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Indians are sending record amounts abroad to buy property and global stocks in 2025, with outward flows under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) climbing sharply on the back of rising financial awareness, aspirations for overseas assets and easier access to foreign markets.
Latest Reserve Bank of India data shows that between January and September this year, LRS investments in real estate grew 80 percent to $350 million, while remittances into equity and debt instruments rose over 50 percent to $1.68 billion.
Combined, these categories crossed $2 billion in the nine-month period, marking a 55 percent jump compared to 2024.
Wealth managers say the shift reflects both structural and behavioural changes. India’s rapid financialisation and faster wealth creation among affluent households have broadened investment appetites, including a growing desire for global diversification.
Rising awareness, desire for diversification
Rahul Jain, president & head, Nuvama Wealth, said rising awareness is driving this shift.
“As financialisation is happening at a faster pace, awareness is also rising. People now want some international exposure purely from a diversification point of view. Earlier, if someone had Rs 100 to invest, most of it went into domestic real estate. Now, with higher awareness, people feel — why not allocate four-five rupees abroad as part of the overall asset allocation,” Jain said.
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Weaker domestic equity performance over the past year has further accelerated the move toward offshore markets.
According to Niteen Dongare, CEO & Head-GIFT City, IFSC, Anand Rathi International Ventures IFSC Pvt Ltd, “Over the last one to one-and-a-half years, Indian equity markets have not delivered strong returns, prompting many investors to look for opportunities outside the country.”
This combination of muted returns at home and expanding access to global markets through technology has made international investing a mainstream part of Indian portfolios. With Indian markets picking up in the last few days muted domestic returns may no longer be a factor though the desire for diversification will still be there.
Digital platforms
Experts added that digital platforms are enabling this shift.
“Investors are also becoming more aware of global markets, thanks to the proliferation of fintech platforms and foreign brokerages that allow easy access to US and other growing economies, other international stocks, and lucrative ETFs. Several large fintechs and foreign brokers have enabled clients to buy global equities such as Apple with the same ease as investing in Indian stocks,” Dongare said.
The surge in outflows is also being supported by new channels such as GIFT City, which has emerged as a gateway for global investing.
“GIFT City has also emerged as an important channel. Products such as NSE IFSC Receipts and global access platform allow investors to participate in US markets either through demat-based receipts of the top 50 US stocks or via trading accounts operated through US custodians. Outbound AIFs and PMS products, global MFs based in GIFT City have also gained traction among ultra-HNIs, offering returns of 12–13 percent,” Dongare said.
Dubai’s property market a big draw
Dubai has emerged as the standout destination for Indian property buyers. Proximity, familiarity, and aspiration are key to its dominance in LRS real estate flows.
“If you look at the data, Dubai clearly stands out. The proximity helps. Mumbai to Dubai is just a two-hour flight, and there are 15–20 flights a day. The same goes for Delhi and Bengaluru. Even Tier-2 cities are well connected. Easy access and short travel time make Dubai a preferred choice,” said Jain.
Dongare echoed the view, adding that proximity, a large Indian community, lifestyle familiarity, and increasing activity by Indian developers have made Dubai a preferred market.
Education-driven migration is another factor pushing money abroad. Jain said global allocations often align with long-term family priorities. “You’re also seeing many HNIs whose children are studying abroad. That’s become a major trend among rich families—kids go to Singapore, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia. When there’s a chance the child may settle overseas, moving some money internationally becomes a natural part of long-term planning,” Jain said.
In parallel, residency-linked investment programmes such as the US EB-5 visa and Golden Visa schemes are contributing meaningfully to LRS outflows.
“A growing number of wealthy Indians are also using the LRS route for residency-linked investment programmes abroad, including the US EB-5 visa and various Golden Visa options offered by other countries. These require substantial financial commitments, often running into a million dollars or more, and contribute meaningfully to outward remittances,” Dongare added.
With rising global aspirations and easier access, wealth managers expect outward investments under LRS to continue growing strongly in 2026 too.