NYSE Arca · ETF
Invest in SPY ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
SPY at a glance
- Price
- $778.57+$4.64 (0.60%)
- Expense ratio
- 0.09%
- Day range
- $775.14 – $779.42
- Assets
- $817.2B
- Domicile
- the US
- Holdings
- 504
- Launched
- 1993
- Dividends
- Distributing
- 1 month
- +2.12%
- 6 months
- +14.51%
- YTD
- +13.33%
- 1 year
- +16.00%
- 5 years
- +77.81%
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1NVIDIA CORP8.3%
- 2APPLE INC7.4%
- 3MICROSOFT CORP5.8%
- 4AMAZON.COM INC3.7%
- 5ALPHABET INC CL A3.0%
- 6BROADCOM INC2.6%
- 7ALPHABET INC CL C2.4%
- 8META PLATFORMS INC CLASS A2.4%
- 9MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC1.7%
- 10TESLA INC1.6%
SPY holds 504 securities in total. These 10 are 39.0% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Sectors
- Technology38.7%
- Financial Services12.1%
- Communication Services9.5%
- Consumer Cyclical9.3%
- Healthcare9.3%
- Industrials7.8%
Countries
- United States97.7%
- Ireland1.2%
- United Kingdom0.4%
- Switzerland0.3%
- Other0.3%
- Netherlands0.1%
Similar funds
| Fund | Expense ratio | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| SPYMAMEXState Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | 0.02% | 178.5B |
| SPYLLSEState Street SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF (Acc) | 0.03% | 45.1B |
| SPY5LSEState Street SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF (Dist) | 0.03% | 45.1B |
Assets are shown in each fund's own reporting currency.
How to invest in SPY from India
Step 1
Open your Paasa account
KYC takes a few minutes: PAN, Aadhaar and address proof. Your brokerage account is opened in your own name with Interactive Brokers.
Step 2
Add funds from your Indian bank account
Remit up to $250,000 a year under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Your bank converts the rupees to US dollars at its rate on the day you remit.
Step 3
Search SPY and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, SPY, on NYSE Arca, and place your order. Fractional units are available and there is no minimum trade size, so you can buy by amount.
Why invest in SPY from India
What SPY holds
SPY is the best-recognized and oldest US listed ETF and typically tops rankings for largest AUM and greatest trading volume. The fund tracks the massively popular US index, the S&P 500.
Hold a dollar asset
SPY is priced in US dollars, so a weaker rupee adds to what it's worth in rupees. The rupee depreciated over 85% against the dollar between 2010 and 2025.
Buy a fraction of a unit
Buy by amount, not by unit, and get the matching fraction of one SPY unit. There is no minimum trade size.
Paasa handles the paperwork
Investing abroad brings paperwork with it: remittance filings, capital gains reporting, foreign asset disclosure. Paasa prepares all of it for you. Your India-ready tax reports arrive at year end, ready to file.
Planning to hold more than $60,000 in US ETFs? Here's what US estate tax means for you.
US-domiciled ETFs held in your own name fall under US estate tax rules. If your US holdings cross $60,000, the amount above that can be taxed at up to 40% when the account passes to your family.
A UCITS ETF tracking a similar market sits outside US estate tax.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy SPY from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) through Paasa. It is listed on NYSE Arca and trades in US dollars. Your money leaves India under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme, and the units are held in your own name at Interactive Brokers.
What does SPY invest in?
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF holds 504 securities. Its largest holdings are NVIDIA CORP (8.3%), APPLE INC (7.4%) and MICROSOFT CORP (5.8%). Technology is its largest sector at 38.7%. It is a distributing fund domiciled in the US.
What is the expense ratio of SPY?
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF has an expense ratio of 0.09% a year, taken from the fund's assets rather than billed to you. The fund manages about $817.2B.
How are SPY dividends taxed in India?
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF is a distributing fund. It pays the dividends from its holdings out to you in cash. The US withholds 25% tax on dividends before they reach you; Paasa files Form W-8BEN for you, and the tax withheld can generally be claimed as a credit when you file in India. Dividends are taxed at your slab rate in India. Paasa's dividend report lists the gross dividend and any tax withheld for each payment.
What tax do I pay in India when I sell SPY?
The US does not levy capital gains tax on shares for Indian residents. In India, gains on foreign ETF units held for more than 24 months are long-term and taxed at 12.5% without indexation, and gains on units held for 24 months or less are short-term and taxed at your income-tax slab rate. Both are worked out in rupees at the USD/INR rate on the day you bought and the day you sold, so the currency move is part of the gain. Paasa's capital-gains statement gives you the figures for your return.
Can I buy a fraction of one SPY unit?
Yes. You can buy by amount rather than by unit and add to your position over time. One unit is $778.57, and there is no minimum trade size.
What happens to my SPY units if I pass away?
US-domiciled ETFs held in your own name fall under US estate tax rules. If your US holdings cross $60,000, the amount above that can be taxed at up to 40% when the account passes to your family. A UCITS ETF tracking a similar market sits outside US estate tax. Paasa's US estate tax calculator shows the exposure for a given portfolio value.