The NRI Guide to Buying Property in Gurgaon

NRIs and OCI cardholders can buy residential and commercial property in India under RBI's general permission. Agricultural land, plantation property and farmhouses are excluded. Nothing about the eligibility is difficult; the friction is almost always in banking, documentation and supervision from a distance.

Banking and payment

• Payments must be routed through NRE, NRO or FCNR accounts, or by normal banking channels — never by traveller's cheque or foreign currency in hand.
• Home loans are available from Indian lenders, generally repayable from NRE or NRO funds.
• Repatriation of sale proceeds is permitted for up to two residential properties, subject to conditions and applicable limits.

Tax you should plan for

TDS applies on purchase, at a higher rate where the seller is a non-resident. On sale, capital gains treatment depends on the holding period. A lower-deduction certificate can materially improve cash flow and should be planned before the transaction, not after.

Managing the purchase remotely

• Execute a specific, narrowly drafted power of attorney — never a general one.
• Insist on a recorded, accompanied site walkthrough rather than a developer video.
• Have title and encumbrance verified by your own counsel, not the seller's.

Our Dubai desk was built precisely for this — the same partner handles the brief, the viewing, the paperwork and the aftercare, on your timezone.