Best Brokers for NRI Trading Services
Who is NRI and POI?
Non-Resident Indian (NRI) An Indian Citizen who stays abroad for employment/carrying on business or vocation outside India or stays abroad under circumstances indicating an intention for an uncertain duration of stay abroad is a non-resident.
As per Income Tax act to qualify to become NRI the person should stay out for >180days in a financial year or 365 days spread out over four consecutive years AND at least 60 days in that year.
A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) means a foreign citizen (except a national of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and/or Nepal), who:
- at any time held an Indian passport OR
- or either of their parents/ grandparents/ great-grandparents were born and permanently resident in India as defined in Government of India Act, 1935 and other territories that became part of India thereafter provided neither was at any time a citizen of any of the aforesaid countries (as referred above). OR
- is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO
NRI's and PIO's can invest in equity shares, debt funds, mutual funds and IPO's in India. NRIs can also trade in Equity F&O at the exchanges like BSE, NSE and MCX. NRI's are permitted by RBI to invest and trade in the India Stock Market through the PIS route and CP route.
To trade in stock market in India, NRI investor has to open 3 different accounts and link them together.
The NRI Equity Trading account includes:
- A Bank Account, also known as NRI Account is to keep the money for trading. This account is opened with a bank. NRI needs approval by the RBI for open this account though the PIS route. Banks whom which you are opening the account usually takes care of it. Once you get the necessary approvals through the bank, you will be given the PIS (Portfolio Investment Scheme) Letter. This PIS letter is required to open the trading and demat account.
- A Demat Account to hold shares. This account is opened with Depository Participant (DP).
- A Trading Account,an account with the share broker which enables the NRI investor to execute the trade in the stock exchanges.
- A Custody Account,if NRI is planning to trade in Equity Derivatives (F&O) segment. This account is to manage the settlements of all security transactions undertaken by the clients. This has to open with Custodial Participant i.e. IL&FS.
Here we come with "Best brokers for NRI Trading in India:

Zerodha started offering NRI Services @ Rs 200 per executable order for Equity and F&O.Zerodha NRI account. As of now they are only servicing clients having PIS account with Axis or HDFC bank. Accounts in other banks will be served shortly. Intraday equity trading, currency trading and Commodity trading is not allowed for NRI's.>

ProStocks NRI Investment Services include trading in equities, futures, and options on NSE and BSE at the cheapest brokerage of Rs 100 per executed order.
ProStocks NRI Account features include.
- Trading and Demat Account Opening charges: Free
- AMC for Trading Account : Nil (Zero)
- Demat account AMC : Free with Rs 1000 refundable one time deposit.
- Brokerage Charges: Rs 100 per trade (all segments).
- Online EKYC, fill your form online.

Sharekhan offers NRI Investment Services to trade online on NSE, BSE,trade in mutual Funds on any of the trading platforms Sharekhan offered.:
FOR HDFC BANK(IN RS.) | FOR AXIS/INDUSIND/IDBI BANK(IN RS.) | |
---|---|---|
Account Service Charge (Normal KYC) | 2000 | 1000 |
Account Service Charge (For downloaded & Printed KYCs) | 3000 | 2000 |
BROKERAGE:
- Equity Transactions: 0.50%
- Futures: 0.1% on first leg and 0.02% on second leg if squared off on the same day or 0.1% if square off on any other day.
- Options: Rs.250 per contract note.

ICICI offers a 3-in-1 account for NRI's to invest in India. This includes the seamlessly integrated Bank Account, Demat Account and Share Broking Account. This online account allows you to invest in Stocks, Mutual Funds, IPOs, Bonds, EFTs and trade in equity derivatives (futures and options) in India Stock Market.
strong>ICICI NRI Account Charges:
- ICICI NRI 3-in-1 Account Opening Charges: Rs 4000
- ICICI NRI 3-in-1 Account Annual Maintenance Charges: Rs 1000 per year
ICICI NRI Brokerage Charges:
Segment | Brokerage Charges |
---|---|
Equity Delivery | 1.25% to 0.50% |
Equity Future | 0.05% to 0.03% |
Equity Options | Rs 95 to Rs 75 |

Kotak securities offers NRI 3-in-1 Account (known as Trinity Account), a combination of Bank, Demat and Trading Account to provide you a seamless platform to trade and invest in India Stock Market.
