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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.
Start here.
How Indian residents invest in US stocks: the LRS route, account opening, fractional shares, costs, safety and regulation, and how US equities compare with Indian ones.
Indian residents can legally own shares in US-listed companies. The route runs through the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), which permits remittances of up to USD 250,000 per individual per financial year for permitted purposes, including overseas equity investment.
What tends to stop people is not the legality but the mechanics: which account holds the shares, how rupees become dollars, what the true cost of a trade is once forex markup and TCS are counted, and what happens to the holding if something goes wrong at the broker. Fractional shares change the arithmetic too — a share trading at USD 600 is no longer out of reach for someone investing ₹5,000 a month.
The articles below work through each of those in turn, starting with the end-to-end process and then going deeper on the questions that come up once money is actually moving.
38 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.
NSE IFSC Receipts Are Closing: What Holders Must Do Before the January 2027 Deadlines
GIFT CityOctober 20266 min read
NSE IX is closing its NSE IFSC Receipts programme: sell by 29 January 2027 or convert whole-share lots into US shares by 20 January; dealing ends on 1 February 2027.
Magnificent Seven Stocks: How to Invest from India (2026)
US StocksOctober 20266 min read
The seven were worth US$24.5 trillion on 21 October 2026. How Indian residents can buy the shares or the MAGS ETF under the LRS, with costs, tax and risks.
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.
Indian ADR List 2026: Indian Companies Listed in the US
US StocksOctober 20265 min read
Six Indian companies have US ADRs: Infosys, Wipro, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Dr. Reddy’s and Sify. Ratios, ADR vs NSE prices, and why residents generally cannot hold them.
US Semiconductor Stocks and ETFs: A Guide for Indian Investors (2026)
ETFsOctober 20267 min read
Indians can buy US chip stocks and ETFs such as SMH and SOXX under LRS. The value chain, fund weights, risks, a US$500 cost example and tax rules, as of October 2026.
How to Transfer RSUs to India: Shares, Sale Proceeds and Tax (2026)
RSUsOctober 20266 min read
Vested RSU shares, held with a US plan broker, can’t go into an Indian demat account. Keep them, sell and wire dollars home, or move them in kind; idle dollars must be reinvested or repatriated within 180 days.
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.
US Dividend Stocks and ETFs: What Indian Investors Keep After Tax (2026)
DividendsOctober 20268 min read
After 25% US withholding and Indian tax, you keep 75% of a US dividend up to the 20% slab, 74% at 25% and 68.8% at 30%. Plus eight dividend ETFs, special cases and ITR reporting.
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.
AI Stocks in the US: A Guide for Indian Investors (2026)
US StocksOctober 20265 min read
What US AI stocks and AI ETFs are, from chips and cloud to software and power, the risks they carry, and how Indian residents can invest under the LRS.
US IPOs: How Indian Investors Can Buy Newly Listed Shares
IPOsOctober 20266 min read
Resident Indians cannot get US IPO shares at the offer price, but can buy newly listed shares under LRS once they start trading on Nasdaq or the NYSE.
US Stocks vs International Mutual Funds: Which Is Better for Indians in 2026?
ComparisonOctober 20267 min read
Most Indian international funds are closed to new money and some India-listed ETFs trade at 20%+ premiums; direct US stocks are open but use LRS and TCS.
Form 67: How to Claim Foreign Tax Credit on US Dividends (Step by Step)
TaxationOctober 20267 min read
Form 67 claims credit for the 25% US tax on dividends. For FY 2025-26 income it is due by 31 March 2027; income from 1 April 2026 moves to Form No. 44.
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.
Schedule FA Penalty: What Happens If You Don’t Report Foreign Stocks in Your ITR
TaxationOctober 20267 min read
Every US share and ETF must go in Schedule FA at any value. The ₹10 lakh Black Money Act penalty, the ₹20 lakh carve-out and how to fix a missed entry.
Tax on US Stocks Bought Through GIFT City (2026 Guide)
GIFT CityOctober 20267 min read
GIFT City does not change your tax as an Indian resident: 12.5% on long-term gains, slab rate on short-term gains and dividends, with worked examples for 2026-27.
