Author
Shivang Badaya
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Rovia
CFA charterholder with 10+ years across hedge funds and NRI fintech. Covers RSU taxation, equity comp, and cross-border investing for Indian residents. Ex-JP Morgan, Makrana Capital, Zolve.
An engineer turned hedge-fund investor, Shivang got into finance early — clearing all three CFA exams during his undergrad at IIT Bombay before joining JP Morgan. He went on to invest at Makrana Capital as a hedge-fund analyst, then led business at Zolve, an NRI fintech. He's now CEO of Rovia, a platform built for global citizens to invest globally. Shivang writes the RSU and equity-comp side of Vested — vesting mechanics, sell-to-cover strategy, ESPP vs. RSU trade-offs, stock options, and what actually lands in your account after Indian perquisite tax. Over 5+ years covering Indian-resident equity comp at Google India, Microsoft India, Meta India, Amazon India, Apple India, and NVIDIA India, he has reviewed hundreds of vest schedules, ESPP windows, and Form 16 reconciliations.
Credentials
- CFA charterholder (cleared Levels 1, 2 and 3)
- SEBI Registered Investment Advisor (in-principle approval)
- B.Tech, IIT Bombay (2010–2014)
- Ex-JP Morgan, Makrana Capital, Zolve (Head of Business)
Connect
Areas of expertise
- Cross-border investments
- RSU management & taxation
- ESPP and stock options (ISO/NSO)
- Hedge-fund investing
- Equity comp negotiation
Posts by Shivang
- US Investing
Funding life goals with RSUs: house down payment, 529 college savings and goal-based selling
How US employees turn RSU vests into real-life goals — house down payments (and getting RSU income to count for a mortgage), 529 college savings with superfunding, and bucketing volatile shares against near-term goals.
- RSU Management
The RSU tax-saving playbook for US employees: harvesting, donor-advised funds, NUA and the 83(b) myth
The legitimate tax-saving plays for US employees with RSUs: tax-loss harvesting around the wash-sale rule, donating appreciated shares via a donor-advised fund, NUA on 401(k) company stock, tax-gain harvesting, and why 83(b) doesn't apply to RSUs.
- RSU Management
What to do with vested RSUs: the diversification playbook for US employees
Vested RSUs leave you over-concentrated in one stock that also signs your paycheck. The diversification playbook: sell-at-vest math, completion portfolios, direct indexing, exchange funds, and 10b5-1 plans.
- US Investing
The 50% CGT discount: Australia's biggest RSU optimization (and how to use it)
Complete guide to Australia's 50% capital gains tax discount for RSU holders. Hold US stocks >12 months from vest, halve your taxable gain. Worked examples showing AUD 30K+ savings. ESS Division 83A interaction, Super wrapper alternatives.
- US Investing
Pay down the mortgage or invest RSU proceeds? The real math
Should you pay extra principal or invest RSU proceeds? Compare the guaranteed after-tax mortgage return to the expected after-tax investment return — and the crossover.
- US Investing
Tax-loss harvesting and the wash-sale rule: the complete playbook
Offset capital gains, take $3,000 of ordinary income, carry losses forward, and avoid the wash-sale traps that quietly disallow your harvest — for US investors.
- US Investing
Turning RSUs into a retirement corpus: 401(k), backdoor and mega-backdoor Roth for US employees
Your RSUs are taxable cash flow. Here's how US employees route them into a retirement corpus — maxing the 401(k) at $24,500, the backdoor Roth, the mega-backdoor up to the $72,000 limit, and asset location.
- US Investing
T1135 Foreign Income Verification Statement: step-by-step filing for Canadian RSU holders
Complete T1135 filing guide for Canadian residents holding US RSUs and stocks. CAD 100K threshold, simplified vs detailed method, penalties of CAD 2,500+, US broker account reporting, real-world worked example.
- US Investing
What is LRS? Complete 2026 guide to the Liberalised Remittance Scheme
The Liberalised Remittance Scheme lets resident Indians remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year abroad under FEMA. Complete reference: limits, TCS, Form A2, eligibility, history, penalties.
