NRI and HNI Wealth Management

The Commission-Driven Model

Currently, the majority of India's private wealth management industry continues to operate on a distribution-led model, which is largely product-centric and commission-driven. This structure often leads to misaligned interests between wealth managers and their clients, where advisors are incentivized to sell specific products that generate higher commissions rather than recommend what is best for the client.

The cost of this misalignment extends beyond the explicit fees you pay. When advisors are compensated based on product sales, they may recommend products that are not optimal for your situation but generate higher commissions. This can result in lower investment returns, inappropriate risk exposure, and missed opportunities for tax optimization and wealth structuring. The product-centric approach also tends to favor complex, high-fee products that may not align with the client's long-term objectives.

The Fee-Based Alternative

The fee-based advisory model represents a fundamental shift from commission-driven distribution. As Economic Times reports, the Securities and Exchange Board of India introduced the Registered Investment Advisor framework in 2013 to promote client-first practices. A fee-based advisor operates exclusively on client fees, eliminating commission conflicts and ensuring recommendations align purely with client wealth accumulation goals.

This alignment of interest is particularly critical for HNIs with complex financial situations requiring unbiased, holistic advice. The fee-based model also encourages advisors to focus on long-term relationship building rather than short-term product sales, fostering deeper client-advisor partnerships. When your advisor's compensation is not tied to product sales, you can trust that their recommendations are based solely on what is best for your financial situation.

The Rise of Technology-Enabled Advisory

Modern wealth management platforms leverage automation and digital infrastructure to deliver fee-based advisory at scale. An affordable wealth management platform for HNI tax planning combines technology-driven efficiency with specialized tax expertise to reduce costs by 40-60% compared to traditional advisors, providing real-time portfolio monitoring and automated compliance tracking.

The combination of AI-powered analytics and human expertise creates a powerful advisory engine that delivers institutional-quality service at accessible price points. Technology handles the continuous monitoring and optimization, while specialized advisors provide judgment for complex scenarios. This hybrid model is particularly effective for HNIs, whose financial situations often involve edge cases that pure algorithms cannot handle.

The Fiduciary Standard

Fee-based advisors typically operate under a fiduciary standard, meaning they are legally obligated to act in their clients' best interests. This is a higher standard than the suitability standard that applies to commission-based advisors, who are only required to recommend products that are suitable for the client—not necessarily the best option available. The fiduciary standard provides additional protection for HNIs seeking unbiased advice.

Making the Right Choice

The AI Advantage in Portfolio Management

Modern NRI retirement planning platforms leverage artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to provide sophisticated portfolio management that was once available only to ultra-high-net-worth individuals. AI-powered wealth management platforms can improve portfolio returns by 1.5-3% annually through better asset allocation and behavioral coaching. This technology-driven efficiency reduces costs by 40-60% compared to traditional advisors while providing superior service quality.

Digital platforms provide comprehensive portfolio monitoring with daily performance updates and instant access to detailed analytics that traditional advisors often charge extra fees to provide. Automated rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting services, typically costing 0.25-0.50% extra with traditional advisors, are included as standard features on many specialized platforms.

The 555 Retirement Strategy

The 555 Retirement Strategy demonstrates how systematic investing with technology support can build a substantial retirement corpus – starting with ₹10,000 monthly SIP at age 25, increasing 5% annually, targeting ₹5 crore by age 55 with 12% annual returns. This approach leverages the power of compounding and rupee cost averaging, which are particularly effective for long-term retirement planning. AI-powered platforms can model different scenarios and help investors determine the optimal contribution levels to meet their retirement goals.

Account Aggregation Across Borders

For NRIs managing assets across multiple countries, technology platforms provide unified visibility that is otherwise impossible to achieve. A centralized financial planning app helps NRIs monitor goals, align savings strategies, and adapt plans as life and markets change without relying on manual calculations or fragmented tools. Over 50,000 NRIs now track financial goals with such platforms.

The ability to connect accounts across borders is a game-changer. Platforms allow users to link their 401(k), IRA, EPF, NPS, and savings accounts from different countries in just minutes. This provides a unified view of NRI financial planning with no manual data entry needed. Users can define retirement targets, emergency funds, home down payment, and other goals, with the platform automatically analyzing income, expenses, investments, and savings across both countries.

Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts

Daily automatic pulls of balances show if you're on track across all goals. This instant visibility helps identify gaps in savings, spot underperforming investments, and see if financial goals are aligned. Smart alerts notify users when they're behind schedule or when market changes require adjustments. A comprehensive end-to-end NRI retirement planning platform provides all these capabilities in an integrated solution.

The Hybrid Model

The combination of AI-powered analytics and human expertise creates a powerful retirement planning engine. Technology handles the continuous monitoring and optimization, while specialized advisors provide judgment for complex scenarios. This hybrid model is particularly effective for NRIs, whose financial situations often involve edge cases that pure algorithms cannot handle.

Understanding the difference between fee‑only, fee‑based, and commission‑based advisory models is essential for HNIs seeking transparent wealth management. Each model has distinct implications for cost, conflicts of interest, and service quality, making it critical for investors to understand what they are signing up for.

Commission‑based models are the traditional approach in India's wealth management industry. Currently, the majority of India's private wealth management industry continues to operate on a distribution‑led model, which is largely product‑centric and commission‑driven. This structure often leads to misaligned interests between wealth managers and their clients, where advisors are incentivised to sell specific products that generate higher commissions rather than recommend what is best for the client.

The fee‑based RIA model represents a fundamental shift from commission‑driven distribution. India's Securities and Exchange Board introduced the RIA framework in 2013 to promote client‑first practices, yet only 1,300 SEBI‑registered RIAs exist nationwide. A fee‑based advisor operates exclusively on client fees, eliminating commission conflicts and ensuring recommendations align purely with client wealth accumulation goals. This alignment is essential for trustworthy long‑term relationships.

The new generation of wealth creators—from entrepreneurs to inheritors to family business scions—expect their wealth managers to act as trusted partners who can not only provide unbiased investment advice but also help them navigate the unique challenges and opportunities in their lives that impact their financial journey. As Economic Times reports, this demands a level of trust and alignment that commission‑based models simply cannot provide.

The fee‑only model, which has gained significant traction globally, takes this a step further. Creative Planning, which topped CNBC's list of Top 100 Fee‑Only Wealth Management Firms, operates exclusively on client fees with no commissions whatsoever, ensuring complete alignment of interests between advisor and client. This model has been widely adopted in the United States and is increasingly being recognised as the gold standard for client-centric wealth management.

In India, a new wave of affordable wealth advisory platforms have adopted fee‑based or fee‑only structures, combining AI‑powered portfolio optimisation with personalised strategies. These platforms typically offer transparent all‑inclusive pricing under 1% with no minimum portfolio barriers, making unbiased advice accessible to a broader range of HNIs.

For NRIs with substantial Indian income, the rules are even stricter. If your Indian income exceeds ₹15 lakh, the RNOR threshold is reduced to 120 days instead of the standard 182 days. This is a critical provision that many high-income NRIs overlook.

Under the Income-tax Act, 2025, if your Indian income exceeds ₹15 lakh and you stay in India for 120 to 181 days in a financial year, you are classified as RNOR. Only your Indian income is taxable; foreign income remains largely exempt. However, if you exceed 182 days, you become a full Resident and Ordinarily Resident (ROR), and your global income becomes taxable in India.

This 120-day rule is particularly relevant for NRIs who have significant Indian income from rent, dividends, interest, or business profits. For these individuals, the window to maintain RNOR status is even narrower. Official guidance from the Income Tax Department provides detailed information on how the 120-day rule applies and what income is considered for the threshold.

The modern NRI portfolio looks nothing like it did a decade ago. Today's globally mobile investor holds real estate across countries, cryptocurrency on multiple exchanges, stocks in various markets, and alternative investments like private equity and luxury assets. Tracking this diverse portfolio requires a platform that can handle it all.

Diversification across asset classes and geographies is a cornerstone of modern wealth management, but diversification creates a tracking challenge: how do you monitor performance, calculate returns, and manage risk across fundamentally different asset types in different countries and currencies? The answer lies in platforms that support comprehensive asset aggregation. A comprehensive cross-border wealth tracking platform integrates banking infrastructure, investment tracking, real estate portfolios, and tax optimization across 95+ countries simultaneously.

