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Yes — fully legal through three regulated routes:

• International mutual funds — SEBI-regulated Indian AMCs with overseas investment mandates. No foreign account or remittance required.
• LRS (Liberalised Remittance Scheme) — RBI's facility allowing resident Indians to remit up to $250,000 per financial year for permitted investments abroad, including US stocks and ETFs.
• GIFT City IFSC funds — USD-denominated funds domiciled in India's International Financial Services Centre and regulated by IFSCA; you invest in dollars under LRS. See the GIFT City funds available to resident Indians.

All three routes are approved by SEBI and/or RBI. Your Foliyo advisor will recommend the right route for your profile.

LRS is an RBI facility that allows resident Indian individuals to remit up to $250,000 per financial year for permitted purposes — including investment in overseas stocks, ETFs, real estate, and bonds.

Key points: A 20% TCS (Tax Collected at Source) applies on remittances above ₹7 lakh, which is adjustable against your income tax liability when you file your ITR — it is not an additional tax, just an advance collection. Your bank processes the remittance after you submit Form A2 and LRS declaration.

A SEBI RIA with international experience will walk you through the remittance process, brokerage account setup, and ongoing FEMA compliance.

It depends on the route:

• Mutual fund route: Start with as little as ₹1,00,000 — or via SIP as low as ₹5,000/month.
• LRS / direct US stocks: Most platforms recommend ₹5–10L or more to make transaction costs and TCS logistics worthwhile.
• GIFT City funds: Retail schemes typically start at USD 500–5,000 depending on the fund (compare minimums).

For international mandates, Foliyo clients typically have ₹50L or more of investable assets. This is not a restriction — it is simply where the economics of the advice relationship work best for both parties.

Yes — this is one of the primary reasons to work with a SEBI RIA rather than a self-serve execution platform. Specific areas your advisor will address:

• International equity ETFs and stocks are taxed as debt for Indian income tax purposes if held under 24 months — different from domestic equity ETFs.
• US mutual funds (not ETFs) can trigger PFIC (Passive Foreign Investment Company) rules, resulting in punitive tax treatment. Your advisor will steer you away from PFIC-trapping structures.
• TCS on LRS remittances must be tracked and offset correctly in your ITR (Form 26AS).
• Foreign assets above ₹5 lakh market value must be disclosed in Schedule FA of your ITR — failure to disclose triggers FEMA penalties.

Where tax advice overlaps with CA-level work, your advisor will coordinate with a chartered accountant.

Not necessarily — it depends on the route:

• Mutual fund route: No foreign account at all. Invest in INR through your existing Indian bank and broker.
• GIFT City funds: USD-denominated, remitted under LRS. No foreign brokerage account.
• LRS / direct US stocks: You will open an account with a US brokerage (Schwab International, Interactive Brokers, etc.) — your Indian bank wires the funds under LRS. The brokerage account is not a "bank account" in the traditional sense. Your Foliyo advisor will guide you through the account opening process.

This is an important distinction. Platforms like Vested or INDmoney are execution platforms — they provide access to US markets, but they do not provide personalised financial advice. They cannot tell you:

• How much of your total portfolio should be in international assets, and why
• Which route (MF, ETF via LRS, GIFT City) is right for your tax profile and corpus
• How to rebalance your domestic and international allocations over time
• How your international holdings interact with your ESOP position or real estate exposure

Foliyo is a SEBI-registered Investment Adviser and a fiduciary — legally required to act in your interest, earning only the fee you pay us. We advise across your entire financial picture, including international allocation. You can use any execution platform your advisor recommends — the advice is what makes the difference.