Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Indian residents can invest in the US stock market under the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), which lets a resident individual remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year, across all permitted purposes combined. US-listed stocks and ETFs are a permitted investment under the LRS. You are solely responsible for ensuring your remittances comply with the LRS annual limit, the applicable Tax Collected at Source (TCS) rules, and all reporting requirements, including Schedule FA in your income-tax return.

Any Indian resident individual with a valid PAN and the documents needed to complete KYC can open an account. Both first-time and experienced investors are welcome. Accounts are opened in your name with ViewTrade IFSC. Platizio provides the customer-facing brand, digital interface, onboarding support, investor communication support and customer assistance.

To complete KYC you will generally need: a PAN card, proof of identity, proof of address (Aadhaar or equivalent), and your basic financial and bank details. The exact documents are confirmed during the digital onboarding process.

Approval times are typical, not guaranteed. Applications from resident Indians are usually processed quickest when the documents are complete and KYC checks raise no issues; applications from NRIs and foreign nationals typically take longer because they need additional checks. Account approval is decided by ViewTrade IFSC.

No. You can add funds only after your account is approved, because your brokerage account number is generated only once KYC is completed.

No, there are no account opening or maintenance charges.

LRS is available to resident individuals (and minors with a guardian). HUFs, companies, and partnership firms are not eligible to invest through the individual LRS route, and our broker partner generally does not support HUF or business-entity accounts for this product.

Your account is with ViewTrade International IFSC Private Limited in GIFT City, part of the ViewTrade group, our brokerage and financial-technology partner. ViewTrade IFSC is registered with IFSCA as a broker-dealer and Global Access Provider, and executes, clears and holds US trades through ViewTrade Securities Inc. in the US. Platizio provides the platform and customer experience; ViewTrade provides the brokerage.

Your US shares are held in the name of ViewTrade IFSC for the benefit of its customers (an omnibus account), not in your individual name. ViewTrade IFSC holds them in the US through ViewTrade Securities Inc., and US shares settle at The Depository Trust Company (DTC), part of DTCC. Platizio does not hold securities or client money. The benefit of the account still belongs to you as the end client; which shareholder rights pass through to you is governed by ViewTrade's and the custodian's terms.

ViewTrade IFSC is not a SIPC member. Where investor protection coverage is available through a foreign broker, clearing broker or custodian, such coverage is subject to that provider's terms and exclusions. SIPC protects against the failure of a brokerage firm; it does not protect against a fall in the market value of your investments.

Platizio does not hold securities or client money and does not provide custody services. Your holdings are with ViewTrade IFSC, separate from Platizio's operational funds. If Platizio stopped operating, your account would continue with ViewTrade IFSC, and ViewTrade IFSC's terms set out how you can access, transfer or sell your holdings.

Yes. Platizio does not hold securities or client money and does not provide custody services. Your US shares are held in the name of ViewTrade IFSC for the benefit of its customers (an omnibus account), not in your individual name. ViewTrade IFSC holds them in the US through ViewTrade Securities Inc., and US shares settle at The Depository Trust Company (DTC), part of DTCC.

For residents of India: you fund your ViewTrade IFSC account by remitting money from your own Indian bank account under the LRS. From within the platform you can select your bank, download the net-banking remittance instructions, and initiate the transfer. Funds are converted from INR to USD by your bank and credited to your account with ViewTrade IFSC. NRIs do not use the LRS route; see the NRE and NRO question below.

Typical times depend on your bank and on when you start the transfer. Remittances from integrated partner banks initiated before the 1:30 PM cut-off on a working day are typically credited fastest; those initiated after the cut-off, on a bank holiday, or from other banks typically take longer. Your bank's own processing, compliance checks and incomplete details can add time. These are typical times, not guarantees.

Under the LRS, an Indian resident can remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year (April to March) across all permitted purposes combined, from their own funds. This is a per-individual limit set by the RBI.