Modern platforms support an unprecedented range of asset classes including real estate across countries, cryptocurrency and digital assets, stocks and ETFs across global markets, alternative investments like private equity and venture capital, luxury assets such as art and collectibles, retirement accounts like 401(k) and international pension plans, and loans and liabilities including mortgages and personal debt. Exirio's portfolio tracker enables users to add anything they have invested their money in anywhere in the world, supporting all these asset classes and more.

Tracking diverse assets in one place provides several key benefits. You gain complete net worth visibility across all asset classes and countries in real-time. You can calculate true portfolio returns accounting for all holdings, not just the ones you track regularly. You understand your concentration risk across asset classes, geographies, and currencies. You can track cost basis and gains across all assets for accurate tax reporting. And you can make better investment decisions with complete portfolio visibility.

The biggest challenge in tracking diverse assets is integration. Each asset class has different data sources, valuation methods, and reporting requirements. A robust platform must connect with banks and financial institutions for cash and traditional investments, real estate databases and valuation tools for property tracking, cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets for digital assets, alternative investment platforms for private assets, and retirement account providers for pension tracking.

For Non-Resident Indians living in the United Kingdom, the India-UK Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement offers significant benefits—but also presents unique challenges, especially with the UK's abolition of the Non-Dom status in 2026.

Understanding the India-UK DTAA

The India-UK DTAA determines which country has the right to tax specific types of income, how much tax can be charged, and how tax paid in one country is credited against tax liability in the other. The treaty covers various income types, including dividends, interest, royalties, and capital gains.

Key Provisions

Dividends: India applies 15% TDS on dividends paid to UK residents, with the UK taxing the remainder after credit. The treaty rate for portfolio dividends is 10% when a valid Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) is on file.

Interest: Interest is taxed at 15% under the DTAA, reduced from the standard 20% TDS rate.

Royalties and Fees for Technical Services: These are taxed at 10%/15% under the treaty, significantly lower than the standard withholding rates.

Capital Gains: The UK taxes worldwide capital gains, while India taxes Indian-source gains. The UK provides credit for Indian tax paid on gains from Indian assets.

Tax Sparing Relief: A Unique Benefit

A special provision exists within the UK-India DTAA known as Tax Sparing Relief. This allows UK resident investors to claim a notional tax credit to ensure a measure of relief and help preserve some of the tax incentive offered by Indian banks. The relief applies for a 10-year period after the exemption from Indian tax is first granted. This effectively means that even if India waives tax on certain income, the UK will still give you credit as if you had paid the tax.

The End of Non-Dom Status

The UK's abolition of the Non-Dom status in 2026 is a game-changer for many NRIs. Previously, individuals resident in the UK but domiciled elsewhere could avoid UK tax on foreign income and gains. Now, NRIs who have been in the UK for 4 years or more will be taxed on their worldwide income on an arising basis. This means Indian income—from rentals, dividends, or capital gains—will be taxed in the UK, making DTAA provisions more critical than ever.

How This Impacts Your Tax Planning

For NRIs in the UK, the new regime means:

All foreign income is subject to UK tax after 4 years of UK residency

Indian income must be declared and taxed in the UK

Foreign tax credits (FTC) from India can be claimed to avoid double taxation

A TRC from India may be required to claim treaty benefits

A comprehensive guide on managing cross-border tax obligations explains how to navigate these complex rules and avoid double taxation.

Practical Steps for 2026

Determine your UK residency status. If you've been in the UK for 4+ years, you are taxed on worldwide income.

Review your Indian income sources. Rent, dividends, capital gains—all need to be declared in the UK.

Claim foreign tax credits. Tax paid in India can be credited against UK tax liability.

Obtain a TRC from India to prove your residency status and claim treaty benefits.

Consider the timing of asset sales. Realizing capital gains before the 4-year mark can save UK tax.

A detailed video by Alok Dubey, CFP® explains exactly how to avoid the double tax trap when moving between India and the UK.

Common Mistakes

Assuming that Indian tax-exempt income is also tax-free in the UK

Forgetting to claim Foreign Tax Credits for Indian taxes paid

Not having a valid TRC to claim reduced withholding rates

Ignoring the 10-year Tax Sparing Relief window

Arta AI, a conversational AI platform for wealth management, has expanded globally and onboarded Bank of Singapore and Hong Leong Bank as clients. Bank of Singapore, with approximately $116 billion in assets under management, is deploying Arta AI to enhance its offering for external asset managers and family offices. This partnership signals a significant shift in how institutional wealth management is embracing AI.

The AI Sidekick Advantage

Arta AI processes portfolio data, market information, and investment research to respond to queries from financial advisors and their clients. The AI Sidekick functions as a digital agent that helps advisors aggregate customer data and automate routine analytical tasks and client advisory functions. This automation frees advisors to focus on higher-value activities, such as relationship management and complex financial planning.

What This Means for International Clients

Hong Leong Bank plans to use Arta AI to strengthen wealth management operations with personalized investment recommendations aligned to client risk profiles. The platform connects client portfolios, market pricing, and institutional databases to provide analysis, reporting, and risk modeling through Monte Carlo simulations. This represents a significant upgrade to the bank's wealth management capabilities.

Bank of Singapore's deployment of Arta AI is particularly noteworthy given the bank's focus on international clients. As a subsidiary of OCBC, Bank of Singapore serves wealthy individuals across Asia, including many NRIs. The AI Sidekick can help the bank's advisors better serve these clients by providing faster, more accurate insights.

The Institutional Approach

Arta AI's model is distinctly institutional. The platform serves banks and wealth management firms rather than individual investors directly. This approach has advantages—institutional clients can leverage the platform at scale—but it also means individual NRIs may not directly benefit unless they are clients of Arta AI's institutional partners.

The Gap for Individual NRIs

While Arta AI serves institutional clients and their advisors, individual NRIs seeking direct AI-powered advisory may find the platform inaccessible. The service is designed for wealth managers and financial institutions rather than direct-to-investor engagement. This creates a gap for NRIs who want AI-powered advisory but don't have relationships with the institutional clients Arta AI serves.

The Direct Advisory Alternative

The Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card offers many benefits, but inheritance rights are not among them. Understanding what the OCI card does and doesn't change is essential for estate planning.

OCI Status Does Not Change Core Rights

Holding an OCI card does not alter inheritance rights or tax liability. As experts told Business Standard: "An OCI card confers no change in inheritance rights… both OCI holders and foreign nationals are treated similarly."

However, OCI status may ease operational aspects such as banking and documentation. It can simplify the process of opening accounts, managing property, and dealing with government authorities, but the substantive inheritance rights remain unchanged.

The Will Requirement

A US-drafted will by an NRI is not automatically valid for Indian immovable property. This applies regardless of OCI status. Probate remains mandatory in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata courts, and is often required by banks and authorities elsewhere.

Tax Implications

India does not levy an inheritance tax. For future rental income or gains, India taxes first, and the residence country provides a foreign tax credit under applicable DTAA provisions. The same income is not taxed twice in substance.

Repatriation Rules

Repatriation of inherited assets is permitted under FEMA guidelines. Heirs can repatriate up to $1 million per financial year after paying applicable taxes and obtaining a chartered accountant certificate.

Not all sectors are created equal in 2026. As India transitions to a stock-pickers' market, some sectors are emerging as winners while others face significant headwinds. Understanding these dynamics is essential for NRI and HNI investors.

The Sectors That Are Winning

Brokerages have identified metals, pharmaceuticals and power as sectors seeing accumulation, according to Reuters. These sectors share common characteristics: strong domestic demand, limited foreign ownership, and business models that are less exposed to AI disruption.

Metals. Global supply chain shifts and infrastructure spending are driving demand for metals. Companies in this sector are benefiting from higher prices and stronger demand.

Pharmaceuticals. India's pharmaceutical sector has long been a global leader. In 2026, the sector is benefiting from increased healthcare spending and supply chain shifts.

Power. India's growing energy needs and the transition to renewable energy are driving investment in the power sector. Companies in this space are seeing strong demand and improving profitability.

The Sectors That Are Struggling

IT remains under pressure from AI disruption fears, according to Reuters. Indian IT stocks have tumbled 19% this year, pressured by a subdued earnings outlook and persistent foreign selling.