Kotak Securities NRI Account Charges:
- Kotak Securities NRI 3-in-1 Account opening charges: Rs 3750
- Kotak Securities NRI 3-in-1 Account annual maintenance Charges: Rs 1000 per year
- Kotak Securities NRI Demat Accounts maintenance Charges : Rs. 75 per month
Kotak Securities NRI Brokerage Charges:
- 1% of the turnover or 10 Paise per share, whichever is higher
- Zerodha
- ProStocks
- Sharekhan
- ICICI Direct
- Kotak Securities
(Comparison of all 5 to be shown)
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Zerodha |
ProStocks |
Sharekhan |
ICICI Direct |
Kotak Securities |
Zerodha | ProStocks | Sharekhan | ICICI Direct | Kotak Securities |
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About The Brokers |
Zerodha : |
ProStocks : |
Sharekhan : |
ICICI Direct : |
Kotak Securities : |
Find More Information about the Broker : |
Zerodha :OVERVIEW BROKERAGE PRODUCTS & SERVICES TRADING PLATFORM & TOOLS RATING |
ProStocks :OVERVIEW BROKERAGE PRODUCTS & SERVICES TRADING PLATFORM & TOOLS RATING |
Sharekhan :OVERVIEW BROKERAGE PRODUCTS & SERVICES TRADING PLATFORM & TOOLS RATING |
ICICI Direct :OVERVIEW BROKERAGE PRODUCTS & SERVICES TRADING PLATFORM & TOOLS RATING |
Kotak Securities :OVERVIEW BROKERAGE PRODUCTS & SERVICES TRADING PLATFORM & TOOLS RATING |
Type of Broker |
Zerodha : |
ProStocks : |
Sharekhan : |
ICICI Direct : |
Kotak Securities : |
Promo/offers |
Zerodha :Special Offer: Invest brokerage-free Equity Delivery and Direct Mutual Funds (truly no brokerage). Pay flat Rs 20 per trade for Intra-day and F&O. Open Instant Account online with Zerodha and start trading today.
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ProStocks :Special Offer: Pay Rs 899 per month for unlimited trading or flat Rs 15 per Trade + Brokerage-Free Equity Delivery + Lifetime Free AMC Demat Account. Open FREE Instant Demat Account and start trading today.
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Sharekhan :Special Offer: Rs 0 Account Opening Charges + FREE Stock Tips & Research + 1 Year Free Access to TradeTiger Trading Terminal Request a Callback.
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ICICI Direct :Special Offer: ICICIdirect Neo Plan - Flat Rs 20 per trade brokerage (Intraday and F&O) + Free Account Opening + Get funds in 5 minutes from sell orders + Free trading tips. Open Instant Account Now
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Kotak Securities :
N/A
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Advantage |
Zerodha :
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ProStocks :
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Sharekhan :
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ICICI Direct :
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Kotak Securities :
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Disadvantage |
Zerodha :
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ProStocks :
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Sharekhan :
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ICICI Direct :
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Kotak Securities :
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Why This |
Zerodha :
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ProStocks :
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Sharekhan :
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ICICI Direct :
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Kotak Securities :
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Open Account | Open Account | Open Account | Open Account |
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Account Opening & AMC Charges
Zerodha Trading Account Opening Fee is Rs 200 and ProStocks Trading Account Opening Fee is Rs 0 and Sharekhan Trading Account Opening Fee is Rs 0 (Free) and ICICI Direct Trading Account Opening Fee is Rs 0 (Free) and Kotak Securities Trading Account Opening Fee is Rs 0 (Free) . Zerodha Demat Account AMC is Rs 300 and ProStocks Demat Account AMC is Rs 0 (Lifetime Zero AMC) and Sharekhan Demat Account AMC is Rs 400 (Free for 1st year) and ICICI Direct Demat Account AMC is Rs 300 (from 2nd year) and Kotak Securities Demat Account AMC is Rs 600 .
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Brokerage Charges
Zerodha Brokerage Charges Equity Delivery is Rs 0 (Free) and Equity Intraday is Rs 20 per executed order or .03% whichever is lower and Equity Options is Rs 20 per executed order . ProStocks Brokerage Charges Equity Delivery is Rs 0 (Free) and Equity Intraday is Rs 15 per executed order and Equity Options is Rs 15 per executed order . Sharekhan Brokerage Charges Equity Delivery is 0.50% and Equity Intraday is 0.10% and Equity Options is Rs 50 per lot . ICICI Direct Brokerage Charges Equity Delivery is 0.55% and Equity Intraday is 0.275% and Equity Options is Rs 95 per lot . Kotak Securities Brokerage Charges Equity Delivery is 0.25% or Rs 20 whichever is higher and Equity Intraday is Free and Equity Options is Delivery: Rs 20 per trade | Intraday: Free .
