To purchase equities directly, you need to open a trading account with a local broker who offers this facility. Many Indian brokerages such as ICICI Direct, Kotak Securities, Religare Securities and India Infoline provide this window for domestic investors through tie-ups with foreign trading partners. Foreign player Saxo Bank is another intermediary offering services here. These trading platforms provide access to more than 36 exchanges around the world. The Indian broker only acts as the intermediary; the actual buying and selling is done by the foreign broker licensed to trade in that market. To register, you will need to fill out an application form, fulfil KYC formalities and pay a nominal fee. You also have to choose the currency you want to transact in. Once your application is registered with the foreign partner of the brokerage house, you will be provided with a client identity and bank account details (to which funds are to be remitted). You have to fill out the A2 form (available at your bank branch), which allows you to remit funds to the concerned account. Once the foreign broker receives the funds, your trading platform will be activated.

While starting out, it would be wise to stick with US-based large cap stocks. You can venture into emerging markets 3-4 years down the line. For those looking at regular income, there are opportunities from high dividend stocks.