Best Forex brokers in India – What are your top options?

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the major financial sector regulator in India. SEBI is responsible for regulating the operations of depositories, market participants, securities issuers, investors, and credit rating agencies. One of the greatest influences that SEBI has over a Forex market in India is its Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Under this act, it is officially illegal to get involved in Forex trading on any currency pair not involving the national currency – the Indian rupee (INR). However, only SEBI regulated Forex brokers in India are authorized to offer INR currency pairs.

Since locally regulated Forex brokers are not able to offer the most popular Forex assets, Indian Forex traders will often trade with international brokerage companies that hold licenses from the regional market regulators, such as the Dubai Financial Services Authority in Dubai, or the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Furthermore, the Indian rupee does not represent a popular Forex trading asset as the demand on the INR currency pairs is extremely low. Instead, Indian traders will often choose USD/JPY or EUR/USD pairs, which represent the dominant major Forex pairs.

SEBI has also restricted leverage significantly in March 2021. The market regulator has increased the margin requirements from 25% to 50%. This could mean that SEBI-regulated Forex brokers would not be able to offer leverage more than 2:1. Furthermore, trading with SEBI-regulated brokers would mean that traders have to pay taxes according to the transaction amount. The amount of the GST tax can vary from 1% per transaction to fixed fees of INR 5,500 + 0.01% of the transaction amount.

The best online Forex brokers in India will offer numerous payment solutions to its clients that range from traditional payment systems such as bank wire transfers or credit/debit card payments with Visa and Mastercard to the innovative e-payment platforms such as Skrill, AstroPay, Paypal, or M-Pesa. There are no deposit/withdrawal fees payable with the international brokerage companies in India.

List of the best Forex brokers in India

Due to the extremely strict regulatory framework that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) incorporates on the local Forex trading scene, the best option for the Indian Forex traders is to trade with international Forex brokers with multiple legal authorizations. The best brokers in India will often hold licenses from the DFSA, MAS, FSA (of Japan), or similar. These organizations have an even stronger reputation than SEBI itself and allow brokerage companies to operate in many different jurisdictions, whereas SEBI-regulated brokers will have to stay with the Indian market only. Below is the list of the best brokers for international Forex trading in India.

XM Group

XM Forex Review

Minimum deposit

5$

Regulation

CySEC, FCA, ASIC

Bonus

30$, 50%+20%

Maximum leverage

1:1000

Year founded

2009

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, WebTrader

AvaTrade

Review of AvaTrade – Broker with over 15 years of experience

Minimum deposit

$100

Regulation

CySEC, CBI, FSA, FFAJ, BVI FSC, FSCA, FSRA

Bonus

Maximum leverage

1:400

Year founded

2006

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, WebTrader, AvaTradeGO

SAXO Bank

SAXO Bank Forex Review

Minimum deposit

USD 5,000

Regulation

FINMA, FCA, ASIC, FSA, MAS, AFM

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:30

Year founded

1992

Trading platform

SaxoTraderGo, SaxoTraderPro

HotForex

HotForex Review – Trade 1,000+ of Symbols with this Broker

Minimum deposit

$5

Regulation

SVGFSA, FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA

Bonus

From 30% to 100%

Maximum leverage

1:1000

Year founded

2010

Trading platform

MT4, MT5

ForexMart

ForexMart Review – High-class trading experience

Minimum deposit

15

Regulation

CySEC

Bonus

30%

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

2015

Trading platform

MT4, WebTrader

CM Trading

CM Trading FX broker review – Is it legit?

Minimum deposit

$250

Regulation

FSCA

Bonus

Maximum leverage

1:200

Year founded

2012

Trading platform

MT4, WebTrader

Plus500

Plus500 Review

Minimum deposit

100$

Regulation

FCA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

30:1

Year founded

2008

Trading platform

Custom

IQ Option

An in-depth IQ Option Review of fees, opportunities and more

Minimum deposit

$10

Regulation

Risk Warning: YOUR CAPITAL MIGHT BE AT RISK

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:1000

Year founded

2013

Trading platform

Proprietary

Exness

Exness Broker Review – Should You Trade With It?

Minimum deposit

10 USD

Regulation

FCA, CySEC, FSA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:Unlimited

Year founded

2008

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, WebTerminal

OspreyFX

OspreyFX review – regulations, features and possibility of OspreyFX scam

Minimum deposit

$10

Regulation

N/A

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

2019

Trading platform

MT4, custom

EagleFX

EagleFX review – Start trading with safe and secure broker

Minimum deposit

$10

Regulation

Bonus

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

Trading platform

MT4

Forex.com

Forex.com Review

Minimum deposit

250$

Regulation

FCA, NFA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

200:1

Year founded

1999

Trading platform

MT4

easyMarkets

Can You Trust easyMarkets? There Are Things You Need To Know

Minimum deposit

$25

Regulation

ASIC, CySEC, FSA, BVI

Bonus

50%

Maximum leverage

1:400

Year founded

2001

Trading platform

WebTrader, MT4, TradingView

HYCM

Can you trust HYCM Forex broker? What you need to know?

