How to Invest in Berkshire Hathaway Stock from India: A Complete Guide

When it comes to value investing, the first name that strikes out in your mind is Warren Buffett, and when you name Warren, you cannot overlook his company: Berkshire Hathaway. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, what was started as a textile manufacturing company in 1965 later transitioned into a conglomerate.

On the S&P 500, Berkshire is among the ten largest components, while on the Fortune 500, 2025 rankings, it is the tenth largest company in the United States in terms of revenue. You might be surprised to know that the Class A shares of Berkshire, with a price of over $700,000, have the highest per-share price of any listed company across the globe.

If you are someone planning to invest in a valuable US listed stock, you must be wondering how you can invest in Berkshire stock from India easily.

About Berkshire Hathaway

Once a struggling textile manufacturer, Berkshire Hathaway has evolved into a noted conglomerate, tracing its roots to the Valley Falls Company, founded in 1839. In 1955, the company merged with Hathaway Manufacturing to form Berkshire Hathaway. In 1965, Warren Buffett assumed charge of the company, and instead of continuing the textile business, he began redirecting cash flow to insurance and investment holdings.

Under Buffett’s leadership, the company became famous for value investing. Buffett not only acquired GEICO, BNSF Railway, Dairy Queen, and Lubrizol, but also amassed stakes in Coca-Cola, Apple, and American Capital.

Berkshire was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1980 with its Class A shares (BRK.A). However, the company introduced Class B shares (BRK.B) in 1996 due to Class A shares’ high price. The Class B share was later split into 50-to-1 to get included in the S&P 500.

In August 2024, Berkshire Hathaway became the first non-tech company to cross the $1 trillion mark in terms of market capitalisation. Talking about the company’s financials, here are the key things to note down:

• In 2024, Berkshire Hathaway’s total revenue stood at $424,232 million, which is a 3.56% decline on a year-on-year basis.
• The company reported a net income of $89,561 million after including extraordinary items and discontinued businesses, which is again an 8.47% decline on a year-on-year basis.
• The diluted weighted average shares outstanding in 2024 were reported at 1.440.

In the investment segment, Berkshire competes with BlackRock (BLK) and KKR & Co. (KKR), while in the insurance business, the company faces Allstate Corporation (ALL) and Markel Group (MKL). As a diversified conglomerate, Jefferies Financial Group (JEF), also known as ‘Baby Berkshire,’ is after it. Since Berkshire’s portfolio includes giants like Apple, Amazon, and Bank of America, these indirect competitors have a direct role in shareholder value creation. 

Steps to Invest in Berkshire Stocks

You have the following two options to invest in Berkshire shares:

Direct Investment

In this, you can directly invest in the stocks of Berkshire. The best part is that if you are investing through Vested, even though the Berkshire stock is over $700,000, you only need $1, which is equivalent to around ₹87, to get fractional ownership in this company’s shares.

Indirect Investment

Indirect investment means that instead of directly holding stock, you can enjoy diversification by investing in mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that not only hold Berkshire but also other listed US stocks, offering downside protection against sectoral or stock-specific risks. Vested offers both these indirect investment options.

Can Indians Invest in Berkshire Stocks?

As per the Reserve Bank of India’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), you, as a resident Indian, can invest in Berkshire stocks or other listed US companies for a maximum annual amount of $250,000. You can either invest directly in US stocks through an Indian broker with a partnership with a US firm or through an international brokerage platform.

If you are looking for a hassle-free investment with just a few clicks, turn to Vested. With Vested, all you need to do is submit your KYC documents and add funds by linking your Indian bank account, which the platform will automatically convert into US dollars. That’s it; you can place your purchase order with just a few taps on the screen.

How to Buy Berkshire Stock on Vested (Step-by-Step)

Here is how you can invest in Berkshire shares from India:

• Step 1: Download the Vested App from the Play Store or App Store, depending on your phone. Alternatively, you can directly visit the website and sign up from there.
• Step 2: Share your KYC details and upload scanned copies of the supporting documents.
• Step 3: After online verification, link your bank account to the Vested app and fund your account. The amount you deposit will automatically be converted into USD as per the RBI’s LRS rules.
• Step 4: Go to the search bar and type ‘Berkshire’ to view stock details.
• Step 5: Scroll down the screen, click on the ‘Buy’ option, and enter the amount. Since Vested allows fractional ownership, you can enter any amount you wish to invest.
• Step 6: Confirm your order.
• Step 7: Re-login, and the details of your investment will appear at the top.

How to Sell Berkshire Stock

To sell Berkshire shares, follow the steps below:

• Step 1: Open the Vested App on your smartphone and log in using your credentials.
• Step 2: Go to your portfolio and tap on ‘Berkshire.’
• Step 3: Enter the number of shares you want to sell. Alternatively, enter the amount in USD you want to withdraw from the profit of your Berkshire holdings.
• Step 4: Click ‘Confirm,’ and the transaction will appear in your Vested dashboard within a few seconds.

Note: With Vested, you can either withdraw the sale proceeds, which may take up to two days to reflect in your bank account, or you can let the amount stay in your Vested account and use it for future investments.

5 Things to Know Before Investing in Berkshire Stocks

Before you invest in a Berkshire share, know the following rules:

• Capital Gains: Profit on Berkshire investment attracts long-term capital gains tax of 12.5% if you sell the shares after 24 months of your investment, while it is taxed as per your income tax slab if sold within 24 months.
• Taxation on Dividends: If Berkshire pays you a dividend, it will be credited to your account after deducting 25% US withholding tax. While filing your tax returns in India, you can claim it using Form 67 under the India-US Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).
• Mandatory Disclosure: Any investment in US stocks, whether the returns are negative or positive, must be mentioned in Schedule FA (Foreign Assets) at the time of filing ITR. If not, a penalty of up to ₹10 lakhs can be levied. In case the income from foreign investment exceeds ₹50 lakhs, disclosure under Schedule AL (Assets and Liabilities) becomes mandatory.
• Currency Conversion: According to Income Tax Rule 115, any foreign income must be converted into Indian rupees at the SBI TT buying rate on the final day of the month preceding the month in which it is received.
• Tax Collection at Source: If, in any financial year, your total foreign remittance, excluding those for medical purposes, exceeds ₹10 lakh, a TCS of 10% applies, which you can later claim as a refund using Form 12BAA when filing your ITR.

Conclusion

Investing in Berkshire shares has been made simple, thanks to the Vested platform. Even though the Berkshire share price, which is over $400 for Class B and over $700,000 for Class A, requires significant investment, Vested allows you to get a fractional holding by investing just $1. Not only that, you can sell your holdings whenever you want.