NRI Portfolio Strategy: How to Allocate Between India and Global
Most NRIs have an implicit India overweight: they may own Indian property, have NRE/NRO savings, and plan to return to India eventually. Understanding your existing India exposure is the starting point for a rational portfolio allocation strategy.
Your implicit India exposure
Before deciding how much to allocate to Indian stocks, take stock of your existing India exposure: property (typically 5–20× annual income in value), NRE/NRO savings, potential pension from Indian employer, and the present value of planned retirement spending in India. Many NRIs find they're already highly exposed to India without a single stock or mutual fund.
Allocation framework
- If you own Indian real estate and plan to retire in India: India allocation in financial portfolio can be lower (20–30%)
- If you plan to settle permanently in country of residence: higher global (residence-country + international) allocation makes sense
- If India GDP growth is your primary conviction: higher India equity allocation (40–60%) may be appropriate
- Currency match: if your future liabilities are in INR, having more INR-denominated assets reduces currency risk
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