Minimum deposit

100

Regulation

FCA, CySEC, DIFC, CIMA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

500:1

Year founded

1977

Trading platform

MT4, MT5

FPMarkets

Is FPMarkets reliable broker? Is it licensed to trade?

Minimum deposit

$100 AUD

Regulation

ASIC

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

500:1

Year founded

2005

Trading platform

WebTrader, MT4, MT5, IRESS

Pepperstone

Pepperstone FX Broker – Everything You Need To Know About This Broker?

Minimum deposit

AUD$200

Regulation

ASIC, SCB, CMA, CySEC, FCA, BaFin and DFSA

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:400

Year founded

2010

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView

FXRoad

Review of FXRoad – Broker with Superior Islamic Accounts

Minimum deposit

250 EUR

Regulation

FSA (Seychelles)

Bonus

None

Maximum leverage

1:200

Year founded

2023

Trading platform

FXRoad web & mobile platforms

IMGFX

IMGFX Broker Review – Your Best Trading Experience

Minimum deposit

$50

Regulation

N/A

Bonus

N/A

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

2015

Trading platform

MT4

FXOpen

FXOpen Review – The most experienced broker

Minimum deposit

1 USD

Regulation

ASIC, FCA

Bonus

10 USD

Maximum leverage

1:500

Year founded

2005

Trading platform

MT4, MT5, WebTrader

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Who regulates Forex brokers in India?

sebi regulated forex brokers in indiaThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the main market regulator of financial sectors in the country. SEBI is a government-appointed institution that oversees the conduct of various financial companies and market participants and monitors their compliance with the regulatory framework of the country. The Foreign Exchange market is regulated by the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) under the supervision of SEBI.

As per the regulatory requirements of FEMA, the regulated brokers are not allowed to offer any currency pairs that do not contain the local currency – the Indian rupee. Therefore, Forex traders are extremely limited with SEBI brokers to choose from the following currency pairs only: USD-INR, EUR-INR, GBP-INR, and JPY-INR. These currency pairs are the least active on the market and therefore we would not expect Indian traders to earn significant profits while trading with them. Moreover, the securities board imposes several restrictions on Forex trading including the margin requirements. Due to the inconvenience of trading with SEBI brokers, Indian traders often choose internationally regulated brokerage companies.

International Forex trading in India

There are three major regional regulatory organizations in Asia: the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and the Financial Service Agency of Japan (FSA). The DFSA is known to be the most liberal regulatory authority in the region with a flexible regulatory framework and tax exemption for Forex traders. The MAS, on the other hand, has been actively participating in banking services in the past decade, however, has accomplished a lot to regulate several securities markets throughout the recent period. The FSA is one of the most advanced market regulators closely resembling the notorious Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom. Therefore, you will find the majority of the successful Forex traders in India trading with the brokers regulated by any of these three Forex regulatory authorities.

 Trade with an FSA authorized broker AvaTrade

How is Forex trading taxed in India?

Forex incomes are taxed as Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the amount of 18% according to the SEBI regulations. However, the amount of tax will depend on the volume of transactions. For instance, the transaction amount that is less than or equal to 100,000 Indian rupees will be subject to 18% tax with a minimum GST payable of Rs. 45. Below is the guideline on how Forex transactions are taxed in India according to the transaction sizes:

  • less than or equal to INR 100,000 = 0.1% of the transaction amount (min. GST payable INR 250)
  • greater than INR 100,000 and less than INR 1,000,000 = INR 1000 + 0.5% of the transaction amount
  • greater than INR 1,000,000 = INR 5,500 + 0.1% of the transaction amount, (maximum GST payable INR 60,000)

Are local currency pairs available?

best forex broker in india 2021If you are trading with SEBI-regulated Forex brokers then you can trade only local currency pairs. The regulatory framework does not allow trading any foreign currency pairs if they do not involve the Indian rupee. However, the brokers that do not hold licenses from SEBI are prohibited from offering the Indian currency pairs. Therefore, you have two options – either trade only local currency pairs with SEBI brokers, or trade over 80 Forex currency pairs not involving INR with international brokers. Local SEBI authorized brokers will offer these four currency pairs only:

  • USD-INR
  • EUR-INR
  • GBP-INR
  • JPY-INR

While international Forex brokers will offer on average 60+ currency pairs including:

  • EUR/USD
  • USD/JPY
  • GBP/USD
  • USD/CHF
  • USD/CAD
  • AUD/USD
  • NZD/USD

 Trade all major currency pairs with AvaTrade

Is there a cap on leverage for Indian Forex brokers?