You can remit from most major Indian banks that support online LRS transfers. ViewTrade has partnered with various banks to offer a smoother experience. The exchange rate and margin are set by your remitting bank. You can also use your existing bank account — you are not required to open a new account.

For NRIs (this is not the LRS route): NRE/NRO transfers are supported by several banks. ICICI Bank generally supports online transfers from both NRE and NRO accounts; some other banks support online transfers only from NRE accounts. For NRO transfers, your bank may require a 15CA/CB certificate along with the A2 and declaration forms. Please check with your bank for their specific process.

No. Third-party transfers are not permitted. You can fund your account only from a bank account in which you are the primary holder, as the sender's name must match your account name.

No. LRS investment remittances must be made through a bank under the prescribed purpose code (overseas portfolio investment). UPI, forex cards, and money-transfer services such as Wise or Western Union cannot be used for this purpose. The remittance must come from your own bank account.

Platizio offers US-listed stocks and ETFs. You can build a diversified portfolio across US companies and funds. We do not currently offer mutual funds, bonds, derivatives, or stocks listed on non-US exchanges.

No. Under RBI / FEMA rules, the LRS does not permit margin trading or speculative instruments such as futures, options, or other derivatives. Your US account is a cash account, not a derivatives and margin account.

Your account is a cash account, so no margin is provided. The LRS is intended for genuine investment rather than speculative trading. You can buy and sell on the same day to the extent of the settled cash (buying power) available in your account, but active intraday trading is not recommended and margin-based intraday trading is not available.

Yes. You can buy fractional shares, which lets you invest a fixed rupee/dollar amount even in high-priced stocks. For example, if one share trades at USD 1,000 and you invest USD 100, you receive 0.1 of a share.

Yes. You receive dividends in proportion to your holding. If a stock pays a USD 10 per-share dividend and you own 0.5 shares, you receive USD 5 (less applicable US withholding tax). Very small amounts below one cent may not be credited.

Yes, you can cancel an order while it is still pending. Once a market order begins executing after the market opens, it can no longer be cancelled.

No interest is currently paid on idle cash.

No. Physical share certificates are not issued in the US market. Your ownership is recorded electronically in your brokerage account, and a trade confirmation is available the next business day.

Direct subscription to US IPOs is generally not available to retail investors. In most cases, you can buy a company's shares once they begin trading after the IPO.

After you sell securities, the proceeds need to settle (typically T+1, i.e. one business day after the trade). Once the cash is settled, you can place a withdrawal request from the platform by entering the amount and your bank details. The bank account must be in your own name.

The sale proceeds show in your cash balance once the sell order executes, but settlement takes one business day (T+1). The sale price may differ from the price you saw (slippage), and a sell order may be filled only in part; only the filled part settles. After the cash settles, you can request a withdrawal, and the funds typically reach your bank account within 1–3 business days after the broker processes the request, depending on your bank and any intermediary bank. Withdrawals are processed under the broker's withdrawal policy.

Unsettled cash is money from a sale that has not yet completed its one-business-day settlement period. Buying power is the cash available to trade. In a normal cash account, buying power can include both settled and unsettled cash for placing new buy orders, but you can only withdraw cash once it has settled.

You can usually choose to withdraw in INR (credited to your Indian bank account) or in USD. If your bank only accepts INR, the funds are converted by your bank, which may apply a forex mark-up and other applicable charges.

Platizio and ViewTrade do not charge for withdrawals; your bank and any intermediary bank may deduct wire and conversion charges.

Yes, as long as the destination bank account is in your own name. It need not be the same account you used to fund the platform. Withdrawals to third-party accounts are not permitted.

Cost basis is the original amount you paid to buy a security, including commissions. When you sell, gains or losses are calculated against this cost basis. Indian tax rules require the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) method, meaning the shares you bought first are treated as sold first.

Shares are sold on a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) basis, as required by the Indian tax code. Choosing specific lots to sell first is not available for Indian tax residents.

INR figures in your reports are indicative. For tax filing, the Income-tax Rules prescribe the SBI telegraphic-transfer buying rate; agree the figures with your CA.

