Cross border investing has seen a sharp rise of 70% over the past year among female Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), according to a study by Belong that analysed investment activity by NRI investors across 34 countries between July 2025 and June 2026.
Additionally, the study revealed that participation differs on the basis of regionality too. While women accounted for 7.3% of all NRI investors as of June 2026, up from 4.3% a year earlier, participation in the Western markets was nearly 1.7 times higher than in Gulf countries.
Notably, the analysis examines investor participation trends based on gender and geography and does not factor in asset values, portfolio sizes, or the quantum of investments.
The findings draw from major NRI diasporas spanning North America, Europe, the West Asia, and Asia-Pacific, and point out how migration patterns and household structures continue to mould investment behaviour among overseas Indians at a juncture when more females are entering financial markets globally.
According to the findings, women represented 11.4% of investors from Western countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Europe. In contrast to gulf nations like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait, where they make up 6.8% of investors,
The analysis underlined the heterogeneity among the Indian investors in foreign countries, with female participation varying considerably across geographies even as rates increase on the whole.
Belong's study reveals that diaspora communities in Western countries are more likely to comprise dual-income professional households, where women have greater financial independence and a stronger role in long-term investment planning.
On the other hand, Gulf countries have historically been concentrated with contract workers and single-income households, leading to different patterns of financial participation.
"The growth in female participation is one of the most encouraging trends we are seeing among NRI investors," said Ankur Choudhary, Co-Founder and CEO of Belong. "What's equally interesting is that participation differs significantly across geographies. The data reinforces the idea that there is no single NRI investor profile. Financial behaviour is influenced by migration patterns, family structures, and economic participation in the countries where overseas Indians live and work," Choudhary added.
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