- US Investing
What is Section 112? Long-term capital gains on non-equity assets (2026 guide)
Section 112 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 taxes long-term capital gains on assets other than Indian listed equity at 12.5 percent without indexation after Budget 2024 — full 2026 reference.
- US Investing
Asset location: which assets belong in Roth, pre-tax, and taxable accounts
Asset location places each asset class in the account type that taxes it most lightly — adding after-tax return at no extra risk for RSU holders.
- US Investing
The US$60,000 estate tax trap: what UAE residents with US stocks must plan for
Critical estate tax planning for UAE residents holding US stocks. Non-resident alien estate tax exemption is only $60K (vs $13.99M for US citizens). Strategies: Ireland-domiciled ETFs, joint ownership, trusts, transfer-on-death registration.
- US Investing
Schedule FA for AY 2026-27: step-by-step disclosure guide for Indian residents
How resident Indians disclose foreign equity, brokerage accounts and dividends in Schedule FA of ITR-2/ITR-3 for AY 2026-27 — sub-sections, calendar year trap and Black Money Act penalties.
- US Investing
Building a completion portfolio around employer stock
If you choose to keep concentrated employer stock, a completion portfolio shapes the rest of your holdings to offset the sector and factor it already gives you.
- US Investing
State tax optimization for US RSU holders: the 13.3% difference no one talks about
Complete guide to state tax planning for US RSU holders. California 13.3% vs Texas 0%. Vest year vs sale year sourcing. Multi-state RSU allocation, residency change planning, the trailing nexus problem, equity comp 'workdays' apportionment.
- US Investing
Getting a mortgage with RSU income: how lenders count your vests
How US lenders count vested RSU income toward mortgage qualifying income — the 2-year history rule, DTI math, fund seasoning, and how to prep your file.
- US Investing
Form 67 to Form 44 transition: foreign tax credit for AY 2026-27
Form 67 still applies for AY 2026-27 returns filed in 2026. Form 44 takes over from Tax Year 2026-27. Here's what changes for your foreign tax credit claim.
- US Investing
Donor-advised funds for people with equity compensation
How US employees with appreciated RSU shares use a donor-advised fund to skip capital gains, deduct full market value, and bunch giving above the standard deduction.
- US Investing
US residents with US RSUs: complete tax + strategy guide for 2026
Complete guide for US residents holding US RSUs in 2026. Vest taxation, sell-to-cover vs sell-all, holding period strategy, capital gains, ESPP qualifying vs disqualifying, AMT, NIIT, concentration risk frameworks.
- US Investing
What is Form 67? Foreign tax credit claim form — complete 2026 guide
Form 67 is the electronic statement prescribed under Rule 128 of the Income-tax Rules, 1962 through which a resident Indian taxpayer claims a foreign tax credit under Sections 90, 90A and 91 against Indian tax liability.
- US Investing
What is DTAA? India-US Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement — complete 2026 guide
DTAA is a bilateral treaty that prevents the same income from being taxed twice. The India-US DTAA, signed 1989 and in force since 1990, governs how Indian residents are taxed on US dividends, capital gains, RSUs and salary.
- US Investing
Direct indexing to unwind concentrated employer stock
Use a direct-indexing account to harvest losses, exclude your employer stock, and fund the diversification of a concentrated RSU position over several years.
- US Investing
What is AIS and Form 26AS? Indian tax pre-fill data — complete 2026 guide
AIS is the Annual Information Statement and Form 26AS is the consolidated tax credit statement on the Indian e-filing portal. Together they hold every tax credit, financial transaction and pre-fill data point the Income Tax Department has on a taxpayer.
- US Investing
What is FATCA? Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act — complete 2026 guide for Indian residents
FATCA is a 2010 US law that compels foreign financial institutions to report US-person account information to the IRS. India implements it through the 2015 IGA, Rule 114F-H and Form 61B — here is what it means for Indian residents and NRIs.
