NYSE Arca · ETF
Invest in BKEM ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy BNY Mellon Emerging Markets Equity ETF (BKEM) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
BKEM at a glance
- Price
- $30.98+$0.31 (1.02%)
- Expense ratio
- 0.11%
- Day range
- $30.80 – $30.99
- Assets
- $111.5M
- Domicile
- the US
- Holdings
- 1,790
- Launched
- 2020
- Dividends
- Distributing
- 1 month
- +0.41%
- 6 months
- +20.34%
- YTD
- +23.65%
- 1 year
- +28.32%
- 5 years
- +33.17%
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFAC14.0%
- 2SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD7.4%
- 3SK HYNIX INC5.8%
- 4TENCENT HOLDINGS LTD2.6%
- 5ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD1.9%
- 6MEDIATEK INC1.8%
- 7SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS-PREF1.0%
- 8CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK-H0.9%
- 9DELTA ELECTRONICS INC0.8%
- 10HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY0.7%
BKEM holds 1,790 securities in total. These 10 are 36.9% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Sectors
- Technology40.8%
- Financial Services18.8%
- Consumer Cyclical8.4%
- Industrials7.7%
- Basic Materials6.0%
- Communication Services6.0%
Countries
- Taiwan27.7%
- South Korea20.8%
- China18.8%
- India11.4%
- Brazil3.9%
- South Africa2.4%
How to invest in BKEM 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 BKEM and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, BKEM, 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 BKEM from India
What BKEM holds
The fund normally invests substantially all of its assets in equity securities comprising the Solactive GBS Emerging Markets Large & Mid Cap USD Index NTR, depositary receipts based on securities comprising the index, ETFs providing exposure to such securities, and derivatives with economic characteristics similar to such securities or the index. The index is a free float market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the performance of emerging market large- and mid-capitalization companies.
Hold a dollar asset
BKEM 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 BKEM 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 BKEM from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy BNY Mellon Emerging Markets Equity ETF (BKEM) 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 BKEM invest in?
BNY Mellon Emerging Markets Equity ETF holds 1,790 securities. Its largest holdings are TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFAC (14.0%), SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD (7.4%) and SK HYNIX INC (5.8%). Technology is its largest sector at 40.8%. It is a distributing fund domiciled in the US.
What is the expense ratio of BKEM?
BNY Mellon Emerging Markets Equity ETF has an expense ratio of 0.11% a year, taken from the fund's assets rather than billed to you. The fund manages about $111.5M.
How are BKEM dividends taxed in India?
BNY Mellon Emerging Markets Equity 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 BKEM?
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 BKEM unit?
Yes. You can buy by amount rather than by unit and add to your position over time. One unit is $30.98, and there is no minimum trade size.
What happens to my BKEM 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.