Since 2012 we have reviewed and traded with over 180 Forex brokers in India. The FX Scouts team of trading experts is frequently cited in international and local media. Find out more about us here.
75-90% of retail traders lose money trading Forex and CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs and leveraged trading work and if you can afford the high risk of losing your money. We may receive compensation when you click on links to products we review. Please read our advertising disclosure. By using this website you agree to our Terms of Service.
Over the last decade, Forex trading has become more accessible to the average person in India. Nationwide access to the internet and an influx of international “offshore” brokers joining the local scene have increased competition. However, the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) laid down by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has several laws relating to Forex trading that make it difficult to trade in the country. As a result, Indian Forex traders must trade with reputable offshore brokers.
When choosing a Forex broker, it’s important to consider not only the financial aspects but also the personal fit. We thoroughly reviewed all Forex Brokers catering to Indian clients. Your feedback is an important part of this evaluation, and we always incorporate the views of real traders when we make a recommendation. Based on our research, we have selected the top options for traders of all budgets and preferences.
These are the best Forex brokers in India for 2023, according to our testing and our research.
At FX-India, we have an experienced review team dedicated to evaluating Forex brokers. Our team of experts meticulously examines each broker in 7 different areas, amassing an enormous amount of data in the process. With over 200 individual metrics analysed, we invest hundreds of hours annually researching and scrutinising brokers to ensure that we only recommend the best in the Forex industry.
Of these 7 areas, we always prioritise regulation and costs. These are our priorities because traders want to know that their broker is trustworthy and isn’t overcharging them. Brokers are always altering the products they offer, and we keep our reviews updated with the latest data available. You can find out more about our in-depth review process here.
These are the top Forex brokers in India for 2023, as determined by our review process.
Founded in 2011, OctaFX offers trading on 35 Forex pairs, five commodities, ten indices, 30 cryptocurrencies, and 150 stocks. The OctaFX website, translated into Hindi, features two account types and an unlimited demo account. OctaFX supports the world’s two most popular trading platforms, MT4 and MT5, as well as its new intuitive OctaTrader platform, which may be easier for many beginners to get started with. OctaFX has also launched its own trading app, available on iOS and Android devices, which features seamless integration with your desktop trading account and 24/7 customer service in English, Hindi and Urdu.
OctaFX’s two account types have some of the lowest trading costs available, with spreads starting at 0.6 pips on the EUR/USD with no commission. Both accounts have a minimum deposit of 100 USD, 1:500 leverage on currency pairs and a choice between EUR or USD as your account currency. The main difference is that trading on stock CFDs is only available on the MT5 platform.
OCTAFX FEATURES
Accepts Indian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.60 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. OctaFX is regulated by CySEC and SVG FSA.Founded in 2009, XM is one of the most well-regulated brokers in the Forex industry and offers CFD trading on Forex, stock CFDs, commodities, equities, precious metals, energies, and shares. XM are well known for its low trading fees, wide account choice, execution speed and a wide range of CFD assets available on both the MT4 and MT5 platforms. Hedging, scalping and algorithmic trading are all permitted.
XM FEATURES
Accepts Indian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.70 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 888:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. XM Group regulated by CySEC, ASIC, and the IFSC.Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Cyprus, HFM is the global brand name of HF Markets Group. Regulated by the FCA, CySEC and the FSCA, HFM provides trading on Forex, commodities, indices, shares, bonds, and ETFs – though it recently stopped offering crypto CFDs. With No-Dealing Desk STP execution for all trades, client’s trades are posted directly to the market, and leverage is available up to 1000:1 on the Micro Account where the minimum deposit is 5 USD.
HFM FEATURES
Accepts Indian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.00 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. HF Markets Group regulated by the FSCA, FCA, FSC, CySEC and the DFSA.Who AvaTrade is for: Traders who want a good all-round broker with low costs, free withdrawals and a well-designed mobile trading app.