- RSU Management
Rule 10b5-1 plans: how employees and insiders sell company stock on a pre-set schedule
How US employees and insiders use Rule 10b5-1 plans to diversify on autopilot, sell through blackout windows, and earn an affirmative defense against insider-trading claims.
- US Investing
The mega-backdoor Roth: a complete guide for high earners
How high earners route after-tax 401(k) contributions into Roth up to the 2026 $72,000 limit, using RSU cash as the bridge to free up salary.
- RSU Management
Exchange funds (swap funds) for a concentrated employer-stock position
How US employees use exchange funds (swap funds) to diversify a large, low-basis employer-stock position tax-deferred — the 7-year lock-up, fees, eligibility, and when an outright sale beats it.
- US Investing
Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA): the employer-stock 401(k) tax break
NUA lets you tax the gain on employer stock in a 401(k) at long-term capital gains rates instead of ordinary income — when the basis is low enough to matter.
- RSU Management
How much employer stock is too much? A concentration-risk deep dive
How US employees size a company-stock position, why employer stock is uniquely risky, and a framework to set a concentration target you can defend.
- RSU Management
The 83(b) election explained: RSAs, early exercise, and the 30-day bet
What the 83(b) election is, who can actually use it (not standard RSU holders), the 30-day IRS deadline, the worked math, and the bet you are making.
- RSU Management
Rovia vs E*TRADE Stock Plan: a guide for Indian RSU holders
If your RSUs vest into E*TRADE Stock Plan Solutions (now part of Morgan Stanley), here's the honest comparison with Rovia and the migration guide.
- RSU Management
Rovia vs Fidelity NetBenefits: a guide for Indian RSU holders
If your RSUs vest into Fidelity NetBenefits, here's the honest comparison with Rovia, the limitations Indian residents hit, and how to migrate shares.
- RSU Management
Rovia vs Morgan Stanley at Work (Shareworks): a guide for Indian RSU holders
If your employer uses Morgan Stanley at Work to administer RSUs, here's the honest comparison with Rovia and a step-by-step migration guide for Indian residents.
- RSU Management
Lot selection and loss harvesting: the RSU tax tools your CA isn't using
Indian RSU holders default to FIFO and miss thousands in tax savings. The lot-by-lot math, loss harvesting, and 8-year carry-forward, with worked examples.
- RSU Management
The share-transfer problem: why Indian residents are stuck with their employer's broker
Indian residents holding US RSUs at Fidelity, Morgan Stanley, or E*TRADE can't move their shares to a better broker. Why the friction exists, and what's changing.
- RSU Management
RSU vesting: the real tax math for Indian residents
Your RSU is worth ₹10 lakh on paper. After perquisite tax, US withholding, and capital gains — what actually lands in your account?
- US Investing
How to buy Eli Lilly (LLY) stock from India
Buy Eli Lilly (LLY) from India via the LRS, in INR. The GLP-1 obesity leader (Mounjaro, Zepbound) with Alzheimer's optionality — the hottest large-cap pharma of the decade, and a dividend grower.
- US Investing
How to buy Vistra Corp (VST) stock from India
Buy Vistra Corp (VST) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. VST is a Texas and Midwest power producer combining nuclear, gas, renewables, and battery storage — a diversified AI-data-centre power play.
- US Investing
How to buy Novo Nordisk (NVO) stock from India
Buy Novo Nordisk (NVO) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. The Ozempic and Wegovy GLP-1 pioneer and Eli Lilly's chief rival — a Danish ADR with its own dividend-withholding and estate-tax quirks Indian holders must navigate.
- US Investing
How to buy Vertiv Holdings (VRT) stock from India
Buy Vertiv (VRT) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. VRT is the pure-play arms-dealer to the AI data-centre buildout — power, thermal and liquid cooling for hyperscalers. Token dividend, real tax friction lives in Section 112 and the $60k estate trap.
- RSU Management
The complete RSU guide for Indians at US multinationals
Vesting, taxes, withholding, repatriation, reinvestment — the full RSU lifecycle for Indian residents at US-headquartered companies.
