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Broker guide

Best broker for NRI investors in India

NRE/NRO support, PIS handling and a real NRI desk — ranked for Indians investing from abroad.

Pricing last verified 15 Sept 2026 against official sources.

Updated 15 Sept 2026 · Educational comparison, not personalised advice.

At a glance: 31 of 31 brokers qualify · 28 support mutual funds · 28 support IPOs · cheapest account opening from ₹0

Who is this guide for?

Non-resident Indians investing in Indian equities, IPOs and mutual funds from abroad.

NRI broker choice is an onboarding decision first and a brokerage decision second. This ranking weights onboarding ease, one-app coverage and support quality.

Read the fee table with one correction: figures shown are standard resident tariffs. NRI delivery is commonly a percentage per order up to a cap, and NRI opening plus AMC are usually higher. Confirm the NRI tariff sheet before comparing costs.

Before opening, read the NRI investing hub for NRE vs NRO mechanics and repatriation rules, then ask two NRI desks for the full tariff in writing.

TL;DR

For NRIs, onboarding and the NRI desk matter more than headline brokerage — verify the NRI tariff sheet before comparing costs.

Arihant Capital logoArihant CapitalMatch 82/100Zerodha logoZerodhaMatch 79/100Dhan logoDhanMatch 78/100

What nri investors should look for in a broker

  • NRE and NRO support with PIS and non-PIS routes handled end to end
  • A dedicated NRI desk for document hand-holding across time zones
  • Repatriation clarity: NRE fully repatriable, NRO up to USD 1m per year with tax paperwork
  • Mutual-fund and IPO access on the same account
  • NRI delivery is usually a percentage with a cap — verify the NRI tariff sheet, not this table

Key terms: Demat account · Brokerage · AMC · DP charge · direct-plan · withholding-tax-us

The true cost of nri investors — beyond brokerage

  • NRI delivery brokerage — commonly a percentage per order with a cap, not the resident flat rate
  • NRI account opening + AMC — typically higher than resident pricing
  • PIS bank charges — the designated bank may levy its own maintenance fees
  • DP charges, STT, exchange, GST and stamp — apply per sell and buy as usual
  • Currency and remittance costs — forex markup plus any remittance fees

Run your own numbers in the brokerage calculator →

Our best picks for nri investors

Ranked by the same transparent scorer as the find-my-broker quiz — editorial rating plus persona fit over live fee data. A starting point for research, not personalised advice.

Arihant Capital logo

Top pick

Arihant Capital

Match score: 82/100

3.8/ 5

Long-term delivery investors wanting free delivery plus research.

Why it fits nri investors

  • Zero brokerage equity delivery
  • Full-service fit: research + human support
account opening
Free demat account
AMC
Verify tariff sheet †
delivery brokerage
Zero brokerage

Strengths & disadvantages

What we like

  • Genuine zero delivery brokerage
  • Three decades of research plus institutional desk
  • Single demat for stocks, debt and MF

Watch out for

  • AMC and DP tariffs missing from fetched pages
  • Intraday and F&O at ₹20 cost more than ₹10 rivals
  • Legacy extras need confirmation
Visit Arihant CapitalRead Arihant Capital review →
Zerodha logo

Pick #2

Zerodha

Match score: 79/100

4.6/ 5

Cost-conscious DIY investors who mainly buy-and-hold stocks or trade F&O occasionally.

Why it fits nri investors

  • ₹0 equity delivery
account opening
₹0 (free)
AMC
₹0 first year, then ₹300/year
delivery brokerage
₹0

Strengths & disadvantages

What we like

  • ₹0 equity delivery brokerage
  • Simple flat ₹20 intraday/F&O pricing
  • Mature Kite web + mobile platform
  • Strong Varsity investor-education library
  • Free account opening

Watch out for

  • ₹300/year AMC after free first year
  • No research-advisory for beginners
  • Support can be slow on volatile days
Visit ZerodhaRead Zerodha review →
Dhan logo

Pick #3

Dhan

Match score: 78/100

4.4/ 5

Active F&O and intraday traders who live in charts.

Why it fits nri investors

  • ₹0 equity delivery
account opening
₹0 (free)
AMC
₹0 lifetime
delivery brokerage
₹0

Strengths & disadvantages

What we like

  • Excellent options-trading and charting UX
  • Free account opening, zero AMC positioning
  • Trader-first feature velocity
  • Clean modern interface

Watch out for

  • Young broker — shorter track record
  • No US stocks or advisory
  • Mutual-fund experience is secondary
Visit DhanRead Dhan review →

Compare the top 3 side by side →

Which brokers cover these criteria

Every broker below, scored for nri investors on account opening, AMC, delivery brokerage, DP charges plus mutual-fund support, IPO support, platform scores. Sort any column, filter to what matters to you.

