Interest in overseas investing has risen as Indian equities lag several global markets over the past year. A look at different ways to invest overseas, the costs involved, and what to watch out for.
What's the rush for investing overseas these days?
The recent interest is largely because global markets have done better than India over the past year or so. Some hot global themes, such as AI and semiconductors, have seen strong gains. Since Indian investors have limited direct exposure to these themes through local markets, it's encouraging them to look outside India.
How can resident Indian investors allocate money overseas?
Resident Indian investors have three main ways to invest overseas. The simplest route is through international mutual funds offered by Indian fund houses. The second option is investing through GIFT City-based funds, and the third route is by opening an international brokerage account to directly buy global stocks or ETFs.
If investing through domestic MFs is simple, why are investors facing restrictions?
International mutual funds are indeed the simplest way to invest overseas, as they work like any domestic scheme and allow both lump sum and SIP investments across markets such as the US and other global indices. Indian funds offer funds that bet on the US, China, Nasdaq, Taiwan, Brazil, Japan, Europe and Asia, among others. However, investors are currently facing restrictions because The Reserve Bank of India has set an overall industry-wide limit of $7 billion for such overseas investments, which has already been largely utilised.
As a result, many fund houses have stopped accepting lump sum inflows, while some allow SIPs but with monthly caps. This has reduced the availability of fresh investment avenues through this route.
What about the GIFT City-based international funds?
GIFT City-based funds offered by Indian AMCs, which are denominated in dollars and invest across global markets, themes and indices. These typically require a higher minimum investment of around $5,000 and fall under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) limit of $250,000 a year. But the issue is that not every fund house has a presence there.
What are the products currently on offer for domestic investors through GIFT City?
Some of the popular products available for resident investors from GIFT city currently are DSP Global Equity Fund, Edelweiss Greater China Equity Fund, Parag Parikh IFSC Nasdaq 100 FoF and Parag Parikh IFSC S&P 500 FoF. Many others are in the process of launching their products there.
How can an investor put money into GIFT City funds?
For a Resident Indian, the process of investing through GIFT City is different from that for a domestic mutual fund. Investing through GIFT City involves sending money abroad under the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), since it is treated as an offshore jurisdiction. Investors need to complete KYC and then transfer funds from their bank account by filling out an LRS declaration (A2 form). The money is converted into dollars, and banks charge forex conversion and wire transfer fees.
If total remittances exceed ₹7 lakh in a year, a 20% TCS is collected upfront, which can be adjusted while filing taxes. Once invested, these funds function like mutual funds with a daily NAV, and redemptions take around T+5 days.
How does direct investing work?
In direct investing, investors open an international trading account through an Indian platform offering global access to buy shares of overseas companies or global ETFs. The investment is made by remitting money abroad under the LRS, after which funds are converted into foreign currency and used to trade. This route offers the widest choice, but it comes with added complexities, including forex conversion costs, brokerage charges, and compliance requirements.
How are the gains taxed on the investments?
Investments in international funds through the mutual fund route attract capital gains tax to be paid by investors at the rate of 12.5% for units, if held for more than two years. For units held for less than two years, the gains are added to your total income and taxed according to the tax slab. In GIFT City funds, the income earned from investments is taxable at the fund level, with no taxation at the investor level. For holding periods less than 24 months, a short term capital gains tax at the rate of 30% and a long-term capital gains tax of 12.5% is levied, which includes surcharge, health and education cess.
Will the estate tax be applicable for resident Indians investing in US stocks from India?
Yes, the estate tax can apply if resident Indians invest directly in USlisted stocks. For non-US residents, the exemption limit is $60,000. So, if the value of US assets held directly exceeds this at the time of death, the excess can be taxed by the US at rates ranging from 18% to 40%. This applies only to direct holdings of US stocks or assets. Investments routed through funds, such as those based in GIFT City, typically do not attract US estate tax at the investor level.
So, what are my best options?
If you are looking to deploy small amounts like Rs 5000 or Rs 10,000 per month or a lumpsum amount of Rs 1 lakh, the mutual fund route works well, though there are limited choices, and the GIFT City route is highly impractical. However, if you are looking to park a substantial lump sum of more than $5000 into a dollar denominated asset, you could opt for the GIFT City route or direct investing.