- US Investing
How to buy Micron (MU) stock from India
Buying Micron stock from India is fully legal under the LRS. Here's the mechanics, the memory-cycle reality, the tax math, and the estate-tax trap Indians keep missing.
- RSU Management
Sell-to-cover, sell-all or hold: the three RSU vest decisions
Every RSU vest forces a choice. Sell to cover tax only? Sell everything? Hold all the shares? Pick the right answer for your situation.
- US Investing
How to buy Cisco (CSCO) stock from India
Buying Cisco stock from India is fully legal under the LRS. Here's the mechanics, the dividend-withholding maths most Indians miss, and the estate-tax trap that actually decides outcomes.
- RSU Management
Should you sell RSUs at vest or hold? Framework for Indians
Sell RSUs at vest, or hold for upside? The right answer depends on concentration, tax timing, and what you'll do with the cash.
- RSU Management
ESPP vs RSU for Indians: how to think about both
RSUs are awarded; ESPPs are bought at a discount. Most Indians underuse ESPP. The full picture, with worked tax math for Indian residents.
- US Investing
How to buy Salesforce (CRM) stock from India
Buying Salesforce stock from India is fully legal via the LRS. Here's the mechanics, the small-but-real dividend angle, the capital-gains math, and the estate-tax trap most Indians miss.
- US Investing
How to buy Visa (V) stock from India
Buying Visa stock from India is fully legal via the LRS. Here's the mechanics, the capital-gains and dividend math that actually matter, and the estate-tax trap most Indians miss.
- US Investing
How to buy Oracle (ORCL) stock from India
Buying Oracle stock from India is fully legal via the LRS. Here's the mechanics, the dividend and capital-gains math, and the estate-tax trap most Indians miss.
- US Investing
How to buy Broadcom (AVGO) stock from India
Buying Broadcom from India is fully legal under the LRS. Here's the buying mechanics, the dividend-withholding and capital-gains math, and the estate-tax trap most Indians miss on US stocks.
- US Investing
The Vested calculator guide: 17 tools for cross-border investing
How to use each Vested calculator, what it actually computes, and why the math matters for Indian residents. The complete reference.
- US Investing
NRIs returning to India: what to do with your US portfolio
Moving back to India with US stocks, RSUs, 401(k) and IRAs creates a one-time RNOR planning window that can save lakhs in tax.
- US Investing
How to buy Netflix (NFLX) stock from India
Buy Netflix (NFLX) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. NFLX pays no dividend, so this is a pure capital-gains story — Section 112 LTCG, the $60k estate-tax trap, and position sizing decide your outcome.
- US Investing
How to buy Costco (COST) stock from India
Buy Costco (COST) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. COST pays a small regular dividend plus occasional large specials — Section 112 LTCG, 25% US withholding, the $60k estate-tax trap, and a premium multiple all decide your outcome.
- US Investing
How to buy ASML (ASML) stock from India
Buy ASML (ASML) from India legally via the LRS. The sole supplier of EUV lithography — and a Dutch-domiciled ADR, which quietly sidesteps the US $60k estate-tax trap and swaps 25% US withholding for 15% Dutch.
- US Investing
How to buy CrowdStrike (CRWD) stock from India
Buy CrowdStrike (CRWD) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. CRWD pays no dividend, so this is a pure capital-gains story — Section 112 LTCG, the $60k estate-tax trap, and position sizing decide your outcome.
- US Investing
How to buy Lam Research (LRCX) stock from India
Buy Lam Research (LRCX) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. The October 2024 10-for-1 split made shares retail-accessible — but Section 112 LTCG, 25% dividend withholding, and the $60k estate trap still decide your outcome.
- US Investing
How to buy Shopify (SHOP) stock from India
Buy Shopify (SHOP) from India under the LRS. D2C is a secular tailwind, and SHOP's Canadian domicile means it sidesteps the $60k US estate-tax trap that bites Apple or Microsoft holders — an underrated structural edge.
