NYSE Arca · ETF
Invest in DFAS ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy Dimensional - US Small ETF (DFAS) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
DFAS at a glance
- Price
- $77.82-$0.22 (0.28%)
- Expense ratio
- 0.26%
- Day range
- $77.39 – $78.26
- Assets
- $14.9B
- Domicile
- the US
- Holdings
- 2,048
- Launched
- 1998
- Dividends
- Accumulating
- 1 month
- -5.20%
- 6 months
- +11.47%
- YTD
- +10.51%
- 1 year
- +13.92%
- 5 years
- +35.34%
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIE0.3%
- 2APA CORP0.3%
- 3WESCO INTERNATIONAL INC0.3%
- 4DIGITALOCEAN HOLDINGS INC0.3%
- 5HALOZYME THERAPEUTICS INC0.3%
- 6JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS PLC0.3%
- 7APPLIED INDUSTRIAL TECHNO0.3%
- 8THE J.M. SMUCKER CO.0.3%
- 9TTM TECHNOLOGIES INC0.3%
- 10BORG-WARNER INC.0.3%
DFAS holds 2,048 securities in total. These 10 are 2.7% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Sectors
- Financial Services20.1%
- Industrials17.2%
- Technology14.7%
- Healthcare13.1%
- Consumer Cyclical12.3%
- Energy6.4%
Countries
- United States95.9%
- Bermuda1.4%
- Ireland0.7%
- United Kingdom0.4%
- Switzerland0.3%
- Puerto Rico0.3%
How to invest in DFAS 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 DFAS and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, DFAS, 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 DFAS from India
What DFAS holds
Employing a market-capitalization weighted methodology, this fund primarily seeks to acquire a wide-ranging and varied selection of equities issued by U.S. small-capitalization firms. Under its standard operating procedure, though not a fundamental policy, the fund typically allocates a minimum of 80% of its net assets to securities issued by small-capitalization U.S. enterprises.
Dividends reinvested for you
Dividends from DFAS' 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
DFAS 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 DFAS 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 DFAS from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy Dimensional - US Small ETF (DFAS) 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 DFAS invest in?
Dimensional - US Small ETF holds 2,048 securities. Its largest holdings are CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIE (0.3%), APA CORP (0.3%) and WESCO INTERNATIONAL INC (0.3%). Financial Services is its largest sector at 20.1%. It is an accumulating fund domiciled in the US.
What is the expense ratio of DFAS?
Dimensional - US Small ETF has an expense ratio of 0.26% a year, taken from the fund's assets rather than billed to you. The fund manages about $14.9B.
Does DFAS pay dividends?
No. Dimensional - US Small 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 DFAS?
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 DFAS unit?
Yes. You can buy by amount rather than by unit and add to your position over time. One unit is $77.82, and there is no minimum trade size.
What happens to my DFAS 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.