Indians Can Now Buy US Stocks Directly via NSE IX — How Global Access Could Reshape Retail Investing
Indian investors can now directly invest in US-listed companies through the Global Access platform launched by NSE International Exchange, marking a significant expansion of overseas investment access under India’s financial market framework. The platform enables resident individuals to purchase global equities and exchange-traded funds in US dollars, allowing direct ownership of international securities through an exchange-based structure rather than relying exclusively on mutual funds or overseas brokerage accounts.
The United States has been introduced as the first market available on the platform, reflecting strong demand among Indian investors for exposure to global technology companies and diversified international portfolios. Over the next three to six months, NSE IX plans to expand the offering to more than 30 international markets, positioning the initiative as a long-term structural development in cross-border investing rather than a limited product launch.
The initiative is designed to operate within the regulatory framework of the Reserve Bank of India’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), under which resident individuals can remit up to $250,000 per financial year for overseas investments and other permitted transactions. By integrating remittance, trading and settlement into a single system linked to GIFT City banking infrastructure, the platform aims to simplify global investing while ensuring regulatory compliance.
The launch represents a broader effort to develop GIFT City as India’s primary international financial gateway, supporting both inbound and outbound capital flows. If adoption scales over time, Global Access could gradually change how Indian households allocate savings across domestic and global assets.
Direct Access to US Markets Through an Exchange-Based Platform
The Global Access platform allows investors to trade US-listed equities and ETFs using a structure that closely resembles domestic equity investing, but with transactions settled in US dollars. Investors can complete the entire process digitally, including account opening, KYC verification and fund transfers, after which they receive trading limits linked to their remitted funds.
Once funds are transferred to a designated GIFT City account, they are converted into US dollars and credited for trading purposes. Investors can then place buy and sell orders through web or mobile interfaces, track global securities through customised watchlists and manage their portfolios in real time.
The exchange has emphasised that the platform is designed to remain fully compliant with the LRS framework, with remittance limits and regulatory requirements built into the transaction cycle. This integration reduces operational complexity compared with traditional overseas investing routes, which often require multiple intermediaries including banks, brokers and custodians.
By offering exchange-based infrastructure for global investing, NSE IX aims to create a more transparent and standardised pathway for overseas investments. Over time, the addition of new markets is expected to expand the platform into a comprehensive global investment gateway for Indian investors.
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Fractional Investing Lowers Entry Barriers for Retail Investors
One of the most significant features of the Global Access platform is fractional investing, which allows investors to purchase small portions of high-priced global stocks rather than entire shares. This functionality makes it possible for retail investors to build internationally diversified portfolios even with relatively modest investment amounts.
Under the fractional trading model, investors can choose the value they wish to invest rather than the number of shares they want to purchase. For example, instead of buying a full share of a high-priced US technology stock, investors can allocate smaller amounts such as $10 or $50 and receive proportional ownership recorded in their portfolio.
Fractionalisation is enabled through partnerships with foreign broker networks that facilitate value-based execution and settlement. This arrangement ensures that investors can participate in global markets without the high minimum investment requirements that traditionally limited retail participation.
The feature is expected to be particularly relevant for younger investors and first-time global investors who want exposure to leading international companies while maintaining diversified portfolios. By lowering the financial barrier to entry, fractional investing could significantly expand participation in overseas equity markets.
Dollar-Denominated Structure Reflects True Global Investing
All investments executed through the Global Access platform are denominated in US dollars, reflecting the underlying currency of international securities. Investors must remit funds from India under the LRS framework, after which the rupee amount is converted into dollars before trading begins.
This structure introduces currency exposure as an integral part of global investing, meaning that portfolio returns will depend not only on stock performance but also on exchange rate movements. For investors seeking international diversification, currency exposure is often considered an additional benefit because it can provide protection against domestic currency depreciation.
The dollar-based structure also aligns with global trading practices and ensures seamless settlement across international markets. By maintaining a consistent currency framework, the platform allows investors to compare global investment opportunities more effectively.
Although currency fluctuations may introduce short-term volatility in returns, the long-term diversification benefits of dollar-denominated assets remain an important attraction for overseas investors.
Investment Universe Focused on Equities and ETFs
The Global Access platform currently offers a focused investment universe consisting of global equities and exchange-traded funds, reflecting regulatory guidelines under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme.
By limiting the product range to cash-market securities, the platform emphasises long-term investment rather than speculative trading. Derivatives, cryptocurrencies and other digital assets are not permitted because they fall outside the scope of approved LRS investments.
The emphasis on equities and ETFs provides investors with access to a wide range of global investment themes, including technology, healthcare, consumer sectors and diversified index-based strategies. Exchange-traded funds in particular allow investors to build diversified portfolios with relatively low costs and simplified asset allocation.
This product design suggests that the platform is intended primarily as a wealth-building tool rather than a trading-oriented product, aligning with the long-term objectives of overseas portfolio diversification.
Institutional Participation Could Expand the Platform
While the current phase focuses on resident individual investors, NSE IX has indicated that institutional participation could be introduced in later stages of the platform’s development. Mutual funds and other institutional investors launching overseas investment products could eventually use the Global Access infrastructure to execute international trades.
Institutional participation would significantly increase transaction volumes and could accelerate the development of GIFT City as a major hub for cross-border investment flows. As more financial institutions integrate their international investment offerings with NSE IX infrastructure, the platform could evolve into a central marketplace for overseas investing from India.
The potential addition of institutional investors also highlights the exchange’s long-term vision of building a scalable global investment ecosystem rather than a niche retail product.
Market Implications Investors Are Watching
The launch of Global Access represents a structural development that could gradually reshape retail investment behaviour in India. Easier access to global equities may encourage investors to allocate a portion of their portfolios to international assets alongside domestic equities and fixed-income investments.
Over time, increased outbound investment flows could influence domestic capital markets by diversifying the destination of household savings. However, improved global diversification could also strengthen portfolio stability and reduce concentration risk in domestic markets.
Investors and market participants will be closely watching several indicators to assess the platform’s adoption and long-term significance.
Key indicators include:
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Number of investor accounts opened
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Outbound investment volumes
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Expansion to additional markets
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Growth in fractional trading activity
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Institutional participation in later phases
If adoption accelerates, the Global Access platform could become a major channel for overseas investments from India.
Why Global Access Could Be a Structural Shift
The development of exchange-based infrastructure for overseas investing marks an important evolution in India’s financial markets. Historically, global investing required complex arrangements involving foreign brokers or feeder funds, limiting accessibility for many retail investors.
By simplifying the process and integrating it within a domestic financial infrastructure, NSE IX is attempting to make global investing a mainstream activity for Indian households. The platform also strengthens GIFT City’s strategic positioning as India’s international financial services hub.
Over the long term, easier global investing access could lead to more diversified portfolios, broader participation in international markets and stronger integration between Indian and global capital flows.
If the platform scales successfully, Global Access could become one of the most important structural developments in India’s retail investing landscape in the coming years.
