NASDAQ · ETF
Invest in ASCI ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy abrdn International Small Active ETF (ASCI) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
ASCI at a glance
- Price
- $36.79-$0.19 (0.51%)
- Expense ratio
- 1.05%
- Day range
- $36.79 – $36.91
- Assets
- $78.4M
- Domicile
- the US
- Holdings
- —
- Launched
- 1996
- Dividends
- Accumulating
- 1 month
- +0.55%
- 6 months
- +3.08%
- YTD
- +6.11%
- 1 year
- +6.98%
- 5 years
- —
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1DIPLOMA PLC COMMON STOCK GBP.054.9%
- 2ASICS CORP COMMON STOCK3.9%
- 3MISUMI GROUP INC COMMON STOCK3.5%
- 4JAPAN ELEVATOR SERVICE HOLDI COMMON STOCK3.5%
- 5HILL + SMITH PLC COMMON STOCK GBP.253.5%
- 6ALS LTD COMMON STOCK3.2%
- 7WELSPUN CORP LTD COMMON STOCK INR5.03.2%
- 8SSC GOVERNMENT MM GVMXX3.1%
- 9FAGRON COMMON STOCK3.0%
- 10SINBON ELECTRONICS CO LTD COMMON STOCK TWD10.03.0%
These 10 are 34.6% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Countries
- Japan19.9%
- United Kingdom12.4%
- India7.3%
- Australia7.3%
- Taiwan (Province of China)7.0%
- Korea (the Republic of)5.2%
How to invest in ASCI 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 ASCI and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, ASCI, 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 ASCI from India
What ASCI holds
The fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in equity securities of small non-U.S. companies. Equity securities include, but are not limited to, common stock, preferred stock and depositary receipts.
Dividends reinvested for you
Dividends from ASCI's holdings are reinvested inside the fund, so nothing is paid out to you and there is no dividend to declare in India.
Hold a dollar asset
ASCI 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 ASCI 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 ASCI from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy abrdn International Small Active ETF (ASCI) 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 ASCI invest in?
Its largest holdings are DIPLOMA PLC COMMON STOCK GBP.05 (4.9%), ASICS CORP COMMON STOCK (3.9%) and MISUMI GROUP INC COMMON STOCK (3.5%). It is an accumulating fund domiciled in the US.
What is the expense ratio of ASCI?
abrdn International Small Active ETF has an expense ratio of 1.05% a year, taken from the fund's assets rather than billed to you. The fund manages about $78.4M.
Does ASCI pay dividends?
No. abrdn International Small Active ETF is an accumulating fund. Dividends from its holdings are reinvested inside the fund, so nothing is paid out to you and there is no dividend to declare in India.
What tax do I pay in India when I sell ASCI?
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 ASCI unit?
Yes. You can buy by amount rather than by unit and add to your position over time. One unit is $36.79, and there is no minimum trade size.
What happens to my ASCI 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.