Why we like AvaTrade: AvaTrade’s biggest selling points are free deposits and withdrawals to local bank accounts and low trading fees, with Forex spreads starting at 0.9 pips on the EUR/USD. While AvaTrade’s minimum deposit of 100 USD isn’t the lowest you can find, it’s still low enough for most beginners. Traders on the move will like AvaTrade’s well-designed mobile app, AvaTradeGO, with its smart risk management tools and direct connection to AvaSocial, AvaTrade’s popular social trading system. Another highlight is the 13 cryptocurrency pairs available to trade at AvaTrade, more than most other brokers in India. Cryptocurrency traders will also appreciate the dedicated 24/7 crypto trading customer support. It’s no secret that share CFDs are also very popular right now and AvaTrade has that sector covered too with 625 share CFDs to trade, including famous tech stocks like Google, Apple, and Amazon.
AvaTrade’s drawbacks: As we noted above AvaTrade has low trading fees, but they are not the lowest available in India – some brokers have spreads down to 0.6 or 0.7 pips on the EUR/USD. And it’s possible to find much lower minimum deposits, all the way down to 3 USD in some cases. But most serious beginners will want a deposit of 100 USD or more and AvaTrade’s strength lies in its all-around excellence.
Accepts Indian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.90 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 400:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. AvaTrade Group regulated by ASIC, FSCA, B.V.I FSC & FSA.Founded in Russia in 2008, Exness Group has over 200,000 clients worldwide and offers trading on 100+ Forex pairs, a small range of cryptocurrencies, 70+ stock CFDs, indices and commodities. Exness has nine account types on the MT4 and MT5 platforms – many more than most brokers. The Standard Cent Account is aimed at beginners who want low fees and a low minimum deposit with a 1 USD minimum deposit, micro-lots unlocked, and spreads as low as 0.3 pips. The only disadvantages to this account are that traders will only be able to trade currency and metals and MT5 is not supported.
EXNESS FEATURES
Accepts Indian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.70 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 2000:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. Exness is regulated by CySEC, FCA, and the FSC.FBS offers Indian traders low minimum deposits and high leverage. While the main focus is on the three low-deposit accounts, FBS also has two ECN accounts for more experienced traders.
Minimum deposits are low on most of FBS’ accounts, the one exception is the ECN Account, which requires 1000 USD. But the Cent Account has a minimum deposit of 1 USD, the Micro Account is 5 USD, and the Standard Account is 100 USD. And trading fees for these accounts are good too, with Cent Account spreads starting at 0.8 pips on the EUR/USD.
All Forex trading is leveraged trading where traders borrow money from their broker to increase the size of their trades. Most brokers offer a maximum leverage of 500:1: Borrow 500 USD for every dollar you have in your account. But FBS offers leverage of 3000:1 on three of their five account types. While this greatly increases the risk for traders, it can also greatly increase profitability.
FBS only has 37 Forex pairs to trade, which is lower than most other brokers, but it does have 35 cryptocurrency pairs to trade. Cryptocurrencies available include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin and Ripple – and many of the less common crypto coins can be traded too. Cryptocurrency trading is only supported on the FBS Trader app which is currently only available on Android phones and not on iPhones.
Accepts Indian Clients. Spreads start at 0.80 pips on the EUR/USD on the trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 3000:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. FBS is regulated by ASIC, CySEC, the FSCA, and the IFSC.Founded in Australia in 2007, Axi is an ECN broker offering trading on Forex, metals, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and indices – a smaller group of assets than most brokers but with a good selection of 70+ Forex pairs. Axi only provides support for the MT4 trading platform, but with the MT4 NexGen plugin it has the best ECN MT4 trading experience. The MT4 NexGen plugin includes an advanced sentiment indicator, a correlation trader, a more intuitive terminal window, and an automated trade journal.
AXI FEATURES
Accepts Indian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.00 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. Axi Group is regulated by the FCA, ASIC and the DFSA.Pepperstone is the leading Australian ECN/STP Forex broker. Most trades on Pepperstone have execution in less than 30ms, which is ideal for scalpers and clients who run expert advisors. Both accounts offer market execution with some of the tightest spreads in the industry – the Razor Account has spreads from 0 pips for the EUR/USD and 7 USD commission. Furthermore, Pepperstone supports all three major trading platforms – MT4, MT5 and cTrader.
Pepperstone’s award-winning, 24-hour support provides the foundation for its excellent customer service, where personalised assistance is available via several methods. For beginners interested in ECN trading, Pepperstone’s also has one of the better education sections offered by a market execution broker.
