Zerodha, Angel One start US stock investing via GIFT City

Two of India's largest stockbrokers, Zerodha and Angel One, have started letting Indian customers buy US-listed shares and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through their own apps, using a route through GIFT City in Gujarat that the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) approved earlier this year. Reports published on October 19 and 20, 2026 said both services are in a limited first phase: Zerodha's is in beta on its Kite platform, and Angel One is opening its facility to selected app users first, with all users expected by mid-November.

Until now, most Indian retail investors who wanted to own shares of US companies had to open an account with a separate overseas investing app or a foreign broker, move money abroad and track the holdings outside their usual Indian account. Bringing US investing into the apps that many Indians already use for domestic trading removes much of that friction. It also brings the activity inside an Indian regulatory framework, through GIFT City, which the government has been building as an offshore financial centre on Indian soil.

The design choices tell investors what kind of product this is. Both services are aimed at long-term buying rather than trading: Zerodha's is delivery-only, with no intraday trades, no borrowed money and no applications for US share sales. Fractional investing from $1 lowers the entry barrier, since some well-known US shares cost hundreds of dollars each. The fees are small in percentage terms but are not the only cost; currency conversion, taxes in India and the US and the risk of the rupee moving against the dollar all affect what an investor actually earns or loses.

For the brokers, the launches are part of a contest for the same customers. Zerodha, Angel One, Groww and Upstox compete for many of the same retail investors. Offering US stocks keeps customers from moving money to rival global-investing platforms and opens a new source of fee income. Angel One's offer of zero brokerage until December 2026 shows that price is already a weapon in this race.

This is not advice to invest. Overseas shares carry the same risks as Indian ones, plus currency and tax complications, and investors should read each broker's terms and the LRS rules before sending money abroad.

Short-term: Customers of the two brokers will see the option appear in their apps in phases over the coming weeks. Rival platforms that specialise in US investing face new competition from brokers that customers already use.

Long-term: If take-up is strong, more Indian savings could flow into US markets through GIFT City, adding business to the financial centre and to Indian brokers, while regulators watch how outward remittances under LRS change.

Who is affected: Retail investors in India, especially younger investors interested in global companies; brokers and global investing apps; GIFT City's exchanges and regulator; and tax professionals who advise on foreign assets.

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