Today, an Indian investor has several different ways to access global markets. These routes differ in how the investment is structured, how money moves abroad, and the level of control the investor has.

Broadly, the options available today fall into the following categories.

1. International mutual funds offered in India (Feeder Fund of Funds)
   
   These are mutual funds offered by Indian asset management companies that invest in a global fund. The Indian fund simply channels investor money into an underlying international fund.

Examples include:

• Motilal Oswal Nasdaq 100 Fund of Funds
• ICICI Prudential US Blue Chip Equity Fund
• DSP Global Innovation Fund

This route is familiar to investors who already use mutual funds and prefer a simple structure.

2. Direct investing in global stocks and ETFs
   
   This route allows investors to buy shares of foreign companies directly through a global brokerage platform, say Vested. Investors can select individual companies or invest through global ETFs.

Examples include:

• Stocks such as Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia
• ETFs such as the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF or Invesco QQQ

This approach gives investors full control over what they own.

3. Funds based in international domiciles

Some funds are structured outside India but are accessible to Indian investors. Two common domiciles are GIFT City and Europe.

• GIFT City funds operate from India’s International Financial Services Centre and invest directly in global markets. Example: Global equity funds offered through GIFT IFSC structures. 
• European-domiciled funds (UCITS) are widely used international mutual funds regulated in Europe and investing globally. Examples include funds from asset managers such as Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, or BlackRock. 

These structures often sit somewhere between traditional mutual funds and direct investing.

4. Private market investments
   
   This route allows investors to invest in companies before they become publicly listed. These opportunities typically come through Global Private Markets by Vested.

Examples include investments in companies such as:

• SpaceX
• OpenAI
• Stripe

These investments usually require larger ticket sizes and longer holding periods.

5. Theme-based portfolios
   
   Platforms, including Vested, offer pre-built portfolios designed around specific ideas or sectors. Instead of choosing individual stocks, investors can invest in a curated basket aligned with a theme.

Examples include themes such as:

• Artificial intelligence
• Clean energy
• Cybersecurity
• Space Tech

Now, each of these routes works differently and suits different types of investors.

In the next sections, we will look at the most common routes in detail and understand how they actually work in practice.