PIS vs Non-PIS Account for NRIs: What You Need to Know
For many NRIs, investing in India starts with a simple but important question: which type of account should you open? You will usually come across two commonly used terms – PIS and Non-PIS accounts. While both provide access to Indian capital markets, they differ significantly in terms of repatriation of funds, regulatory requirements and the types of investments that can be made through them. Understanding these differences at the outset can help you structure your investments efficiently and choose the option that best aligns with your financial goals. What is a PIS Account? Traditionally, NRIs investing in Indian listed equities on a repatriable basis used the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) route. Although the regulatory framework has evolved over time, the term "PIS Account" continues to be widely used in the industry to refer to NRE-linked investment arrangements that allow repatriation of funds abroad. A PIS account is generally linked to an NRE (Non-Resident...