Account statements, trade confirmations, and transaction history are available within the platform. Monthly account statements and daily trade confirmations are generated by the broker and can be downloaded for your records and tax filing.

Yes. You can generate realised and unrealised Profit & Loss reports for any period, including the previous financial year, and download them for your records or to support advance-tax calculations. We recommend having tax reports reviewed by your CA or tax advisor.

Yes. Transfers use ACAT or DTC transfer mechanisms. With ACAT the client may have to pay a fee to their existing broker to move securities and cash. With a DTC transfer, Platizio charges nothing, but only securities move — cash needs to be withdrawn separately before the transfer. Your current broker may charge a transfer-out fee.

Cost basis is often not transferred automatically with the securities, so you may need to enter it manually after the transfer. Your holding period continues from your original purchase date and does not reset because of the transfer.

Yes. The receiving broker initiates the transfer using the same standard US mechanisms. Note that exit/transfer charges may apply, and fractional shares cannot be transferred.

No. Since a PAN can be used for only one account, holding two Platizio accounts is not possible.

Yes. Shares received under employee benefit schemes (ESOPs/RSUs) in US-listed companies are treated as Overseas Portfolio Investments under Indian regulations (where they are below 10% of the company's equity, which is usually the case). You can transfer such vested shares, or reinvest the proceeds of their sale, into other US-listed stocks or ETFs.

Yes. Proceeds can be reinvested, but any amount not reinvested must be brought back to India within 180 days under RBI rules.

When you sell ESOP/RSU shares, capital gains tax applies based on your holding period (long-term or short-term). Simply transferring shares (without selling) is not a taxable event. We recommend keeping records from your previous platform and consulting your CA.

US dividends are withheld at 25% under the India-US tax treaty (DTAA) when a valid Form W-8BEN is on file, otherwise at 30%. The US company withholds this tax before paying you the balance. In India, the gross dividend is added to your income and taxed at your slab rate, and you can claim the US tax already paid as a Foreign Tax Credit under the DTAA, up to the Indian tax on that dividend; if your slab rate is below 25%, part of it cannot be recovered.

The India-US Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) helps you avoid being taxed twice on the same income. Tax paid in the US (for example, dividend withholding) can be claimed as a Foreign Tax Credit against your Indian tax liability, up to the Indian tax on that income.

The key items are: a capital-gains summary, Schedule FA (Foreign Assets) if you are resident and ordinarily resident in India, Schedule FSI (Foreign Source Income), Schedule TR (Tax Relief), and the form to claim foreign tax credit: Form 44 from tax year 2026-27 (Form 67 before that). Platizio provides the supporting statements you need at the end of the financial year.

If you are resident and ordinarily resident in India, you disclose your foreign holdings each year in Schedule FA of your income-tax return. Schedule FA is reported using the accounting year of the country where the asset is held. For US stocks and ETFs, that is the calendar year (January to December), which is why Schedule FA does not follow the Indian April–March financial year.

For ordinary US shares and most ETFs, you do not pay US tax on your capital gains; they are taxed in India. You do pay US withholding tax on dividends — 25% under the India–US tax treaty when a valid Form W-8BEN is on file, otherwise 30% — which you can claim as a credit in India, up to the Indian tax on that income. US estate tax can apply if a holder dies owning US assets worth more than US$60,000.

There is no separate tax on currency movement. Gains arise in dollars but are taxed in rupees, so the conversion rate matters. The Income-tax Rules set the SBI telegraphic-transfer buying rate; how it applies to the purchase leg is read differently, so agree the method with your CA. The currency effect is built into the gain.

You can update your login email and mobile number from the Profile / Login & Security section of the platform. Changes are confirmed using an OTP for your security.

You can add one or more beneficiaries from the Profile / Manage Beneficiaries section of the platform.

On the login page, select "Forgot Password", enter your registered email, and follow the link or OTP sent to you to set a new password.

Yes. Account statements, trade confirmations, and transaction reports can be downloaded from the platform in PDF or Excel formats.