PMS vs. Mutual Funds vs. AIFs: Which Investment Route Works Best for NRIs?

(This article is Part 3 of 6 in our PMS Guide for NRIs: The Nuts and Bolts series)

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of PMS operations, let's address the elephant in the room: why choose PMS over the other options available to NRIs?

PMS vs. Mutual Funds : Professional Management vs. DIY

Here's something most people don't realise: you can invest in mutual funds through PMS. The choice between direct mutual fund investing and PMS isn't about the underlying investment products – it's about whether you want to manage your portfolio yourself or hire a professional to do it.

When you invest directly in mutual funds as an NRI, you're making all the asset allocation decisions. Which funds to buy, when to rebalance, how much to invest in equity vs. debt, which fund houses to choose – you take all of these decisions. You also need to track performance across multiple fund houses, manage SIP schedules, and handle redemptions.

But here's the operational headache most NRIs don't anticipate: the paperwork multiplies with every AMC you want to invest in. Each Asset Management Company has its own account opening process, KYC requirements, and documentation standards. If you want to diversify across five different fund houses – say SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, and Nippon – you're looking at five separate account opening procedures, five sets of forms, and five different customer service touchpoints.

If you choose to invest through demat mode (which many NRIs prefer for consolidation), the SIP management becomes another operational burden. Each SIP instruction needs to be set up separately with each AMC. Want to increase your SIP amount? You need to modify instructions with each fund house individually. Want to pause SIPs temporarily? That's multiple calls and forms across different AMCs.

With PMS, your portfolio manager handles all of this operational complexity. One PMS agreement, one set of paperwork, one relationship to manage. Your PMS provider can invest across multiple AMCs on your behalf – they might put 20% of your portfolio in HDFC funds, 30% in SBI schemes, 25% in ICICI products, and 25% in direct stocks. You don't need separate relationships with each AMC.

Even better, a single transfer to your PMS account can be distributed across multiple AMCs and investment products seamlessly. Send Rs 50 lakhs to your PMS provider, and they can allocate it across ten different mutual fund schemes from five different AMCs plus direct stocks, all without you having to manage multiple transactions, multiple SIP setups, or multiple account maintenance requirements.

The key advantage? Your PMS manager can optimize the mix of direct stocks and mutual funds based on your specific tax situation as an NRI. A US-resident Indian might benefit more from direct stocks (to avoid PFIC issues), while a Dubai-resident Indian might prefer a higher allocation to mutual funds.

PMS vs. AIFs: Flexibility vs. Lock-in

Alternative Investment Funds offer their own appeal – professional management, sophisticated strategies, access to institutional-quality investing. The choice between PMS and AIFs often comes down to your investment preferences and requirements.

AIFs typically require a higher minimum investment – often Rs 1 crore or more compared to PMS's Rs 50 lakh threshold. This makes AIFs suitable for investors with larger corpus who want access to specialized strategies like long-short equity, market neutral approaches, or sector-specific plays.

The structural differences are significant. When you invest in an AIF, you're investing in a single fund with a predetermined strategy. If it's a mid-cap focused AIF, your entire investment follows that mandate regardless of changing market conditions or your evolving needs. Some investors prefer this focused approach – they want exposure to a specific strategy and are comfortable with that concentration.

AIFs also tend to have longer investment horizons with limited liquidity – often 3-5 years with restricted redemption windows. For investors who have a clear long-term view and don't need interim liquidity, this structure can work well. However, for NRIs who might need to repatriate funds for major life events (buying a home, children's education, job changes), this inflexibility can be challenging.

Another consideration is transparency. AIFs typically provide less granular disclosure about individual holdings compared to PMS, where you can see every stock in your portfolio. Some investors prefer the "black box" approach where they focus purely on returns, while others want complete visibility into their investments.

Fee structures also vary between the two. AIFs often have different fee models, sometimes with higher management fees or carry structures, depending on the fund's strategy and performance hurdles.

For US tax residents, AIFs may fall under PFIC regulations, creating similar reporting complexities that mutual funds do. This is an important consideration for NRIs in the US who are trying to simplify their tax compliance.

The PMS Sweet Spot: Customisation Based on Tax Efficiency

Here's where PMS shines for NRIs: complete customisation based on your tax residence.

Your PMS manager can structure your portfolio as a combination of direct stocks and mutual funds, optimised for your specific tax situation.

The manager can also leverage Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAA) benefits more effectively. Direct stock holdings make it easier to claim foreign tax credits in your resident country, while the professional management ensures you're not missing opportunities due to tax optimisation.

Consider these real-world examples: For Singapore and UAE residents, the optimal structure might be heavily weighted toward mutual funds. Eecent ITAT rulings have established that under the respective DTAAs, capital gains from mutual fund units are taxable only in the country of residence, not in India.

For Singapore and UAE residents, this creates a compelling tax advantage: mutual fund gains are taxed in their country of residence, and since both Singapore and UAE have no capital gains tax, this could result in completely tax-free investment growth. This makes mutual funds an extremely attractive component of the portfolio for NRIs from these jurisdictions.

For US residents, the opposite approach makes sense – a portfolio heavily concentrated in direct stocks to avoid PFIC complications. US tax residents face complex reporting requirements and potentially punitive taxation on foreign mutual funds, making direct stock ownership the cleaner approach from a US tax compliance perspective.

This flexibility extends beyond just tax efficiency. Your portfolio can evolve with your life circumstances. Planning to return to India in five years? Your manager can not only tweak your investments accordingly but also handhold you through the transition from NRI to resident account. Expecting a large bonus next year? They can prepare the portfolio for a significant cash infusion without disrupting the overall strategy.

PMS thus gives you professional management that handles all the complex operational overheads. It also offers full transparency, direct ownership, and the flexibility to optimize for your unique situation as an NRI. These are advantages that direct mutual fund investing and AIFs typically cannot match.

Read other sections of the guide here :

At Capitalmind, we help NRIs optimize their Indian investments through compliant, growth-oriented strategies. For more details, reach out to us at NRI Desk

Disclaimer : This article does not constitute any solicitation of securities business from Residents of the United States of America or from a jurisdiction where accessing this without proper registration is restricted.

PMS vs. Mutual Funds vs. AIFs: Which Investment Route Works Best for NRIs?PMS vs. Mutual Funds vs. AIFs: Which Investment Route Works Best for NRIs?

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