Smart Investment Choices for NRIs in 2026

The last two decades have witnessed a dramatic change in the investment universe. A significant re-shaping of the financial market is expected in the coming years.

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Diversification and flexibility in investment assets are the way to go this year. Let’s explore how NRIs can increase their investment in 2026 .

Equity Investment

Equity investment looks hopeful in 2026 with perpetual high trades soaring 20% since 2021. A clever move in 2026 is to invest in partial gains.

The initial public offering (IPO) pipeline in India and shares in tech and manufacturing sectors are anticipated to outperform in the following years. These are worth investing in from the NRIs' perspective.
Mutual Funds and Fixed Deposit Investment

It is a good year to diversify in mutual fund assets. Multi-asset, Flexi-cap, balanced, and hybrid funds are all good investments right now.

Inflation has surged over the RBI's target range, prompting speculation of a rate hike. Long-term and medium-term debts are likely to suffer. The short-term debt is likely to remain unaffected. Investing in funds for 1-2 years would be a wise decision.
Investment in Gold

Investing 10% of assets in gold would be a wise choice. Gold is now 14 percent more expensive in India than worldwide with a new CESS and surcharge on customs duty.
Investment in Real Estate

Real estate is slowly rebounding after years of stagnation. NRIs can take advantage of the rupee's devaluation against the dollar and other major currencies. Despite a minor price increase, home loans remain historically low.

These are some of the top ideas to invest in for NRIs in India in the year 2026. So save smartly and invest cleverly.

˜The insurers/plans mentioned are arranged in order of highest to lowest first year premium (sum of individual single premium and individual non-single premium) offered by Policybazaar’s insurer partners offering life insurance investment plans on our platform, as per ‘first year premium of life insurers as at 31.03.2025 report’ published by IRDAI. Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by any insurer. For complete list of insurers in India refer to the IRDAI website www.irdai.gov.in
*Past 10 Year annualised returns as on 01-02-2026
*All savings plans are provided by the insurer as per the IRDAI approved insurance plan. Tax benefit is subject to changes in tax laws. Standard T&C Apply
^The tax benefits under Section 80C allow a deduction of up to ₹1.5 lakhs from the taxable income per year and 10(10D) tax benefits are for investments made up to ₹2.5 Lakhs/ year for policies bought after 1 Feb 2021. Tax benefits and savings are subject to changes in tax laws.
#The investment risk in the portfolio is borne by the policyholder. Life insurance is available in this product. The maturity amount of Rs 2 Cr. is for a 30 year old healthy individual investing Rs 18,000/- per month for 30 years, with assumed rates of returns @ 8% p.a. that is not guaranteed and is not the upper or lower limits as the value of your policy depends on a number of factors including future investment performance. In Unit Linked Insurance Plans, the investment risk in the investment portfolio is borne by the policyholder and the returns are not guaranteed. Maturity Value: 1,06,79,507 @ CAGR 4%; 2,12,15,817 @ CAGR 8%. All plans listed here are of insurance companies’ funds. *Tax benefits and savings are subject to changes in tax laws. All plans listed here are of insurance companies’ funds.
¶Long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax (12.5%) is exempted on annual premiums up to 2.5 lacs.
**Returns are based on past 10 years' fund performance data (Fund Data Source: Value Research).