Kotak Securities Launches Global Investment Platform for Indian & NRI Investors

Kotak Securities on December 9 announced the launch of a global investment platform for its Indian and NRI customers.

The brokerage firm said it has teamed up with Nasdaq-listed Interactive Brokers Group (IBKR) to offer its Indian and NRI customers a platform to invest directly in US equity markets.

"Kotak Securities is providing a completely digital and seamless experience from onboarding to trading. Investing in US equity markets, now, will be at the click of a button. Clients can use the KSL web-based platform as well as the mobile app for investing," the brokerage firm said in a statement.

The client onboarding on the platform is a do-it-yourself (DIY) process wherein the client will have to fill up personal information and regulatory details online, the brokerage said.

The process has three main steps - (1) the client comes on to the brokerage platform, (2) selects the stock to buy or sell, and (3) gets confirmation on the executed trade.

Clients can open the account digitally and choose the subscription plan depending on their trading preferences. The shares bought by clients are held by Interactive Brokers, which is a global custodian in multiple jurisdictions, Kotak Securities said.

The MD & CEO of the firm, Jaideep Hansraj, underscored that from this platform, Indian and NRI clients can now invest in growth stories of US-listed large-scale technology and biotech companies.

"With no minimum ticket size for buying and selling of shares, including buying of fractional equity shares in the US markets, gives an opportunity to retail investors to build a portfolio of global companies," Hansraj said.

"Diversification plays a crucial role in mitigating risk, and investing in US markets will help investors mitigate country risk as well as help them take advantage of market cycles in different economies."