8 Indian mutual fund houses that allow USA/Canada-based NRIs to invest

Many NRI investors based in the USA and Canada are still asking around when will they be able to invest in Indian mutual funds again. In fact, one always comes across similar queries in every investment forum. Though some mutual fund houses have started accepting money from NRIs from these countries, a comprehensive list is not available to investors even now. Depending on whom you are talking to, the number of fund houses that accepts money from these investors varies from half a dozen to 20. ET.com Mutual Funds tried to obtain a list from AMFI, the self regulating body of mutual funds, but drew a blank. After talking to mutual fund officials and intermediaries, we have collated a list of eight fund houses that accept money from NRIs based in the USA and Canada.

Most fund houses in India don't allow NRIs from US and Canada because of the cumbersome compliance requirements under FATCA or Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. "When FATCA came into place, fund houses stopped taking investments from the USA and Canada because of the complexity associated with the compliance. Later on when the fund houses consulted each other and experts, some of them considered taking investments from USA and Canada based investors. The number is increasing now," says Rajeev Thakkar, PPFAS Mutual Fund.

Under FATCA, it is compulsory for all financial institutions to share the details of transactions involving US citizens, including NRIs with the US Government. FATCA ensures that there is no deliberate tax evasion by US citizens on income generated overseas. India signed the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with the USA on July 9, 2015, for improving International Tax Compliance and implementing FATCA. The documentation is standard for all investors, whether they are NRIs or RIs. The KYC, Additional KYC and FATCA details are mandatory for all the mutual fund investors.

Some of these fund houses have certain conditions on which they allow investors based in USA and Canada to put money in their schemes. For example, ICICI Prudential AMC, Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund and SBI Mutual Fund allow investments only through offline transaction with additional declaration signed by the client. Similarly, L&T Mutual Fund doesn't allow US and Canada based clients to invest in close-ended funds.

NRIs are allowed to invest in mutual funds in India on a repatriable or non-repatriable basis subject to regulations prescribed under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). For general NRIs (not from USA and Canada) the process of investing in Indian mutual funds is as simple as it is for the Indian investors. They just need to comply by certain norms set by the country they are based in.

If an investor has investments in India and moves to USA or Canada as an NRI, the investments can be stopped by the AMC. "When the investor moves to either USA or Canada, the fund house will stop taking further investments if the particular fund house doesn't allow investments from USA and Canada. If the fund house accepts such investments, then you just have to update the needed documents," says Sneha Kalsekar, Financial Planner, My Financial Advisor.

List of fund houses that accept investments from NRIs based in US and Canada

1. Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund
2. SBI Mutual Fund
3. UTI Mutual Fund
4. ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund
5. DHFL Pramerica Mutual Fund
6. L&T Mutual Fund
7. PPFAS Mutual Fund
8. Sundaram Mutual Fund

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