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Exchange Transaction Charges
Zerodha Exchange Transaction Charges Equity Future is NSE Rs 200 per Cr (0.002%) and Equity Options is NSE Rs 5300 per Cr (0.053%) (on premium) . ProStocks Exchange Transaction Charges Equity Future is NSE Rs 200 per Cr (0.002%) | BSE Rs 50 per Cr (0.0005%) and Equity Options is NSE Rs 5300 per Cr (0.053%) | NSE Rs 2500 per Cr (0.025%) (on premium) . Sharekhan Exchange Transaction Charges Equity Future is NSE Rs 190 per Cr (0.0019%) | BSE Rs 50 per Cr (0.00035) (each side) and Equity Options is NSE Rs 5000 per Cr (0.05%) | BSE Rs 50 per Cr (0.0005%) (on premium) . ICICI Direct Exchange Transaction Charges Equity Future is Rs 180 per Cr (0.0018%) and Equity Options is Rs 5000 per Cr (0.05%) (on premium) . Kotak Securities Exchange Transaction Charges Equity Future is NSE: 0.0019% and Equity Options is NSE: 0.05% on Premium .
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Other Charges
Zerodha Minimum Brokerage is 0.03% in Intraday and F&O and Call & Trade is Rs 50 per executed order . ProStocks Minimum Brokerage is Rs 0 and Call & Trade is Rs 0 (Free) . Sharekhan Minimum Brokerage is Intraday: 5 paisa per share | Delivery: 10 paisa per share | Future Rs 0.001 per share and Call & Trade is Rs 20 . ICICI Direct Minimum Brokerage is Rs 35 per trade (I-Secure Plan) and Call & Trade is Rs 50 per trade . Kotak Securities Minimum Brokerage is Rs 21 per executed order and Call & Trade is Rs 50 per call .
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Features
Zerodha and ProStocks and Sharekhan and ICICI Direct and Kotak Securities all offer a host of features, trading tools & platforms to their clients. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:
Zerodha | ProStocks | Sharekhan | ICICI Direct | Kotak Securities | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trading Platform |
Trading Platform
:
Kite Web, Kite Mobile for Android/iOS and Coin |
Trading Platform
:
ProStocks Star Mobile, ProStocks Star Web, ProStocks Star API |
Trading Platform
:
TradeTiger, Sharekhan Mobile |
Trading Platform
:
ICICIdirect.com (website), Trade Racer, ICICIDirect Mobile App |
Trading Platform
:
Website, KEAT ProX Trading Terminal, Kotak Stock Trader (Mobile App), Fastlane, Xtralite |
Placing orders through charts |
Placing orders through charts
:
Yes |
Placing orders through charts
:
Yes |
Placing orders through charts
:
Yes |
Placing orders through charts : - |
Placing orders through charts
:
No |
Trading Alerts |
Trading Alerts
:
Yes |
Trading Alerts
:
Yes |
Trading Alerts
:
Yes |
Trading Alerts : - |
Trading Alerts
:
Yes |
Research and Advice / Trading Tips |
Research and Advice / Trading Tips
:
No |
Research and Advice / Trading Tips
:
NA |
Research and Advice / Trading Tips
:
Yes |
Research and Advice / Trading Tips : - |
Research and Advice / Trading Tips
:
Yes |
Detailed Education Initiatives |
Detailed Education Initiatives
:
Yes |
Detailed Education Initiatives
:
No |
Detailed Education Initiatives
:
Yes |
Detailed Education Initiatives : - |
Detailed Education Initiatives
:
Yes |
Unique features & Offers | Unique features & Offers : - | Unique features & Offers : - | Unique features & Offers : - |
Unique features & Offers
:
|
Unique features & Offers
:
|
Referral Program |
Referral Program
:
1 |
Referral Program
:
1 |
Referral Program : - | Referral Program : - | Referral Program : - |
Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash) * |
Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash)
:
Yes |
Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash)
:
No |
Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash)
:
Yes |
Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash)
:
Yes |
Margin Against Shares (Equity Cash)
:
Yes |
Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O) * |
Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O)
:
Yes |
Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O)
:
No |
Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O)
:
Yes |
Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O)
:
Yes |
Margin Against Shares (Equity F&O)
:
No |
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Demat Account Charges
A comparative table of various demat account charges between Zerodha and ProStocks and Sharekhan and ICICI Direct and Kotak Securities is below:
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Basic Details
Zerodha Year of Incorporation is 2010 and Total Number of Clients is 6604055 and Total Number of Branches is 22 . ProStocks Year of Incorporation is 2016 and Total Number of Clients is 5646 and Total Number of Branches is 1 . Sharekhan Year of Incorporation is 2000 and Total Number of Clients is 761841 and Total Number of Branches is 2800 . ICICI Direct Year of Incorporation is 2000 and Total Number of Clients is 2798455 and Total Number of Branches is 154 . Kotak Securities Year of Incorporation is 1994 and Total Number of Clients is 1088641 and Total Number of Branches is 153 .
