The Indian financial sector is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which monitors the legal framework for foreign exchange transactions. The RBI regulates and oversees currency trades and the Securities and Exchange Board (SEBI) is the principal regulator of the Indian stock market. The SEBI-regulated forex brokers are only allowed to offer INR-based currency pairs for USD, EUR, GBP, and JPY.
What to Look for in a Forex Broker in India
You are looking for a regulated broker that has a reputable financial regulator and has a robust reputation among forex traders. You want to make sure that your broker provides trading access to all major and minor forex currency pairs as well as other assets. You want a broker that offers tight spreads and provides solid leverage. You want to make sure that your broker can provide clients with insurance against negative balances. Make sure that your prospective broker maintains client funds in segregated accounts. Another important factor to consider when choosing a forex broker is platform and trading software.
The Best Forex Brokers for Indian Traders
FOREX.com is regulated by the US National Futures Association (NFA) and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. Accounts at FOREX.com require a minimum deposit of $250 USD. FOREX.com offers opportunities to trade on the MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms. Trading platforms can be web-based or downloaded to a desktop or mobile app. The maximum leverage that FOREX.com can offer is 50-1 due to US leverage restrictions.
iFOREX
the iFOREX group includes licensed investment firms in the British Virgin Islands and in Hungary. iForex is a CFD broker than offers hundreds of currency pairs, along with commodities, indices, shares, and cryptocurrencies. They have world-class customer support. In fact, they have a team that can support their clients remotely. Customer support is available in several languages. They have their own proprietary trading platform which is both browsers based and mobile.
FXCM
FXCM is a 20-year old forex broker with offices in the U.K., South Africa, and Australia. This broker has oversight from the U.K.’s FCA, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). They offer a small minimum deposit of $50. They also segregate client funds. They offer forex trading MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms from MetaQuotes, Trading Station and NinjaTrader, with desktop, web-based, and mobile platforms. FXCM also offers copy trading through ZuluTrade’s web platform. FXCM Australia allows much higher leverage than FXCM U.K., with up to 400:1 leverage available on forex trades.
eToro
eToro’s focuses on social trading and provide a platform allowing forex products. The company claims they have more than 10 million account holders worldwide. Their most popular forex trading features include CopyTrader, CopyPortfolios, and the Social News Feed. CopyTrader and CopyPortfolio allow you to find and copy the trades of a successful trader. With the social feed, you get access to direct-feeds to trader updates. Traders discuss everything from markets, their strategies, and are able to get alerts.
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