AI disruption is a real threat. The rise of AI is changing the economics of the IT services industry. Companies that provide traditional IT services are facing pressure on margins as AI automates routine tasks.

Valuations remain elevated. After years of strong performance, IT stocks are still expensive relative to their earnings outlook. This makes them vulnerable to further selling.

Earnings growth has slowed. The subdued earnings outlook for IT companies reflects broader challenges in the sector. Clients are cutting spending, and competition is intensifying.

What This Means for Investors

For NRIs and HNIs, sector rotation is a critical consideration. A 2026 NRI stock selection strategy needs to account for these sector dynamics.

Avoid a blanket approach. Owning the index means owning underperforming sectors. In a stock-pickers' market, investors need to be selective about sector exposure.

Look for earnings resilience. Sectors with strong earnings growth and limited AI exposure are likely to perform better. Metals, pharmaceuticals, and power all fit this description.

Manage concentration risk. While metals, pharmaceuticals, and power are performing well, investors should avoid overconcentration in any single sector. Diversification across resilient sectors is a prudent approach.

The Bigger Picture

Sector rotation isn't just about short-term performance. It reflects broader structural shifts in the Indian economy. The transition to renewable energy, the rise of AI, and global supply chain shifts are all creating winners and losers.

For long-term investors, understanding these structural shifts is essential. Some sectors may be facing secular headwinds, while others are positioned for sustained growth.

A Balanced Portfolio

The right approach isn't to abandon struggling sectors entirely. It's to be intentional about sector allocation. That means overweighting resilient sectors while maintaining selective exposure to sectors that may benefit from future tailwinds.

Dubai’s real estate market has really grabbed global attention, especially among NRIs hoping to branch out from their usual investments back home. The city’s got a mix of investor-friendly rules, tax perks, and booming infrastructure that makes it tough to ignore if you’re thinking about long-term property investment. However, one of the first big decisions investors face is whether to buy off-plan or ready property. Both have distinct advantages and risks, and the best choice depends on your investment horizon and risk appetite. According to a guide from a leading developer, off-plan properties offer lower entry costs and flexible payment plans, making them attractive for those seeking long-term capital gains . However, they come with execution and delivery risks, and delayed returns .

Ready properties, on the other hand, provide immediate rental income and greater clarity on returns, making them ideal for investors seeking immediate cash flow . The official data from the Dubai Land Department shows that the market is vibrant in both segments, with luxury real estate continuing to demonstrate strong appeal, seeing a 26% increase in investments to AED87.71 billion in Q1 2026 . This sustained demand for high-quality developments reinforces Dubai's position as a leading global destination . For NRIs, the decision is a balancing act. Off-plan can offer higher upside, but it's a bet on the future. Ready properties offer a tangible asset with immediate income but require a higher upfront investment. To learn more about how to evaluate developers and projects, you can check the official site of Emaar Properties and other leading developers for their project portfolios and delivery track records . For a structured approach to making this decision, the Dubai real estate strategy guide provides the necessary framework.

War changes the rules of investing faster than just about any other macro event. It can boost oil prices, depress currencies, stoke inflation expectations, skew supply chains and divide markets into winners and losers. The ongoing Middle East conflict has already pushed global supply-chain pressure to elevated levels, a Reuters report said. The IMF also warned that oil and conflict conditions could push the global economy to a weaker scenario if disruption continues. The war-led oil shock has also resulted in large foreign outflows and a weaker rupee in Indian markets, the same report said.

Reuters recently suggested war and the energy shock that comes with it may have killed the concept of a one-size-fits-all safe haven asset. Gold can go up or down on rates, dollar strength and shifting expectations of peace. Disruption can be good for oil, bad for the broader economy. Government bonds can help in some stages but not all. Investing in wartime is, therefore, about building a portfolio that can withstand a range of outcomes, rather than betting on one ideal haven. The IMF has warned that the global economy remains vulnerable to adverse spillovers.

The solution is not to panic and go all-in in one safe haven asset. The smarter strategy is to build a war time investment strategy around liquidity, currency awareness, shorter duration where appropriate, selective gold exposure and globally diversified assets. The war time investment strategy for NRIs and HNIs is built around this principle of diversified defense.