SEBI incorporates leverage cap according to the recent 50% margin requirement regulation passed in March 2021. Previously, the regulatory authority obliged brokers to require at least a 25% margin, however, there are predictions that eventually SEBI will proceed with increasing the margin requirements until introducing 75% margin ask later this year and even 100% expected for the next few years to follow. These margin requirements restrict the regulated Forex brokers to offer flexible leverage. They can offer 2:1 leverage on most financial instruments according to the existing regulations, which is much less than in European Union or other Asian countries.

The cap on leverage is another reason why Indian Forex traders will often choose internationally regulated Forex brokers instead of SEBI-approved ones. With MAS or DFSA regulated Forex brokers traders can easily get leverage of up to 1:500 or even 1:1000 in some cases on Forex currency pairs.

What payment systems are available in India?

best forex broker in delhiIndia Forex brokers offer a great variety of payment methods including common solutions like bank wire transfers, as well as innovative e-payment platforms like PayPal, Skrill, AstroPay cards, and M-Pesa. Along with these payment methods clients are free to pay using Visa and Mastercard debit/credit cards. Most Forex brokers in India will not charge additional fees for withdrawals and deposits. Some of them might even reimburse any costs related to deposits made with the broker. For instance, while brokers themselves do not ask for deposit fees, the payment services providers usually will have transaction costs varying between 1% to 3% or the fixed fee of 1 or 2 US dollars.

All brokerage websites will provide information on what credit or debit card providers they support and which online payment methods can be used with them. Also, make sure that your bank allows international transactions and check on the fees since bank wire transfers are usually the most expensive payment methods, as well as the most time-consuming ones. They take from one to seven working days to process the international transactions.

 Fund your AvaTrade account with PayPal

What should you look out for when trading Forex in India?

Unfortunately, India is one of the main targets of Forex scam companies. There have been multiple fraud cases throughout the last decade in the country. In March 2021 alone the police arrested several scammers who took over 1.7 million US dollars from the Indian Forex traders. The company came under as one victim filed against the FX scam who lost more than 15,000 US dollars with the broker. Sadly, there is no separate organization investigating the cases of fraudulent behavior on the Indian Forex market. The money laundering and scam-related crimes are investigated by the Central Crime Branch or the cybercrime police.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that all Forex traders in India strictly follow the guidelines of SEBI or other financial regulators and trade with the authorized and approved brokerage companies only. Furthermore, we suggest that you keep your personal login details with your broker private and do not share your trading account with anyone else. Also, make sure to read the guides for how to avoid Forex scams and check on individual reviews about the broker beforehand you start trading with it.

FAQs on Best Forex Brokers in India

Who is the best Forex broker in India?

AvaTrade Forex broker is the best option for Indian traders. The broker is regulated by three leading Asian market regulators – the Financial Services Agency of Japan (FCA, license number 1662), the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) Financial Regulatory Services Authority (FRSA), and the Israel Securities Authority (ISA, license number 514666577). The broker offers ultra-tight spreads on more than 50 Forex currency pairs including the majors, minors, and exotic pairs. It also offers flexible leverage of up to 1:1000. There are extensive educational packs available for new registering clients with the broker.

Is Forex legal in India?

Forex trading in India is legal. However, as per SEBI regulations, Indian traders should only trade with local INR currency pairs that are available with local brokerage companies only. Since SEBI restrictions are too harsh on the Forex market, with high margin requirements and limited trading portfolios, most Forex traders in India will instead choose international brokers who hold regulations from DFSA, FSA, ISA, MAS or similar Asian financial regulators.

What is punishment for Forex trading in India?

There is no penalty for Forex trading in India. However, the brokerage companies that operate physically within the country and do not hold SEBI licenses will meet severe punishment. Similarly, SEBI-regulated Forex brokers who offer any financial instruments in the Forex industry that are foreign currency pairs other than INR pairs will face legal consequences, as it is illegal to trade foreign currencies without special authorization from the government.

How to file taxes for Forex trading in India?

At the end of each fiscal year, Forex traders have to file their Forex earnings to the Revenue Authority of India. The profits generated through trading with the Forex currency pairs are taxed at 18% Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate. Those traders who do not file their incomes with the appropriate authority will face legal consequences and will be required by the law to pay the dedicated fines.