Accepts Indian Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 0.60 pips with 0.0 USD commission round turn on the trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 30:1. Islamic account available. MT4, MT5 & cTrader platforms supported. Pepperstone Group is regulated by the FCA, ASIC, and the DFSA.The best broker in India is OctaFX. OctaFX is regulated by CySEC in Cyprus, and fees are low, with a 100 USD minimum deposit and tight spreads of 0.6 pips on both accounts with no commissions. OctaFX offers support for MT4 and MT5, as well as its user-friendly OctaTrader platform, which integrates seamlessly with your desktop trading account. OctaFX’s website is fully translated into Hindi, and it offers a good range of educational and market analysis materials.
OctaFX’s webtrader platform requires no downloads or installation and is available for all devices. We found that the webtrader has a clean user interface and intuitive design and is easy to navigate and search for various instruments, making it a great option for beginner traders. The webtrader also has useful trading tools, including the Market Insight tab, a feed of market news and trading ideas from reliable news sources, and a profit calculator.
India is an interesting case for retail Forex traders as there are several laws relating to Forex trading that make it difficult to trade in the country.
As per the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) laid down by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), all Forex trading is effectively outlawed. The only exceptions are four currency pairs that include the INR (EUR/INR, GBP/INR, JPY/INR and USD/INR) and the EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/JPY.
As a further complication, these pairs can only be traded through the three national exchanges, the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the Metropolitan Stock Exchange (MSE), by licenced Indian brokers.
So, why does the RBI have these restrictions in place? If you were an Indian institutional trader and you were trading the GBP/USD with a foreign broker, if you lost your trade, you would have to purchase USD from the RBI to settle your debt.
Forex trading is a high-risk venture, and institutional traders can lose money on their trades, and the RBI could stand to lose a significant amount of USD through this process. To counteract this outflow of US dollars, the RBI would be forced to purchase USD by overselling the INR, and this would lead to a devaluation of the INR.
In effect, the RBI enforces strict regulation on Forex trading to protect the INR from unintended weakness against global currencies.
But when we are trading Forex CFDs, we are not actually trading the underlying asset (currencies in this case). There is never any ownership of the currency by either party, and no currency ever actually changes hands – so CFD trading manages to sidestep this law. But, in a further blow, the FEMA Act also makes it illegal for Indians to send INR overseas to be converted into foreign currencies – as you would if you were depositing money with an international broker.
The final nail in the coffin is the outright ban on using online platforms to trade CFDs. This means that the only way to trade Forex in India legally is to place trades directly with a SEBI-regulated broker, without leverage, on the few legal currency pairs. The overall financial environment in India is poorly controlled, and brokers and investors in India pay little attention to the government’s financial regulatory policies.
As strange as it may seem, Forex CFD trading is growing incredibly fast across India, despite being effectively outlawed. When choosing a Forex broker, traders should choose reputable brokers regulated by top-tier authorities such as ASIC, CySEC, MAS or the FCA.
Regulation is essential for protecting your money and ensuring a fair and transparent trading experience.
When trading Forex, you want to be confident that your broker is operating legally and ethically and that your funds are being handled safely. Regulated Forex brokers must adhere to strict standards set by regulatory bodies, which include requirements for capital adequacy, segregation of client funds, and ongoing reporting and compliance. This means that your funds are protected, and your trading experience is fair.
Unregulated brokers are not forced to hold to the same standards. This can lead to a higher risk of fraud or unethical practices, which can result in financial losses for traders. Choosing a regulated Forex broker gives you peace of mind and security, knowing that your investments are protected and your trading experience is fair.
In December 1999, the Indian parliament passed the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), which was to be enforced by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and modernised the laws that governed Indian financial services companies and expanded their reach to include all of India.
SEBI, under the direction of FEMA, regulates the Foreign exchange market by setting processes for its maintenance and growth, and today SEBI licenses all Indian Forex brokers. SEBI-regulated Forex brokers only offer currency pairs that include the INR against the USD, GBP, EUR and JPY. This law states that a fine will be applied unless authorities have previously granted an exception.
Because most Forex brokers that offer services to Indian traders are unlicensed by SEBI, they must operate outside of the traditional financial system. Banks tend to block or return transfers made to and from Forex brokers, and most Indians rely on digital payment providers, such as Skrill and Neteller.
If you are concerned that your Forex trading activity may be monitored, then use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) provider to route your activity through an anonymous portal.
