FEMA on WebNotes

Non-Resident Indian (NRI)

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Non-Resident Indian (NRI) is an Indian citizen who is resident outside India as defined under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA). In the context of Indian capital markets, NRI status determines the accounts through which an investor may hold rupee funds and securities in India, the regulatory permissions required to invest in equity, and the repatriation rights on investment proceeds. NRIs occupy a distinctive position in the investor-category framework of the Indian primary market: they are eligible to subscribe to Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) but are subject to exchange-control conditions that differ materially from those applicable to resident Indian investors, including restrictions on the use of UPI ASBA and conditions tied to whether the investment is made on a repatriation or non-repatriation basis.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central bank of India and the apex monetary authority in the country. Established on 1 April 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the institution was incorporated as a private joint-stock company but was nationalised on 1 January 1949 under the Reserve Bank of India (Transfer to Public Ownership) Act, 1948. Its central office – where the Governor’s office and the principal executive departments are situated – is in Mumbai, and the institution maintains a network of regional offices, sub-offices, and currency chests across the country.

Zerodha NRI account (non-PIS)

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Zerodha NRI account (non-PIS) is a trading and demat account offered by Zerodha to non-resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders who wish to invest in Indian financial markets without obtaining Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) permission from the Reserve Bank of India. The non-PIS route is governed by the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and the FEMA (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident Outside India) Regulations, 2017, which distinguish between exchange-traded equity (requiring PIS) and instruments that NRIs may hold without PIS permission.

Zerodha NRI account (PIS)

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Zerodha NRI account (PIS) is a trading and demat account offered by Zerodha to non-resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders who wish to invest in Indian equity markets through the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS). The PIS is a channel authorised by the Reserve Bank of India under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), specifically under the FEMA (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident Outside India) Regulations, 2017 (as notified through various RBI master directions). Investments made through the PIS route from a Non-Resident External (NRE) bank account are fully repatriable, while those from a Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) account are repatriable within RBI-prescribed limits.