Top 8 of 31 · click a column header to sort

  1. #1Arihant Capital logo

    Arihant Capital

    Match 82/100 · 3.8/ 5

    Account opening
    Free demat account
    AMC / year
    Verify tariff sheet †
    Delivery
    Zero brokerage
    DP charge
    —

    ✓ Zero brokerage equity delivery

    View brokerCompare
  2. #2Zerodha logo

    Zerodha

    Match 79/100 · 4.6/ 5

    Account opening
    ₹0 (free)
    AMC / year
    ₹0 first year, then ₹300/year
    Delivery
    ₹0
    DP charge
    —

    ✓ ₹0 equity delivery

    View brokerCompare
  3. #3Dhan logo

    Dhan

    Match 78/100 · 4.4/ 5

    Account opening
    ₹0 (free)
    AMC / year
    ₹0 lifetime
    Delivery
    ₹0
    DP charge
    —

    ✓ ₹0 equity delivery

    View brokerCompare
  4. #4Angel One logo

    Angel One

    Match 76/100 · 4.2/ 5

    Account opening
    ₹0 (free)
    AMC / year
    ₹0 first year, then ₹240/year
    Delivery
    ₹0 first 30 days, then ₹20 or 0.1%
    DP charge
    —

    ✓ Low delivery fee (₹0 first 30 days, then ₹20 or 0.1%)

    View brokerCompare
  5. #5Nuvama logo

    Nuvama

    Match 75/100 · 4.1/ 5

    Account opening
    Verify current offer †
    AMC / year
    1st year free, then ₹300/year (Lite Plus)
    Delivery
    ₹20 per order (Lite Plus)
    DP charge
    ₹20 per ISIN (Lite Plus)

    ✓ Low delivery fee (₹20 per order (Lite Plus))

    View brokerCompare
  6. #6Bajaj Broking logo

    Bajaj Broking

    Match 73/100 · 3.8/ 5

    Account opening
    NIL / free
    AMC / year
    Free 1st year, ₹431 from 2nd year (Freedom)
    Delivery
    ₹20/order Freedom · ₹10/order Pro
    DP charge
    ₹35 or 0.0002% higher + taxes (sell)

    ✓ Low delivery fee (₹20/order Freedom · ₹10/order Pro)

    View brokerCompare
  7. #7Aditya Birla Money logo

    Aditya Birla Money

    Match 72/100 · 3.7/ 5

    Account opening
    ₹0 (new-plan snippet) †
    AMC / year
    ₹37/month conditional · ₹499/5yr · ₹999/lifetime
    Delivery
    ₹5/order subscription plan (applicability unverified) †
    DP charge
    —

    ✓ Low delivery fee (₹5/order subscription plan (applicability unverified))

    View brokerCompare
  8. #8Groww logo

    Groww

    Match 69/100 · 4.5/ 5

    Account opening
    ₹0 (free)
    AMC / year
    ₹0
    Delivery
    ₹20 or 0.1% per order
    DP charge
    —

    ✓ Low delivery fee (₹20 or 0.1% per order)

    View brokerCompare

Showing 31 of 31 brokers Show all 31 brokers →

Our take

Pick the NRI desk, not the headline brokerage: ranked on onboarding ease and support quality. Get the NRI tariff in writing from two finalists and read the NRI hub before moving money.

How we compare brokers

Every broker is scored by the same transparent scorer as the find-my-broker quiz — editorial rating plus persona fit over live fee data. The comparison for this guide considers:

  • Onboarding ease plus one-app coverage (mutual funds and IPOs)
  • Guided-investor fit: research and support scores
  • Delivery brokerage at a 50k order size (resident tariff)
  • Editorial rating

Labels like “lowest” are computed from the fee figures in the table above — never assigned by hand. Verify pricing on the official site before opening an account.

FAQs

Can NRIs invest in Indian stocks?

Yes — through NRE or NRO bank accounts linked to a demat and trading account, with equity routed via PIS or non-PIS as the broker arranges.

What is PIS for NRI investing?

The Portfolio Investment Scheme route lets NRIs buy and sell listed shares with RBI reporting through a designated bank. NRE investing typically needs PIS; NRO often uses non-PIS.

How much can NRIs repatriate per year?

NRE balances are fully repatriable. NRO balances plus eligible assets can be remitted up to USD 1 million per financial year with tax documentation.

Do NRI brokers charge more?

Usually for delivery: resident flat rates are commonly replaced by percentage rates with a cap, plus higher opening and AMC charges. Verify the NRI tariff sheet.

Can NRIs invest in mutual funds and IPOs?

Yes — most brokers extend MF and IPO access to NRI accounts, though fund houses and IPO categories may carry their own NRI restrictions.

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Affiliate disclosure: LetsInvest earns a commission if you open an account via links on this page — at no extra cost to you. Rankings are editorial and never sold. Read how we make money and our methodology.
How we research. Every fee on this site carries a source and a verification date. Data is re-checked against official broker pages; read our editorial methodology. LetsInvest is a research publication, not a financial adviser — see our terms.