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Getting Started with Global Investing
New to this? Start here — the routes, the process and the questions worth settling first.
Start here.
The starting point for Indian investors going global — the routes available, how accounts and remittances work, what it costs, and the questions worth settling before the first deposit.
If you are at the beginning of this, the useful first step is not choosing a stock. It is choosing a route.
Indian investors can go global through international mutual funds bought in rupees, through directly held US stocks and ETFs under the LRS, or through GIFT City structures. These differ in what you actually own, how much control you have, what it costs, and how you are taxed — and that last one has the largest long-run effect. Picking the route first makes every later decision simpler.
After that, the sequence is fairly mechanical: complete KYC and file Form W-8BEN (so US dividend withholding is the 25% treaty rate rather than 30%), remit funds under the LRS, and place your first trade. The articles below cover both halves — the strategic choice of route and the practical steps once you have chosen.
27 articles in this topic
In order of publication, newest first. An article can sit in more than one hub, so a piece here may appear under another subject too.
How to Buy SpaceX (SPCX) Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20264 min read
SpaceX trades on Nasdaq as SPCX, at US$159.31 a share on 21 October 2026. Indians buy it under LRS via a GIFT City app or overseas broker, not at the IPO price.
How to Buy Amazon Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20266 min read
Amazon (AMZN) is listed on Nasdaq, not NSE. Residents buy it under LRS via a GIFT City app or overseas broker: US$262.37 a share on 21 October 2026, about US$1.74 in app fees on US$500.
How to Buy Microsoft Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20264 min read
Microsoft (MSFT) is listed only on Nasdaq. Residents buy it under LRS via a GIFT City app or overseas broker: US$532.95 a share on 21 October 2026, with a US$0.98 quarterly dividend.
How to Buy Apple Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20267 min read
Apple (AAPL) is listed on Nasdaq, not in India. Residents buy it under LRS through a GIFT City app or overseas broker, in fractions from about US$1; AAPL closed at US$343.99 on 21 October 2026.
How to Buy Meta Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20266 min read
Meta (META) is listed on Nasdaq, not in India. Residents buy it under LRS through a GIFT City app or overseas broker; Meta has declared a one-time Class C stock dividend for January 2027.
US Stock Market Holidays 2027 (and the Rest of 2026) in Indian Time
US MarketOctober 20266 min read
NYSE closes on 10 weekdays in 2027 and shuts early at 11:30 pm IST on 26 November. Every closure in Indian time, with clock-change dates, T+1 settlement and Indian bank holidays.
How to Buy Broadcom Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20265 min read
Broadcom (AVGO) is listed on Nasdaq, not in India. Residents buy it under LRS via a GIFT City app or overseas broker: price, dividend, a US$500 cost example, tax and risks.
How to Buy AMD Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20266 min read
AMD is listed on Nasdaq, not in India. Residents buy it under LRS via a GIFT City app or overseas broker, often in fractions: price, Q2 2026 results, a US$500 cost example, tax and risks.
How to Buy Google (Alphabet) Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20266 min read
Alphabet is listed on Nasdaq, not in India. Residents can buy GOOGL or GOOG under LRS via a GIFT City app or overseas broker; both classes get the same US$0.22 quarterly dividend.
How to Buy Tesla Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20266 min read
Tesla (TSLA) is listed on Nasdaq, not in India. Residents buy it under LRS through a GIFT City app or overseas broker, often in fractions from about US$1; Tesla pays no dividend.
Can You Buy US Stocks on Indian Broking Apps? (2026)
ComparisonOctober 20264 min read
In 2026 several large Indian broking apps began offering US stocks through GIFT City. How they work, what they charge and the rules that apply on every app.
How to Buy Nvidia Shares from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20267 min read
NVDA trades only on Nasdaq. Indians can buy it through a GIFT City app or an overseas broker under LRS, often in fractions from US$1; 20% TCS applies only above ₹10 lakh a year.
Comparing Platforms to Invest in US Stocks from India (2026)
ComparisonOctober 20268 min read
13 US stocks apps compared on route, brokerage, all-in cost at $100 to $10,000, SIPs and NRI access, using fees from each platform's own pages on 15 October 2026.
How to Invest in US Stocks from India: A Step-by-Step Guide
US StocksAugust 20267 min read
The full process end to end — KYC, Form W-8BEN, remitting under the LRS, placing your first trade, and the records you will need at tax time.
US Stock Market Timings in India (IST): Hours and Sessions
US MarketAugust 20264 min read
7:00 PM to 1:30 AM IST for most of the year, 8:00 PM to 2:30 AM for the rest — why the hour shifts twice a year, and why pre-market and after-hours are not equivalent.
Is Investing in US Stocks Legal, and What Are the Risks?
US StocksAugust 20265 min read
The RBI scheme that makes it legal, who regulates the account, where your shares are actually held, what SIPC does and does not cover — and the risks to weigh.