The UAE has imposed a VAT of 5% on Salik toll charges. The crossing now costs AED4.20 instead of AED4.00. A 20 fils increase, per crossing, but it adds up. According to Arabian Business, this change affects both individual commuters and fleet operators, though the impact is dramatically different.

UAE expense tracking tools that do not account for the new toll rate will produce inaccurate reports. Fleet management platforms that cannot calculate the cumulative impact of the increase will underestimate operating costs. Dubai regulatory solutions must now include updated toll calculations for businesses operating vehicle fleets.

Why this matters: For individual commuters, the impact is negligible – AED 0.20 per crossing, perhaps AED 10-20 per month. Most people will not change their behavior. For fleet owners, the impact is significant. For a fleet of 100 cars that cross 10 toll gates daily, the increase annually is more than AED 70,000. For large logistics companies with hundreds of vehicles, the impact runs into lakhs of dirham every year.

The impact on the individual commuter is small and no change in behaviour is necessary. Fleet operators should review their operating cost projections, look to optimise their routes to reduce toll crossings and pass the rise onto customers where they can. According to Reuters, logistics companies in the UAE are already reviewing their pricing models to account for the increase.

This change is a reminder that VAT applies to almost everything in the UAE, and tolls are no exception. Businesses that operate fleets should conduct a thorough review of all VAT-liable expenses to ensure they are accurately tracking and claiming input VAT where applicable.

India's move to exempt foreign investors from capital gains tax on government debt is more than a technical tax tweak. It is a signal. The government is clearly trying to make Indian sovereign debt more attractive to stable foreign capital at a time when the rupee is under pressure and oil-driven volatility has policymakers on edge. The exemption is for foreign institutional investors and the Bank for International Settlements and is through an ordinance effective April 1, 2026, a Reuters report on June 5, 2026 said. The RBI is also complementing this with other inflow measures, including support for non-resident deposits and debt-market incentives, the same report said.

A bond yield looks attractive only if the investor retains enough of it after tax. That is why this policy is so important. Foreign investors paid a 12.5 percent tax on capital gains from long-term holdings and a 20 percent withholding tax on interest from government bonds, the Reuters report said. That drag is now removed, and the economics of holding Indian sovereign paper changes. According to the Income Tax Department, Government of India, the exemption is effective from April 1, 2026, and eligible entities must submit required information to tax authorities.

Reuters reported that overseas investors sold more than $800 million of Indian shares in one recent session, and the rupee's slide has become a live trading issue again. A Reuters report on June 3, 2026 added that the central bank likely intervened to limit the rupee's fall, a direct response to sustained foreign selling pressure. This is not an isolated event; it is a pattern. Foreign investors have been pulling money out of Indian equities throughout 2026, and the pace has accelerated as oil prices have risen and the rupee has weakened. As foreign flows become more cautious, domestic markets sometimes look more volatile even if the underlying economy is still booming.

The message for Indian families everywhere is simple: the portfolio cannot count on benign capital flows indefinitely. Preservation of wealth now demands a better currency risk strategy, not a nice-to-have add-on. The RBI is largely likely to hold the repo rate steady at 5.25% in June 2026, but the market is already pricing a more hawkish course later in the year as oil prices, foreign outflows and currency weakening are all creating inflation pressure. This combination of factors is driving investors to reconsider their India allocations.

For NRIs, the implication is straightforward. A portfolio that is heavily concentrated in Indian equities is vulnerable to foreign selling pressure. When foreign investors sell, the market drops, and the rupee often weakens simultaneously. This is a double hit: your asset value declines, and the currency conversion erodes your returns further. The RBI's intervention to support the rupee is a defensive move, but it does not address the underlying structural issues. Many global Indian investors are now rethinking their exposure to Indian markets and looking for a more balanced approach, as outlined in the NRI wealth strategy focused on RBI, oil, and rupee risk .

Research shows that families with formal governance structures achieve 90% higher success rates in wealth preservation compared to those without systematic approaches. This is not a small difference; it is a decisive edge. The reason is simple: wealth transfer is not just about money; it is about people. Without clear roles, decision-making protocols, and communication channels, even the best investment plan can fail. Disagreements about how to invest, who manages what, and what the family's values are can derail a legacy. Research indicates that families with formal governance structures achieve 90% higher success rates in wealth preservation, which is why integrating structured decision-making frameworks with algorithmic portfolio management is essential.