While the Indian government frowns on Forex CFD trading, the laws are not enforced strictly, and with these methods, you should avoid any issues.
If you are unsure about the reliability of your Forex broker, you can check our list of brokers to avoid. We recommend you partner with one of our tested brokers, and should you be concerned with a specific broker’s regulatory oversight, please contact SEBI directly.
We also have a report a scam broker form which we use to gather information so that we get the word out. Your personal details will not be shared externally.
Yes, you will need a broker to trade Forex. Connecting traders to the Forex market is an expensive and technically complex business. Most Forex brokers form a bridge between the global Forex market and Forex traders; these are called market makers. Market makers buy up large trading positions from the Forex market, which they sell to traders in smaller trade sizes.
Other brokers act as a go-between, taking orders from traders and sending them straight to the global Forex market. These are called ECN brokers or DMA brokers. Both types of Forex brokers require a lot of money to set up and need teams of highly qualified technicians to maintain their trading platforms.
Market markers only make money from the spread – the difference between the buying and selling price of the currency pair. These brokers will be the counterparty to any trade, so they make money when clients lose trades.
ECNs have tight spreads but make money from commissions, which are charged whenever a trade is opened or closed. This type of broker makes money whether a client wins or loses.
The best brokers for beginners are well-regulated and have no minimum deposit requirement, ensuring security and a low cost of entry. Also important are low fees and negative balance protection, as these both help to lower risk. Responsive and knowledgeable customer support is essential. Customer service should be available 24/5 via email, live chat, and telephone, though 24/7 is better. Last but not least, beginners should look for a broker with a high-quality education section; this should feature articles, video tutorials, frequent webinars, advanced trading strategies, and chart analysis.
For more detail and to see which brokers we recommend for new traders, check out our dedicated page on the best brokers for beginners.
The brokers with the best demo accounts understand that beginners should not be forced into trading real money and that experienced traders should be able to test strategies as long as they want to. So the best demo accounts are not time-limited and replicate real market conditions as closely as possible. Beginners looking for a demo account will want a broker with good education, so they can learn about Forex trading as they practice.
For more detail and to see which brokers we recommend for demo trading, check out our dedicated page on the best demo accounts.
The best Forex brokers generally offer Metatrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and cTrader. These are third-party trading platforms which you can install on your computer. They are fully customisable and have advanced charting tools, research tools, and options for automated trading or copy trading. Some brokers also have their own trading platforms, which are usually accessed via a browser or on your mobile phone. For more details on trading platforms and how they work, check out our guide on trading platforms.
Trading Forex and CFDs is not suitable for all investors as it carries a high degree of risk to your capital: 75-90% of retail investors lose money trading these products.
Forex and CFD transactions involve high risk due to the following factors: Over-leveraging, unpredictable market volatility, slippage arising from a lack of liquidity, inadequate trading knowledge or experience, and a lack of regulatory protection for clients.
Traders should not deposit any money that is not disposable. Regardless of how much research you have done, or how confident you are in your trade, there is always a substantial risk of loss. (Learn more from the FCA or from ASIC)
Our State of the Market Report and directory of CFD Brokers to Avoid are the results of extensive research on over 180 Forex brokers. The explicit goal of these resources is to help traders find the best Forex brokers – and steer them away from the worst ones – with the benefit of accurate and up-to-date information.
With over 200 data points on each broker and over 3000 hours of research and review writing, we believe we have succeeded in our goal.
In a world where trading conditions and customer support can vary based on where you live, our broker reviews focus on the local trader and give you information about these brokers from your perspective.
All research has been conducted by our in-house team of researchers and writers, gathering information from various company representatives, websites and sifting through the fine print. Learn more about how we rank brokers.
Chris joined the company in 2019 after ten years experience in research, editorial and design for political and financial publications. His background has given him a deep knowledge of international financial markets and the geopolitics that affects them. Chris has a keen eye for editing and a voracious appetite for financial and political current affairs. He ensures that our content across all sites meets the standards of quality and transparency that our readers expect.
Alison joined the team as a writer in 2021. She has a medical degree with a focus on physiotherapy and a bachelor’s in psychology. However, her interest in forex trading and her love for writing led her to switch careers, and she now has over eight years experience in research and content development. She has tested and reviewed 100+ brokers and has a great understanding of the Forex trading world.
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