How to buy Pfizer (PFE) stock from India

Yes, an Indian resident can buy Pfizer — legally, in US dollars, under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS). PFE trades on NYSE. It pays a quarterly dividend (~5.5% yield at current depressed prices). Pfizer is in a post-COVID normalisation cycle — peak Comirnaty and Paxlovid revenues are behind it, the $43B Seagen oncology acquisition is integrating, and the market is debating whether the current valuation is a value opportunity or a value trap. PFE trades at a steep discount to peers precisely because of this uncertainty.

The 30-second version

• Legal and simple. Buy PFE via Vested, INDmoney, or Interactive Brokers India.
• Quarterly dividend (~5.5% at current prices). File Form W-8BEN for 15% DTAA withholding; claim FTC via Form 44.
• India tax on gains: hold more than 24 months → 12.5% LTCG (Section 112); shorter hold → slab rate.
• Estate-tax trap: above $60,000 US-situs → up to 40% US estate tax; no treaty relief.
• The position: PFE is a high-yield, high-uncertainty pharma. The dividend looks covered; the question is whether Seagen's ADC portfolio (Padcev, Adcetris, Tukysa, Tivdak) can grow fast enough to offset post-COVID deflation and Eliquis LOE (2026). For income-focused investors willing to hold through the reset, the yield is exceptional. For growth investors, MRK or ABBV offer cleaner narratives.

Quick facts

Ticker / exchange	PFE / NYSE
Dividend	~$0.42/quarter (~5.5% annual yield)
India tax on gains	12.5% LTCG after 24 months; else slab (Section 112)
Dividend tax	15% US WHT (DTAA) + Indian slab; FTC via Form 44
Estate-tax risk	US-situs above $60k → up to 40%
Annual compliance	Schedule FA every year you hold

What Pfizer actually is

Seagen oncology (ADCs): Padcev (bladder cancer), Adcetris (lymphoma), Tukysa (HER2+ breast cancer), Tivdak (cervical cancer). The Seagen acquisition makes Pfizer the world's second-largest ADC franchise after Daiichi Sankyo. ADCs are the fastest-growing oncology modality.

Eliquis (apixaban): Co-promoted with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eliquis is the world's leading oral anticoagulant — ~$12B/year in sales. US LOE begins 2026, with generic entry potentially accelerating to mid-2026. Eliquis LOE is the near-term earnings headwind.

Comirnaty & Paxlovid: COVID vaccine and antiviral, now at normalised revenue of $5–8B combined vs $57B peak. Still profitable; no longer a growth driver.

Primary care and hospital portfolio: Prevnar (pneumococcal vaccine), Nurtec (migraine), Vyndaqel (ATTR cardiomyopathy — a growing rare disease franchise), and a broad hospital anti-infective portfolio.

Cost-cutting: Pfizer announced $4B+ in net cost savings in 2024–2025. Headcount reductions, manufacturing consolidation, and R&D prioritisation are the reset levers.

Tax and compliance

Capital gains: 12.5% LTCG after 24 months; slab for shorter holds. Dividend: 15% US WHT (W-8BEN) + Indian slab; FTC via Form 44. Schedule FA mandatory.

Full rules: how US stocks are taxed in India. Estate-tax: guide.

PFE vs MRK vs ABBV

If you want…	Best route
High yield, post-COVID value reset, Seagen ADCs	PFE
Keytruda franchise + SC migration + growth	MRK
Humira replacement (Skyrizi/Rinvoq) + yield	ABBV
Full pharma picture	Pharma & GLP-1 stocks guide