NYSE Arca · ETF
Invest in FSTA ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
FSTA at a glance
- Price
- $50.84-$0.78 (1.51%)
- Expense ratio
- 0.08%
- Day range
- $50.84 – $51.89
- Assets
- $1.4B
- Domicile
- the US
- Holdings
- 104
- Launched
- 2013
- Dividends
- Distributing
- 1 month
- -4.92%
- 6 months
- -2.85%
- YTD
- +2.79%
- 1 year
- +2.01%
- 5 years
- +21.11%
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1WALMART INC14.2%
- 2COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP12.0%
- 3PROCTER & GAMBLE CO9.9%
- 4COCA COLA CO9.7%
- 5PHILIP MORRIS INTL INC4.8%
- 6PEPSICO INC4.2%
- 7ALTRIA GROUP INC3.9%
- 8MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL INC2.6%
- 9TARGET CORP2.5%
- 10COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO2.3%
FSTA holds 104 securities in total. These 10 are 66.1% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Sectors
- Consumer Defensive97.8%
- Consumer Cyclical0.8%
- Technology0.3%
- Basic Materials0.3%
- Industrials0.3%
Countries
- United States99.6%
- Other0.3%
- Ireland0.1%
How to invest in FSTA 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 FSTA and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, FSTA, 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 FSTA from India
What FSTA holds
This ETF is designed to replicate the investment returns generated by the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Staples 25/50 Index.
Hold a dollar asset
FSTA 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 FSTA 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 FSTA from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (FSTA) 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 FSTA invest in?
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF holds 104 securities. Its largest holdings are WALMART INC (14.2%), COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP (12.0%) and PROCTER & GAMBLE CO (9.9%). Consumer Defensive is its largest sector at 97.8%. It is a distributing fund domiciled in the US.
What is the expense ratio of FSTA?
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF has an expense ratio of 0.08% a year, taken from the fund's assets rather than billed to you. The fund manages about $1.4B.
How are FSTA dividends taxed in India?
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index 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 FSTA?
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 FSTA unit?
Yes. You can buy by amount rather than by unit and add to your position over time. One unit is $50.84, and there is no minimum trade size.
What happens to my FSTA 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.