Why 10–30% global allocation makes sense for Indian portfolios in 2026: Niteen D of Anand Rathi IFSC

As Indian equity markets continue to hit record highs, a growing section of investors is looking beyond domestic boundaries to build more resilient and future-ready portfolios . Global investing, once a niche strategy, is steadily gaining traction as awareness improves, access becomes easier, and investors seek exposure to global themes such as AI, technology , and ESG , while also hedging against currency depreciation. In this interview with Kshitij Anand of ETMarkets, Niteen D, Director & CEO, Anand Rathi International Ventures (IFSC), explains why allocating 10-30% of a portfolio to global assets in 2026 can enhance diversification, manage risk, and unlock long-term opportunities for Indian investors , even as the India growth story remains intact. Edited Excerpts - Global ETFs are exchange traded funds that track popular global indices and fund specific risk of underperformance is not high. Q) Thanks for taking the time out. Global investing has become popular in the past few years, especially in India. What does data suggest? The growth is seen in the number of investors opting for global diversification. A) India's global diversification is not more than 2-3% which is very less compared to other developed markets but this is changing and yes, you are right, global investing has become popular in the past few years and we are witnessing a trend for global diversification. This change has happened because of three reasons - a) awareness about global markets which is increasing, b) availability of platforms that provides investments in global markets, and c) a mindset change has happened amongst Indian investors to diversify some investments globally. Investors are ready to try out investing in global stocks and new themes like AI, semiconductor and ESG are attracting investors too. It should be noted that India's global diversification is not more than 2-3 % which is very less compared to other developed markets. Indian investors are using the LRS route through which they remit funds outside India for Global Investment and trading. The present limit under LRS is $250000. The inclination towards investing or diversifying into Global Markets is evident from the recent LRS data released by RBI which shows that between January to September 2025, overseas investments in global stocks and debt instruments through LRS rose over 50% and crossed $ 1.7 billion mark so far in 2025. This shows that there is increased financial awareness and eagerness for overseas assets. The number of investors investing in global markets has also increased. Many new players with seamless user-friendly platforms are providing access to these markets. The GIFT City based global MFs, USD denominated AIFs and PMS products are also garnering interest from Indian investors. Pocket friendly low ticket size products like fractional investments and global MFs with minimum investment as $5000 are also encouraging investors to look out for global investment options. Q) As we step in 2026 - are you seeing a noticeable rise in outbound investments queries from your clients despite domestic markets hitting record highs? A) Indian Investors are bullish on...

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