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.
Tax on US Stocks in India: Capital Gains, Dividends and Reporting
TaxationAugust 20267 min read
LTCG at 12.5% over 24 months, STCG at slab, why the ₹1.25 lakh exemption does not apply, how USD gains convert to rupees, and what each schedule of your ITR needs.
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.
Dividend Tax on US Stocks for Indian Investors
TaxationAugust 20265 min read
25% withheld in the US, taxed again in India on the gross amount, then relieved by foreign tax credit — with a worked example showing where the money actually lands.
US Estate Tax for Indian Investors: The USD 60,000 Threshold
TaxationAugust 20265 min read
Rates to 40% above a USD 60,000 exemption, no Indian treaty relief, and a threshold that portfolios grow into. Under-discussed, and worth knowing before you cross it.
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.
US Stocks vs Indian Stocks: What Actually Differs
InternationalAugust 20265 min read
Sector composition, currency, tax treatment and correlation compared — how the two markets differ, rather than which one to pick.
How to Evaluate US ETFs as an Indian Investor
ETFsAugust 20265 min read
Not a list of funds to buy. The criteria that actually separate one ETF from another — including two that matter specifically to Indian investors and appear on no factsheet.
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 Withdraw Money from US Stocks Back to India
LRS & ComplianceAugust 20265 min read
Sell, settle on T+1, request withdrawal, receive funds in your own account. The exit path in full, including why the tax event is the sale rather than the repatriation.
Currency Risk Explained: Why the Rupee-Dollar Movement Matters
CurrencyJune 20265 min read
When you invest abroad, returns ride on two things — the asset and the rupee. See how INR-USD moves can lift or trim your gains.
RSU Taxation Explained for Indian Employees Holding US Shares
TaxationJune 20267 min read
How US RSUs are taxed for Indian employees — tax at vesting, capital gains on sale, dividend withholding, Schedule FA reporting, and the concentration risk of holding too much employer stock.
Asked most often about Investing in US Stocks from India
Answered here word for word as they are published to search engines as structured data. Nothing is summarised for the page.
Can an Indian resident legally buy US stocks?
Yes. Indian residents can invest in US-listed stocks and ETFs under the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), which permits remittances of up to USD 250,000 per individual per financial year, across all permitted purposes combined, from their own funds; overseas equity investment is one of the permitted purposes.
How much money do I need to start investing in US stocks?
Because fractional shares are supported, the share price is no longer the constraint — you can invest a fixed rupee amount even in a high-priced stock. Each order pays brokerage of at least US$1 plus IGST, so a very small order pays proportionally more. The practical floor is otherwise set by remittance costs rather than share prices, so it usually makes sense to remit in less frequent, larger tranches than to send small amounts often.
Where are my US shares actually held?
Your US shares are held in the name of ViewTrade IFSC for the benefit of its customers (an omnibus account), not in your individual name. ViewTrade IFSC holds them in the US through ViewTrade Securities Inc., and US shares settle at The Depository Trust Company (DTC), part of DTCC. Platizio does not hold securities or client money. The benefit of the account still belongs to you as the end client; which shareholder rights pass through to you is governed by ViewTrade's and the custodian's terms. This is an IFSC-regulated account, not a standard US brokerage account.
What happens if a broker fails?
ViewTrade IFSC is not a SIPC member. Where investor protection coverage is available through a foreign broker, clearing broker or custodian, such coverage is subject to that provider's terms and exclusions. SIPC protects against the failure of a brokerage firm; it does not protect against a fall in the market value of your investments.
Do I have to choose between Indian and US stocks?
Not necessarily. It is more useful as a comparison of how the two markets differ in sectors, currency and costs. How you divide money between them depends on your own goals and circumstances, and diversification cannot prevent losses.
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.
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.
Getting Started with Global Investing
New to this? Start here — the routes, the process and the questions worth settling first.
Read on, or start
Every article here is free. So is opening the account they describe.