Zerodha | ProStocks | Sharekhan | ICICI Direct | Kotak Securities | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year of Incorporation |
Year of Incorporation
:
2010 |
Year of Incorporation
:
2016 |
Year of Incorporation
:
2000 |
Year of Incorporation
:
2000 |
Year of Incorporation
:
1994 |
Active Exchange Memberships |
Active Exchange Memberships
:
NSE, BSE, MCX and NCDEX |
Active Exchange Memberships
:
BSE, NSE |
Active Exchange Memberships
:
NSE, BSE, MCX, NCDEX |
Active Exchange Memberships : - |
Active Exchange Memberships
:
NSE, BSE,MCX |
Demat Services |
Demat Services
:
No |
Demat Services
:
No |
Demat Services
:
Yes |
Demat Services
:
Yes |
Demat Services
:
Yes |
Website | Website : https://zerodha.com | Website : www.prostocks.com | Website : http://www.sharekhan.com | Website : - | Website : http://www.kotaksecurities.com |
Contact Details |
Contact Details
:
080-40402020 |
Contact Details
:
+91 22 62 43 43 43 |
Contact Details
:
022-61150000 |
Contact Details : - |
Contact Details
:
1800222299 |
Total Number of Clients |
Total Number of Clients
:
6,604,055 |
Total Number of Clients
:
5,646 |
Total Number of Clients
:
761,841 |
Total Number of Clients
:
2,798,455 |
Total Number of Clients
:
1,088,641 |
Total Number of Branches |
Total Number of Branches
:
22 |
Total Number of Branches
:
1 |
Total Number of Branches
:
2800 |
Total Number of Branches
:
154 |
Total Number of Branches
:
153 |
Products * |
Products
:
Kite Web, Kite Mobile for Android/iOS and Coin |
Products
:
ProStocks Mobile,Web & Desktop. BSE Best |
Products
:
Investment banking, institutional broking |
Products : - |
Products
:
Investment banking, Institutional broking, retail broking, private wealth management, and financial product distribution |
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Orders
Orders
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Research and Advice / Trading Tips
Research and Advice / Trading Tips
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Franchisee / Authorized Person related information
Franchisee / Authorized Person related information
Zerodha | ProStocks | Sharekhan | ICICI Direct | Kotak Securities | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Availability for franchisee / AP |
Availability for franchisee / AP
:
Yes |
Availability for franchisee / AP
:
NA |
Availability for franchisee / AP
:
Yes |
Availability for franchisee / AP : - |
Availability for franchisee / AP
:
Yes |
Investment required for Franchisee / AP |
Investment required for Franchisee / AP
:
Rs.11,000 |
Investment required for Franchisee / AP
:
NA |
Investment required for Franchisee / AP
:
Rs.50,000 |
Investment required for Franchisee / AP : - |
Investment required for Franchisee / AP
:
Minimum deposit of Rs 3 lakh (negotiable) |
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Product & Services
Zerodha and ProStocks and Sharekhan and ICICI Direct and Kotak Securities all offer a host of Products & Services for a better trading experience for their clients. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Customer Services
Zerodha and ProStocks and Sharekhan and ICICI Direct and Kotak Securities all offer a host of Customer service options to their clients to quickly solve their queries or grievances if any. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Other Investement
Zerodha and ProStocks and Sharekhan and ICICI Direct and Kotak Securities all offer a lot of investment avenues apart from Stock trading on their platforms to their clients to make a better trading experience. Their comparative analysis is in the below table:
Zerodha vs ProStocks vs Sharekhan vs ICICI Direct vs Kotak Securities Trading Platform
Zerodha and ProStocks and Sharekhan and ICICI Direct and Kotak Securities all offer a host of Trading Platform for a better trading experience for their clients. Their comparative analysis is in the below table: