The #1 Growth Engine Most NRIs Are Missing

Introduction

You’ve built a solid global portfolio in the US, Canada, or Dubai. But if India isn’t part of your long-term net worth, you may be missing one of the strongest growth engines available today.

India is no longer just “home.” It’s one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world. With GDP growth of ~6.5 – 7% annually, and touching 8%+ in recent years, India is growing 2–3x faster than most developed markets, which average 2 – 3% growth. Over long horizons, that gap compounds meaningfully.

For NRIs, this matters. Immigration uncertainty, visa risk, and geopolitical shifts make single-country portfolios fragile. Keeping all your wealth in one economy, especially one you may not live in permanently, is concentration, not diversification. India adds a second, independent growth driver.

“But what about the falling rupee?”

 FX risk is real, but it’s often overstated. Historically, strong Indian equities and well-managed funds have grown fast enough to offset INR depreciation, even after converting returns to USD or CAD. And in today’s world of rising debt, changing interest-rate regimes, and uneven liquidity, currency volatility is global, not just an India issue.

Passive abroad vs. active in India

Most NRI portfolios lean heavily on passive index funds abroad. They’re efficient—but increasingly concentrated in a handful of mega-cap tech and AI stocks. History is instructive: the Nasdaq took nearly 14 years to recover after the 2001 tech bubble.

India offers something different: deep access to actively managed funds in a market where stock selection matters. As global markets shift from “free money” to priced capital, broad beta becomes harder to earn. Quality, discipline, and on-ground insight start driving returns.

Active managers in India are positioned in real growth engines: fintech adoption at scale, Make in India manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, and a steady shift of household savings from fixed deposits into capital markets.

Why this works for NRIs

Many NRIs still send money to India, plan partial repatriation, or retain strong family and financial ties. Familiarity, validation from people on the ground, and long-term intent reduce behavioral risk. India isn’t a speculative allocation, it's an informed one.

The takeaway

For NRIs in the USA, Canada, and Dubai, this isn’t about chasing trends, it’s about building resilient, multi-country net worth over decades.

In the long run, the cost of missing India’s growth story may be far greater than any short-term FX movement.