India is about 3% of the world’s stock market. The other 97% sits in the United States, China, Japan, Europe and dozens of other countries. International investing means owning part of that 97%, so your wealth doesn’t depend on one economy, one currency or one decade. Here is the full case for investing globally.
Whether you want to invest in the US, invest in Japan, invest in Germany or invest in a single emerging market, the route from India is the same. Only the fund or the exchange changes.
How to invest in any country from India
Every overseas investment by a resident Indian follows the same three steps.
- Open an overseas brokerage account in your name. Most direct investors use a global broker such as Interactive Brokers, which gives access to exchanges across North America, Europe and Asia from one account. How to open an Interactive Brokers account from India.
- Send money under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Your Indian bank wires rupees, converted to dollars, under LRS. TCS of 20% applies above ₹10 lakh a year, and you adjust it when you file your return. LRS, TCS and Schedule FA, explained.
- Buy the market you want. Choose a fund or shares that give you exposure to that country, then report the holding in Schedule FA each year.
Four ways to own a country
- A global fund. One all-world index fund holds thousands of companies across developed and emerging markets, weighted by size. It is the simplest way to invest internationally from India.
- A regional fund. Europe, Asia-Pacific, or emerging markets in a single holding, for investors who want to tilt towards a region.
- A single-country fund. Index funds exist for most large markets, from Japan and the UK to Taiwan, Korea and Brazil. They are the cleanest way to invest in one specific country.
- Individual shares. Buying companies directly on a foreign exchange. It brings the most control and the most concentration risk.
Where the fund is registered matters as much as what it holds. US-domiciled funds can expose your family to US estate tax above $60,000, while Ireland-domiciled UCITS funds generally don’t. US ETFs vs Irish UCITS ETFs.
The world’s largest stock markets you can invest in from India
Ranked by stock market capitalisation, with each country’s share of the world total. India is excluded; markets closed to foreign investors are excluded too.
| # | Market | Region | Share of world market | Market cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Invest in the United States | North America | 46.4% | $79.5T |
| 2 | Invest in China | Asia | 10.4% | $17.8T |
| 3 | Invest in Japan | Asia | 5.1% | $8.7T |
| 4 | Invest in Hong Kong | Asia | 4.2% | $7.2T |
| 5 | Invest in Taiwan | Asia | 2.9% | $5.0T |
| 6 | Invest in South Korea | Asia | 2.9% | $5.0T |
| 7 | Invest in Canada | North America | 2.6% | $4.5T |
| 8 | Invest in the United Kingdom | Europe | 2.3% | $3.9T |
| 9 | Invest in France | Europe | 2.0% | $3.5T |
| 10 | Invest in Germany | Europe | 1.8% | $3.0T |
| 11 | Invest in Saudi Arabia | Middle East | 1.5% | $2.6T |
| 12 | Invest in the Netherlands | Europe | 1.2% | $2.1T |
| 13 | Invest in Australia | Pacific | 1.2% | $2.0T |
| 14 | Invest in Switzerland | Europe | 1.0% | $1.8T |
| 15 | Invest in South Africa | Africa | 0.9% | $1.5T |
| 16 | Invest in Sweden | Europe | 0.8% | $1.4T |
| 17 | Invest in Spain | Europe | 0.8% | $1.4T |
| 18 | Invest in Brazil | Latin America | 0.6% | $1.1T |
| 19 | Invest in the United Arab Emirates | Middle East | 0.6% | $1.1T |
| 20 | Invest in Italy | Europe | 0.6% | $950B |
| 21 | Invest in Indonesia | Asia | 0.5% | $940B |
| 22 | Invest in Belgium | Europe | 0.5% | $870B |
| 23 | Invest in Singapore | Asia | 0.5% | $820B |
| 24 | Invest in Denmark | Europe | 0.4% | $650B |
| 25 | Invest in Mexico | Latin America | 0.4% | $611B |
| 26 | Invest in Thailand | Asia | 0.3% | $568B |
| 27 | Invest in Israel | Middle East | 0.3% | $565B |
| 28 | Invest in Norway | Europe | 0.3% | $515B |
| 29 | Invest in Malaysia | Asia | 0.3% | $508B |
| 30 | Invest in Finland | Europe | 0.2% | $390B |
World Bank data as compiled by Wikipedia, October 2026. Sources and methodology. See the live map on the Meridian Capital homepage.
What it costs
Three costs matter: the bank’s currency spread and charges when you send money (what it really costs to send money abroad), the fund’s own expense ratio, and any adviser’s fee. Meridian Capital charges one fee, from 2% a year falling to 1%, and nothing else. See our fees.
How it’s taxed in India
Gains on foreign shares and funds are taxed in India, not in the country you invested in, with a few exceptions such as US dividends. How your US investments are taxed in India.
International funds in India vs investing directly
Indian international mutual funds and fund-of-funds were the easy route for years, but most have been closed to fresh money because of the industry-wide overseas limit. International mutual funds vs investing directly. GIFT City is a third option, with a narrower menu today. GIFT City or an overseas account?
How much should you invest abroad?
Not 97%. The right share depends on your goals, when you’ll need the money and how much of your future spending is in dollars. How much of your wealth should be global? That decision is where Meridian Capital starts with every client.