 10,000+ US stocks and ETFs through IFSCA’s GIFT City framework, with a minimum investment of $1. It works with Alpaca Securities LLC, which is regulated by FINRA.
It charges 0.25% brokerage per transaction for investing in the global market, with zero brokerage for the first 30 days after enabling global investing. It also charges $0 for account opening & AMC, deposits and withdrawals.
Conclusion
Diversifying your portfolio beyond Indian borders is no longer restricted to institutional investors. All five platforms mentioned above give Indian residents a route to diversify their portfolios through global investments, but their structures differ.
However, before choosing the best broker for investing in global markets from India, investors should compare brokerage, currency conversion costs, custody structure, fractional share support, and withdrawal fees.