- US Investing
How to buy Airbnb (ABNB) stock from India
Buy Airbnb (ABNB) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. ABNB pays no dividend, so this is a pure capital-gains story — Section 112 with no Form 67 friction, and the Experiences re-launch is the catalyst to watch.
- RSU Management
Negotiating equity comp at US multinationals from India
RSU grants, refreshers, and sign-ons are all negotiable at US multinationals. The Indian-side playbook for getting paid better.
- US Investing
How to buy Cognizant (CTSH) stock from India
Buy Cognizant (CTSH) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. With 250k plus India-based employees, many readers already hold CTSH via RSUs or ESPP — concentration risk, dividend withholding, and Section 112 LTCG decide the outcome.
- US Investing
How to buy Synopsys (SNPS) stock from India
Buy Synopsys (SNPS) from India under the LRS. SNPS pays no dividend — a clean Section 112 capital-gains story. Plus the EDA-duopoly thesis, the closed Ansys integration, and the AI-chip-design tailwind.
- US Investing
How to buy Analog Devices (ADI) stock from India
Buy Analog Devices (ADI) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. ADI is the analog and embedded-processing leader, post-Maxim integration, with broad auto and industrial exposure now leaning into a cyclical recovery.
- US Investing
How to buy Microchip Technology (MCHP) stock from India
Buy Microchip Technology (MCHP) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. An embedded MCU and analog leader bottoming through its worst inventory cycle, with a dividend that was frozen during the cash crunch and is only now inching back.
- US Investing
How to buy AppLovin (APP) stock from India
Buy AppLovin (APP) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. APP pays no dividend, so this is a pure capital-gains story — but a sharp AI-adtech rerating means valuation, not tax, is the live risk to size for.
- US Investing
How to buy T-Mobile US (TMUS) stock from India
Buy T-Mobile US (TMUS) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. The US telecom share-gainer, with a post-Sprint FCF inflection, a fixed-wireless tailwind, and a fast-growing dividend — capital gains and Form 67 both matter here.
- US Investing
How to buy Fortinet (FTNT) stock from India
Buy Fortinet (FTNT) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. FTNT pays no dividend, so this is a pure capital-gains story — Section 112 LTCG, the $60k estate-tax trap, and the integrated SASE platform thesis are what actually matter.
- RSU Management
RSU cost basis tracking: the spreadsheet you actually need
When you sell an RSU lot in 3 years, you'll need INR cost basis per tranche. The spreadsheet structure that works, with worked examples.
- US Investing
How to buy Datadog (DDOG) stock from India
Buy Datadog (DDOG) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. DDOG is the observability platform leader with an AI/LLM workload tailwind and a proven multi-product land-and-expand engine — a pure capital-gains story.
- US Investing
How to buy Regeneron (REGN) stock from India
Buy Regeneron (REGN) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. REGN pays no dividend — a pure Section 112 capital-gains story on a high-quality biotech, with Eylea HD and Dupixent offsetting biosimilar overhang on legacy Eylea.
- US Investing
How to buy Gilead Sciences (GILD) stock from India
Buy Gilead Sciences (GILD) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. GILD is an HIV-franchise annuity with a ~3-4% dividend, Yeztugo (lenacapavir) as the launch catalyst, plus a 25% US withholding and Form 67 picture to plan for.
- RSU Management
Pre-IPO RSUs: the tax and liquidity problem for Indians
Pre-IPO RSUs trigger Indian tax at vest at the 409A FMV — but you can't sell. The cash-flow trap, double-trigger structures, and IPO planning.
- US Investing
How to buy DexCom (DXCM) stock from India
Buy DexCom (DXCM) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. DXCM is the continuous-glucose-monitoring leader, with the G7 platform and the new Stelo OTC biosensor squaring off against Abbott FreeStyle Libre — a pure Section 112 capital-gains story.
- RSU Management
RSUs when you change jobs or get laid off: what happens
Unvested RSUs disappear when you leave. Vested ones you keep — but the tax cycle continues. Every job-change scenario, explained for Indians.
