The NRI Desk · For NRIs & OCIs
Buy in India as if you were standing right there.
Buying from abroad shouldn't feel like a leap of faith. Truth Estate becomes your eyes, your advocate and your protection on the ground in India — forensic, and independent where it counts: our advice isn't for sale, and no developer can buy our recommendation. And everything we tell you goes on the record — proof you can hold, 7,000 miles away.
Our advice isn't for sale · Free first consultation · You proceed only if you see the value.
01The Reality of Buying From Abroad
Seven thousand miles is a long way to trust a stranger.
Every NRI we meet carries some version of the same worries. They are not paranoia — they are the honest maths of distance, incentive and information. Here is each one, and exactly how we take it off your shoulders.
“I can't see it. I'm trusting photos, a cousin, or a broker who earns more when I say yes.”
How we remove it
We become your eyes and feet on the ground — accompanied and live-video site visits, honest build-quality checks, and an advocate whose recommendation no developer can buy.
“Is the title even clean? From here, I can't tell a forged paper from a real one.”
How we remove it
Forensic due diligence before a rupee moves — title chain, encumbrance, RERA, approvals and live litigation, read by independent lawyers who report only to you.
“Am I paying the real price, or the ‘NRI price’ everyone assumes I'll accept?”
How we remove it
We benchmark the true rate per sq ft against genuine comparables and negotiate for you — no inflated overseas quotes, no hidden broker margin riding on your distance.
“The FEMA, tax and repatriation rules terrify me. One wrong step is expensive.”
How we remove it
We structure the purchase to be FEMA-compliant end to end — NRE/NRO funding, TDS handled correctly, repatriation mapped out — alongside our vetted cross-border CAs.
“A Power of Attorney feels dangerous. I've heard the horror stories.”
How we remove it
We draft a narrow, purpose-bound, revocable PoA — attested correctly where you live and stamped in India — so nothing can be done in your name beyond this one deal.
“Coordinating a builder, bank, lawyer and registrar from abroad is a second job I don't have time for.”
How we remove it
One accountable advisor runs all of it on your clock — token, agreement, registration and handover — and brings you only the decisions that are genuinely yours to make.
02How We Stand In For You
One principal on the ground — working only for you.
Most NRIs are handed to a broker whose loyalty is split and whose fee grows with the price you pay. We work the opposite way. You appoint one independent advisor who represents only you — and who is with the deal from the first question to long after the keys are handed over.
What we handle, end to end
Requirement & Buyer DNA
Independent due diligence
Accompanied & video site visits
Price benchmarking & negotiation
FEMA & Power-of-Attorney structuring
Token & agreement review
Registration & handover
Ongoing custody & management
Your first consultation is free — we owe you only the truth. We prepare a quote for your case, and represent you only once it's mutually agreed. Our recommendation was never for sale to begin with.
03Built For Where You Live
Wherever you are, we work to your clock.
Distance and time zones are logistics, not obstacles. We shape the entire engagement around the city you actually live in — the hours you are awake, the currency you think in, and the tax treaty that applies to you.
United Kingdom
Your mornings are our evenings — we work to your clock. UK–India DTAA aware.
United States
Across every US time zone. Your day opens with answers, not questions.
Canada
Vancouver to Toronto — one accountable advisor, one thread, one deal.
UAE · Dubai & Abu Dhabi
Same-week site visits and Gulf-hours communication — India is a short flight and a call away.
Singapore
Two and a half hours ahead of IST — near real-time, all the way to handover.
Australia
Your evening is our morning; a decision rarely has to wait a day.
Living somewhere else? Germany, Kenya, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia — the desk is open to Indians everywhere.
04FEMA, Tax & the Fine Print
The regulations that scare most buyers — navigated for you.
FEMA, TDS, repatriation, Power of Attorney, DTAA. It is a maze designed to intimidate — and the place where NRIs most often lose money to a small, avoidable mistake. We walk it with you, alongside vetted cross-border chartered accountants and property lawyers.
What you can own
Residential and commercial — freely. Not agricultural land or farmhouses, unless inherited.
How you fund it
NRE / NRO / FCNR and inward remittance, through banking channels — never foreign cash.
TDS, done right
1% from a resident seller; the higher Section 195 rate when the seller is an NRI. We flag both.
Repatriation, planned
Up to USD 1M a year from NRO, with 15CA/15CB — mapped before you buy, not after.
