Zerodha, India’s largest stockbroker by revenue, is gearing up to allow its users to invest directly in US-listed stocks by early 2026, according to co-founder and CEO Nithin Kamath.
During an Ask Me Anything session with the company’s leadership, Kamath said, “A lot of people have been asking about US investing. We’re working on it, and we should have something ready by the next quarter.”
Expanding on the development, Kailash Nadh, Zerodha’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), added that the feature has been a “long-pending project” and that the company now has regulatory clarity through GIFT City to proceed. “We’re focused on building a simple and seamless experience for users, both on the backend and frontend,” Nadh said. Initially, the option will cover only US stocks.
This isn’t Zerodha’s first attempt to bring global investing to Indian users. The brokerage had announced similar plans back in 2020, but the initiative was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remittance-related regulatory hurdles. The GIFT City framework has now streamlined these processes, enabling faster and more compliant cross-border transactions.
Located in Gujarat, GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) is India’s first special economic zone for global financial services, regulated by the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA). It facilitates international investments through platforms like India INX Global Access (a BSE subsidiary) and NSE-IX.
Several other brokers, including INDmoney, Motilal Oswal, Axis Direct, and HDFC Securities, already offer access to US equities via similar routes.
The move comes amid a challenging phase for Zerodha, which reported a 40% year-on-year decline in broking revenue during Q1 FY26.
Commenting on the company’s outlook, Kamath said, “Regulatory changes — including higher STT on futures and options, stricter F&O norms, ASBA for trading, and an increase in BSDA limits — will significantly impact our revenues and profitability. The time has come for the business to pivot.”
