There are certainly attractive avenues in India, where NRIs obtain the freedom of investing into diversified asset allocation and significantly build up their investment portfolio. India is emerging as being fastest growing investment destinations for NRIs.

NRIs can now invest into investment vehicles by saving into:

Mutual Funds:

Mutual funds are known for its simplest ways of investing in increasingly complex financial markets. The reason why mutual funds are so popular is that it comes with flexibility, affordability, diversification, liquidity, low costs and regulated investor protection facilities.

Bank Fixed Deposits:

Fixed deposit facility (FD) evolve as being the safest investment options in India as it is meant to generate stable income for an ideal investment period between 6-12 months. These facilities come in the form of FCNR, NRO and NRE deposits.

Real Estate:

Reserve Bank has granted general permissions to financial institutions to provide housing finance loans to NRIs.

Shares:

Either directly subscribing to shares and debentures on a repatriable or non- repatriable basis, or through portfolio investment scheme NRIs are allowed to invest in both shares and stock.

Rules for NRIs to Invest:

As per the Section 2(V) of Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999, NRI is a person

  • who resides outside India or has taken up employment outside India;
  • conducting business activities outside India
  • staying outside India for an indefinite or uncertain time period
  • has been in possession of his Indian passport (provided he is not a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh)
  • either of his parents or grandparents were Indian citizen (as per the Indian Constitution/ Citizenship Act of 1955)