The full detail — with the exact rules — is in the FAQs below. General information, not legal or tax advice.
05Tailored To Your Reason
No two NRIs are buying for the same reason.
A home for ageing parents is not an investment flat, and neither is the anchor you plan to retire into. We shape the mandate — and what we protect hardest — around why you are really buying.
A home for your parents
Buying for family who will actually live there. We weigh livability, safety, the society and the neighbourhood — and handle the handover so they never chase a builder.
Your anchor for the return
A home to come back to one day. We protect long-term value — delivery certainty, the right micro-market, and a developer who will still be standing at possession.
Yield, then repatriation
An investment underwritten on real rental and a real exit — structured from the start so the proceeds can travel back to you cleanly when you choose to sell.
Steward what you already own
Already bought, or inherited a property in India? We audit the title, repair the paperwork, tenant it, manage the dues and give you an honest read on whether to hold or exit.
06Frequently Asked Questions
The questions every NRI should ask.
As an NRI or OCI, can I even buy property in India?
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Yes. NRIs and OCIs can freely buy residential and commercial property in India under the general permission granted by the RBI. The main restriction is that you cannot buy agricultural land, a farmhouse or a plantation — though you may hold these if they are inherited or gifted. We confirm the asset class is one you are permitted to own before you commit a rupee.
How am I allowed to pay for it?
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Only through normal banking channels — funds from your NRE, NRO or FCNR account, or an inward remittance. Payment in foreign currency notes or from an overseas account directly to a seller is not permitted. Home loans are available to NRIs and OCIs from Indian banks and housing-finance companies, repaid through your NRE/NRO account. We map the cleanest, fully-compliant funding route for your situation.
Do I have to fly to India to complete the purchase?
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No. A properly drafted Power of Attorney lets us and your appointed representative act for you through booking, agreement, registration and handover. We keep the PoA narrow, purpose-bound and revocable — scoped to this one transaction — and have it notarised and apostilled (or attested at the Indian mission) where you live, then adjudicated and stamped in India. Its tight scope is exactly what protects you from misuse.
What is TDS, and why does it matter more when buying from an NRI seller?
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Tax Deducted at Source is tax the buyer must withhold and deposit. When you buy from a resident seller for ₹50 lakh or more, you deduct 1% (Section 194-IA). But when you buy from an NRI seller, TDS is deducted under Section 195 at a much higher rate on the capital gain (plus surcharge and cess) — a step that is routinely missed and can create a large liability for the buyer later. We identify the seller's residency up front and get the TDS mechanics right on both sides.
Can I take my money back out of India (repatriation)?
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In most cases, yes, within limits. Sale proceeds of up to two residential properties are repatriable subject to conditions, and funds held in an NRO account are repatriable up to USD 1 million per financial year — supported by Forms 15CA and 15CB certified by a chartered accountant. We plan repatriation before you buy, not after, and coordinate the paperwork with your CA so nothing is stranded.
How will my rental income and capital gains be taxed?
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Rental income and capital gains arising in India are taxable in India, and long-term gains apply to property held beyond 24 months. Crucially, the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and your country of residence — the UK, US, Canada, UAE, Singapore, Australia and others — generally ensures you are not taxed twice on the same income. Rules and rates do change, so we introduce you to cross-border tax specialists who plan around your specific residency.
How does Truth Estate stay independent — and what does it cost me?
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Our advice isn't for sale — no developer can buy a recommendation or a better Truth Score, and we will tell you to walk away when that is the right call. Your first consultation is free: we understand your requirement in depth, explain exactly how we'd represent you, and prepare a quotation tailored to your case. We are paid one way only — a flat fee you agree to pay us to represent you — and we take no brokerage, referral or promotion money from any developer or seller, ever. We begin only once the scope and the fee are mutually agreed, in writing; you are never pushed to transact, and you go ahead with us only if you see the value.
Is this legal, tax or investment advice?
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No. Everything here is general information to help you ask better questions. The specifics depend on your residency, your status and rules that evolve. We coordinate with qualified chartered accountants and property lawyers, and we inform your decision — we never replace your own legal, tax and financial advisors.
Start Here
Make this the decision you're proud of — not the one you worry about.
Begin with one honest, independent conversation. No sales pressure, no obligation — just a clear read on your decision and whether we're the right people to stand beside you.
Advice that isn't for sale · Free first consultation · No pressure, ever