Start with your situation — not a product.

You're outside India and want India equity, mutual funds, or bonds. Most AMC restrictions you've read about don't apply to you — that's a US/Canada-NRI problem (FATCA). Here's what's actually available.

Starting from zero. You need a demat account, an NRE/NRO bank account, and a basic understanding of which route to use. Start with mutual funds — the demat and PIS can come later once you have more conviction.

NRIs can buy residential and commercial property in India with no RBI permission required. Agricultural land, plantation land, and farmhouses are off-limits. Home loans are available through Indian banks at slightly higher rates than resident loans.

Four entry paths — angel platforms (₹10K micro-tickets on Tyke), SEBI AIFs (₹1cr LP positions in VC funds), direct equity (co-investing with scouts), and the tax overlay every NRI must understand before writing a cheque.

GIFT City is India's offshore financial centre. Invest in USD-denominated products — Indian equity ETFs, government bonds, international funds — without converting to INR, without PIS, without FEMA complexity. The most underused NRI option.

Your first angel cheque doesn't need to be ₹25L. Tyke lets you start at ₹10,000 — cheap enough to build a 20-deal learning portfolio before you commit meaningful capital. The goal in year one is pattern recognition, not returns.

US and Canada NRIs face a genuinely harder investing landscape in India. FATCA blocks many AMCs. PFIC rules make most Indian mutual funds punishingly expensive to hold. Direct stocks via PIS + NRE account remain the cleanest path.

The RNOR (Resident but Not Ordinarily Resident) window gives you 2–3 years after returning where foreign income is not taxable in India. Use it. Your NRE account stays open; convert to resident account only when RNOR expires. Don't liquidate in a hurry.