An AI platform cannot draft your family governance charter, but it can support it. It can provide a secure digital vault for meeting minutes, decision logs, and policy documents. It can offer role-based access, so that adult children can see the portfolio performance relevant to their future inheritance without seeing sensitive legal documents. It can track the implementation of decisions made during family meetings. The platform's multi-generational wealth transfer capabilities include trust funding coordination, beneficiary designation updates across all accounts, Gift Deed analysis for lifetime transfers, and family settlement facilitation when multiple heirs require coordinated planning.

Reuters reported that foreign investors had pulled out approximately $20.6 billion from Indian equities in 2026, while bond inflows had cooled sharply as the Iran conflict and rupee weakness changed sentiment. India is also considering measures to mobilise dollar inflows to support the currency, the same report said. This is not a small number. It is a signal. Global capital is repricing risk, and India is not immune. For NRIs who have traditionally relied on Indian equities as their primary growth engine, this trend demands a serious reassessment.

The old comfort of relying on one geography, one currency, or one asset class is fast vanishing. When foreign investors flee, it puts pressure on the rupee, which in turn erodes the dollar-denominated returns of NRI portfolios. A portfolio that looks robust in rupee terms can quietly lose purchasing power when converted back to dollars, pounds, or dirhams. This is why currency-adjusted returns matter more than ever. The rupee has been under pressure, and with the Fed contemplating future rate hikes, the dollar could remain strong. India's external market environment has become more fragile, and foreign investors had pulled out about $20.6 billion from Indian equities in 2026, Reuters said, while bond inflows had slowed considerably as the Iran conflict and rupee weakness changed sentiment.

This does not mean NRIs should abandon India. It means that the India allocation should be calibrated with discipline, not nostalgia. For NRIs earning in foreign currencies, keeping a larger cash reserve allows them to wait for better entry points into Indian equities. It also makes sense to diversify across geographies and asset classes, reducing reliance on any single market narrative. Global diversification is no longer optional; it is a survival tactic. Many NRIs are now rethinking their exposure to Indian markets and looking for a more balanced approach, as outlined in the NRI wealth strategy focused on resilience and diversification , which provides a framework for navigating capital outflows and currency pressure. The $20.6 billion outflow is not just a headline; it is a signal to reassess concentration risk.

One of the biggest barriers to tokenised assets has been regulatory uncertainty. Investors were unsure whether tokenised securities would be treated like traditional securities, whether banks could hold them, and whether the legal framework would protect their ownership rights. That is changing. Reuters reported that U.S. regulators said banks will not face additional capital charges on tokenised securities, removing one of the biggest institutional barriers to wider adoption. The Financial Times also reported that Britain's financial regulator is supporting tokenised funds to attract younger investors, indicating that the conversation around tokenised funds is moving from concept to policy.

This matters because wealth products tend to scale as regulators normalise them. The road from niche innovation to mainstream adoption often includes rule changes, custody clarity and institutional acceptance. We are seeing those pieces come together. U.S. regulators will not impose further capital charges on tokenised securities, while the UK regulator is actively encouraging tokenised funds to appeal to a younger cohort of investors. That shows the conversation is moving into mainstream financial regulation. It is no longer a fringe topic discussed only at crypto conferences; it is being debated by central bankers and financial regulators.

For NRIs and HNIs, the question is not whether crypto is fashionable. The question is whether tokenisation can be a way to increase access, reduce friction and diversify portfolios in a compliant manner. In many cases the answer can be yes, but only if the structure is understood properly. A tokenised fund that is regulated in a major jurisdiction, with clear custody arrangements and transparent reporting, is very different from an unregulated token offering with no underlying assets and anonymous developers. The regulatory developments are important because they provide a framework for distinguishing between the two.

The developments in tokenised real-world assets and family office investing for 2026 are being driven by institutional adoption, not retail speculation. When U.S. regulators remove capital charges for banks holding tokenised securities, it signals that they view these assets as part of the legitimate financial system. When the UK regulator supports tokenised funds, it signals that they see value in the technology. For serious investors, this is the signal to pay attention, not to jump in blindly, but to start learning and positioning.