How to Invest in the S&P 500 from India: Three Routes Compared
ETFsAugust 20265 min read
Direct US ETF, Indian feeder fund or GIFT City — the same index, three quite different outcomes on ownership, currency, disclosure and tax.
Form W-8BEN Explained for Indian Investors
TaxationAugust 20265 min read
A short declaration that cuts dividend withholding from 30% to 25%. What it asks for, why the address and PAN fields matter, and the silent expiry that catches people.
Fractional Shares Explained for Indian Investors
US StocksAugust 20265 min read
Invest an amount rather than a quantity. How fractions handle dividends and splits, why they suit monthly investing, and the one limitation worth knowing before you rely on them.
Minimum Investment and the Real Costs of US Investing
US StocksAugust 20265 min read
There is no account minimum and no share-price barrier. The real floor is set by remittance costs, which are largely fixed per transfer — and that changes how you should invest monthly.
How to Transfer Money Abroad for US Stock Investing
LRS & ComplianceAugust 20265 min read
Form A2, purpose codes, SWIFT and timelines — plus the forex markup that is usually the largest cost and the least visible, and why the TCS threshold is cumulative.
ETF vs Index Fund vs Mutual Fund: What Actually Differs
ETFsAugust 20265 min read
Two different questions get merged here — how a fund picks holdings, and how you trade it. Separating them makes the choice, and the tax consequences, much clearer.
LRS Explained: How Indian Residents Can Invest Overseas
LRS & ComplianceJune 20266 min read
The Liberalised Remittance Scheme is the gateway to overseas investing — how the USD 250,000 limit, TCS, and foreign-asset reporting actually work.
GIFT City: India's Gateway to Global Investing
GIFT CityJune 20266 min read
GIFT City and India's IFSC give investors a regulated, India-linked gateway to global markets — how the route works under the LRS, and the tax, currency, and regulatory factors to weigh.
Thinking About Global Allocation: The Factors That Matter for Indian Investors
AllocationJune 20268 min read
What to weigh before deciding how much to invest abroad — goals, RSUs, currency risk, LRS, TCS and tax reporting. General information, not a recommendation.
Routes for International Investing: Intl MFs, ETFs, Stocks & GIFT City
Getting StartedJune 20267 min read
Indian investors can go global through international mutual funds, US stocks, US ETFs, or GIFT City — each differing in ownership, control, taxation, and currency exposure. A side-by-side comparison.
Why International Investing Matters for Indian Investors in 2026
InternationalJanuary 20267 min read
Why Indian investors look at global diversification, what it can and cannot do, and the risks to weigh.
Asked most often about Getting Started with Global Investing
Answered here word for word as they are published to search engines as structured data. Nothing is summarised for the page.
What is the first decision I need to make?
Which route to use. International mutual funds bought in rupees, directly held US stocks and ETFs under the LRS, and GIFT City structures all provide global exposure but differ in ownership, control, cost and taxation. Choosing the route first makes the subsequent decisions much simpler.
What do I need to open an account?
An Indian resident individual needs a valid PAN and the documents required for KYC — proof of identity, proof of address such as Aadhaar, and basic financial and bank details. The exact list is confirmed during the digital onboarding process.
How long does it take to get started?
Approval times are typical, not guaranteed: applications from resident Indians are usually processed quickest when the documents are complete and KYC checks raise no issues, and applications from NRIs and foreign nationals typically take longer. Account approval is decided by ViewTrade IFSC. Funds can only be added after the account is approved, because the brokerage account number is generated once KYC is complete.
What is Form W-8BEN and do I need it?
Form W-8BEN declares that you are an Indian tax resident to the US withholding agent. Filing it reduces US withholding tax on dividends from the 30% default to the 25% rate available under the India-US DTAA. It is worth completing before you hold any dividend-paying security.
Are there account opening or maintenance charges?
No. There are no account opening or maintenance charges.
The other hubs.
6 more subjects cover the rest of the ground, from the remittance route to what is owed at the far end of it.
Investing in US Stocks from India
Everything an Indian investor needs to buy US-listed shares — the legal route, the practical steps, the real costs.
Tax on US Stocks and Global Investments
Capital gains, dividends, withholding, credits and disclosure — the full tax picture for an Indian investor holding US assets.
Understanding the US Stock Market
When the US market is open in IST, which exchange is which, and what the headline indices actually track.
US ETFs, Index Funds and International Mutual Funds
Index exposure without picking stocks — and how the route you choose changes your tax treatment.
LRS, TCS, Remittance and Compliance
Getting money out of India legally, and getting it back — limits, forms, timelines and taxes at each step.
International and Global Investing
Why investors hold assets outside India, what it can and cannot do, and the factors that bear on how much.
Read on, or start
Every article here is free. So is opening the account they describe.