NASDAQ · ETF
Invest in AIA ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy iShares Asia 50 ETF (AIA) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
AIA at a glance
- Price
- $144.10+$0.66 (0.46%)
- Expense ratio
- 0.5%
- Day range
- $142.85 – $144.17
- Assets
- $5.0B
- Domicile
- the US
- Holdings
- 53
- Launched
- 2007
- Dividends
- Distributing
- 1 month
- +3.98%
- 6 months
- +39.19%
- YTD
- +47.10%
- 1 year
- +55.05%
- 5 years
- +85.55%
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING2330.TW22.1%
- 2SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD005930.KS15.2%
- 3SK HYNIX000660.KS7.2%
- 4MEDIATEK2454.TW5.0%
- 5ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING9988.HK4.3%
- 6TENCENT HOLDINGS0700.HK4.3%
- 7DBS GROUP HOLDINGS LTDD05.SI2.3%
- 8CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK CORP H0939.HK2.3%
- 9DELTA ELECTRONICS2308.TW2.1%
- 10SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS NON VOTING PRE005935.KS2.1%
AIA holds 53 securities in total. These 10 are 66.7% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Sectors
- Technology61.6%
- Financial Services19.4%
- Consumer Cyclical8.1%
- Communication Services6.4%
- Industrials1.8%
- Basic Materials1.3%
Countries
- Taiwan39.2%
- South Korea29.6%
- China20.5%
- Singapore6.0%
- Hong Kong4.2%
- Switzerland0.5%
How to invest in AIA 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 AIA and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, AIA, on NASDAQ, and place your order. Fractional units are available and there is no minimum trade size, so you can buy by amount.
Why invest in AIA from India
What AIA holds
AIA is fairly straightforward: it is essentially a mega-cap fund that offers exposure to 50 of the largest companies in Asia. Only companies from four major Asian countries, mainly, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, can be included in the fund.
Hold a dollar asset
AIA 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 AIA 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 AIA from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy iShares Asia 50 ETF (AIA) through Paasa. It is listed on NASDAQ 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 AIA invest in?
iShares Asia 50 ETF holds 53 securities. Its largest holdings are TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING (22.1%), SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD (15.2%) and SK HYNIX (7.2%). Technology is its largest sector at 61.6%. It is a distributing fund domiciled in the US.
What is the expense ratio of AIA?
iShares Asia 50 ETF has an expense ratio of 0.5% a year, taken from the fund's assets rather than billed to you. The fund manages about $5.0B.
How are AIA dividends taxed in India?
iShares Asia 50 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 AIA?
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 AIA unit?
Yes. You can buy by amount rather than by unit and add to your position over time. One unit is $144.10, and there is no minimum trade size.
What happens to my AIA 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.