- US Investing
How to buy Seagate Technology (STX) stock from India
Buy Seagate (STX) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. STX leads the HAMR nearline HDD cycle — and because Seagate is incorporated in Ireland, its dividend and estate-tax profile is quietly friendlier than US-domiciled peers.
- US Investing
How to buy Monster Beverage (MNST) stock from India
Buy Monster Beverage (MNST) from India legally via the LRS, in INR. MNST pays no dividend — a clean Section 112 capital-gains play on the global energy-drink duopoly with Red Bull, run on Coca-Cola's distribution backbone.
- US Investing
How to buy Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI) ETF from India
VTI is Vanguard's whole-market US ETF — 3,500+ stocks spanning large, mid, and small caps at a 0.03% expense ratio, bought legally under the LRS. The trade-off versus VOO is broader diversification at the cost of slightly higher distributions.
- RSU Management
ISO & NSO stock options at US companies: how Indians are taxed
ISOs and NSOs differ from RSUs: exercise price, three tax events not two. How Indian residents are taxed on each, with worked numbers.
- US Investing
How to buy SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) ETF from India
SPY is the oldest US-listed ETF and the deepest options market on the planet — but at 0.0945% it costs three times what VOO and IVV charge for the same S&P 500 index. For Indian buy-and-hold investors, that gap is unforced expense.
- US Investing
How to buy Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets (VEA) ETF from India
VEA is Vanguard's developed-markets-ex-US ETF — roughly 4,000 stocks across Europe, Japan, Canada and Australia at a 0.05% expense ratio. For an Indian investor it is a diversifier, not a starter holding, with multi-currency FX and the US estate trap still in play.
- US Investing
How to buy iShares Core MSCI Total International (IXUS) ETF from India
IXUS is single-ticker exposure to the entire world ex-US — developed plus emerging, around 4,400 stocks at 0.07%. For an Indian investor it is a diversifier away from US concentration, not a starter holding.
- US Investing
How to buy Vanguard Total Bond Market (BND) ETF from India
BND is Vanguard's US aggregate bond ETF — roughly 10,000 investment-grade US bonds at a 0.03% expense ratio, bought legally under the LRS. For an Indian investor, the holding is structurally awkward and the tax treatment is the punchline.
- RSU Management
US ↔ India employer transfer: the cross-border tax reset
Moving between US and India offices triggers a complex tax reset. RSU sourcing, RNOR window, dual-status filings — the full playbook.
- US Investing
How to buy Schwab US Dividend Equity (SCHD) ETF from India
SCHD is the gold standard for US dividend-quality exposure — around 100 stocks screened for sustainable dividends, ~3.5% yield at 0.06% expense. For an Indian investor wanting USD income, the dividend tax flow is what decides the outcome.
- US Investing
How to buy Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (VIG) ETF from India
VIG is a dividend-growth quality ETF — roughly 340 US companies with 10+ consecutive years of rising dividends, at a 0.06% expense ratio. Modest yield, higher-quality compounders, bought legally under the LRS.
- US Investing
How to buy Vanguard High Dividend Yield (VYM) ETF from India
VYM is the broadest US high-yield ETF — around 440 stocks from the top half of US yielders at 0.06% expense and ~3% yield. For an Indian investor wanting one ticker for diversified US dividend income, it is the default.
- US Investing
How to buy Vanguard Growth (VUG) ETF from India
VUG is Vanguard's large-cap growth ETF — about 190 US growth names at 0.04% expense, heavily concentrated in megacap tech. Legal under the LRS, but for Indian investors already holding VOO or VTI it largely doubles up on what you already own.
- US Investing
How to buy ARK Innovation (ARKK) ETF from India
ARKK is Cathie Wood's flagship actively-managed innovation ETF — a concentrated, high-conviction bet on disruptive themes like genomics, fintech, robotics, AI and blockchain. High volatility, 0.75% expense, and the $60k estate trap all apply.