London Stock Exchange ETF segment · UCITS ETF
Invest in HSTE ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy HSBC ETFS PLC - HSBC Hang Seng Tech UCITS ETF (HSTE) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
HSTE at a glance
- Price
- $5.88-$0.12 (2.05%)
- Expense ratio
- 0.5%
- Day range
- $5.88 – $5.98
- Assets
- $1.1B
- Domicile
- Ireland
- Holdings
- —
- Launched
- 2020
- Dividends
- —
- 1 month
- -8.74%
- 6 months
- -10.14%
- YTD
- -24.85%
- 1 year
- -33.89%
- 5 years
- -30.04%
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1Tencent Holdings Ltd8.3%
- 2Alibaba Group Holding Ltd Ordinary Shares8.2%
- 3Lenovo Group Ltd8.2%
- 4NetEase Inc Ordinary Shares8.1%
- 5Meituan Class B7.8%
- 6Xiaomi Corp Class B7.8%
- 7Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp7.7%
- 8BYD Co Ltd Class H7.5%
- 9JD.com Inc Ordinary Shares - Class A4.9%
- 10Baidu Inc4.1%
These 10 are 72.6% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Sectors
- Consumer Cyclical40.4%
- Technology33.2%
- Communication Services24.6%
- Healthcare1.8%
Countries
- China87.5%
- Hong Kong8.6%
- Singapore3.3%
- Other0.7%
How to invest in HSTE 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 HSTE and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, HSTE, on the London Stock Exchange ETF segment, and place your order.
Why invest in HSTE from India
What HSTE holds
This fund's primary objective is to closely mirror the financial performance of the Hang Seng TECH Index.
Outside US estate tax
HSTE is domiciled in Ireland, not the US, so it is not a US-situs asset and US estate tax does not apply to it.
Hold a dollar asset
HSTE 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.
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.
Why HSTE's UCITS structure matters for Indian investors
HSTE is domiciled in Ireland, not the US, so it is not a US-situs asset and US estate tax does not apply to it.
On the US shares the fund holds, the 15% US dividend withholding is paid inside the fund, and you cannot claim it as a Foreign Tax Credit in India.
Capital gains are taxed in India the same way as on a US-listed ETF.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy HSTE from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy HSBC ETFS PLC - HSBC Hang Seng Tech UCITS ETF (HSTE) through Paasa. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange ETF segment 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 HSTE invest in?
Its largest holdings are Tencent Holdings Ltd (8.3%), Alibaba Group Holding Ltd Ordinary Shares (8.2%) and Lenovo Group Ltd (8.2%). Consumer Cyclical is its largest sector at 40.4%. The fund is domiciled in Ireland.
What is the expense ratio of HSTE?
HSBC ETFS PLC - HSBC Hang Seng Tech UCITS 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 $1.1B.
Is HSTE a UCITS ETF, and why does that matter for Indian investors?
Yes. HSBC ETFS PLC - HSBC Hang Seng Tech UCITS ETF is a UCITS fund domiciled in Ireland. Because it is domiciled outside the US, it is not a US-situs asset, so US estate tax does not apply to it. On the US shares the fund holds, the 15% US dividend withholding is paid inside the fund, and you cannot claim it as a Foreign Tax Credit in India.
What tax do I pay in India when I sell HSTE?
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.