How to buy Spire Global (SPIR) stock from India

Yes, an Indian resident can buy Spire Global — legally, in US dollars, under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS). SPIR trades on NYSE. It pays no dividend. Spire operates a 100+ satellite constellation that collects weather data (radio occultation), maritime tracking (AIS), and aviation tracking (ADS-B) data sold to government and commercial subscribers. This is a niche satellite data business — not a launch company, not a broadband provider. It is the most speculative and least liquid name in the space investment universe.

The 30-second version

• Legal and simple. Buy SPIR via Vested, INDmoney, or Interactive Brokers India.
• No dividend. No US withholding or Form 44 complexity.
• India tax: hold more than 24 months → 12.5% LTCG; shorter hold → slab rate. Section 112.
• Estate-tax trap: US-situs asset — above $60,000 of total US-situs assets, up to 40% US estate tax, no treaty relief.
• The honest framing: SPIR is the highest-risk, lowest-liquidity name in the space sector coverage. It is a micro-cap ($200–400M market cap) niche data business that has struggled to scale revenue and reduce cash burn. The thematic space guides rate it as Skip for most investors — own Planet (PL) for Earth observation exposure before considering SPIR. If you own SPIR, keep it at under 1% of any space allocation.

Quick facts

Can an Indian resident buy it?	Yes — fully legal under the LRS
Ticker / exchange	SPIR / NYSE
How	IBKR, Rovia, INDmoney, or Vested
Minimum	A fraction of one share
Dividend	None
India tax on gains	12.5% LTCG after 24 months; else your slab (Section 112)
Estate-tax risk	US-situs above $60k → up to 40%, no treaty relief
Annual compliance	Schedule FA every year you hold

How to buy it — 3 steps

1. Open an account and finish KYC. Use IBKR for the widest access and best execution, Rovia for a combined RSU + LRS experience, or INDmoney / Vested for a simple India-funded flow.
2. Fund via the LRS. Cap: $250,000/year. 20% TCS above ₹7 lakh — creditable against income tax.
3. Place the order. SPIR is micro-cap with very low daily trading volume on some days. Always use limit orders. Avoid market orders — the bid-ask spread can be wide. Size positions carefully to avoid moving the market on exit.

What Spire Global actually does

Radio occultation (weather data): Spire's satellites carry GNSS-RO (Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation) sensors. When a GPS signal passes through Earth's atmosphere on its way to a Spire satellite, the signal bends — by measuring this bending precisely, Spire can derive atmospheric temperature, pressure, and humidity profiles. This data improves numerical weather prediction models. Customers include NOAA, ECMWF, the UK Met Office, and commercial weather companies.

Maritime AIS: AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders on ships broadcast vessel identity, position, speed, and heading. Ground-based AIS receivers have limited range. Spire's satellites receive AIS signals from orbit, providing global coverage including oceans and remote waters. Customers include ship operators, commodity traders (tracking tanker movements), port authorities, and coast guards.

Aviation ADS-B: ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is the aviation equivalent of AIS. Spire's satellites receive aircraft transponder signals globally, providing coverage in oceanic airspace where ground radar doesn't reach. Customers include air traffic management organisations and aviation analytics firms.

Revenue and profitability: SPIR has struggled to grow revenue fast enough to reach profitability. Annual recurring revenue is in the $90–110M range. The business burns cash; dilutive equity raises have been a recurring feature. This is why SPIR is rated Skip in the thematic space guide — the data assets are real, but the business model execution has been disappointing.

The tax that actually matters

Holding period	Treatment	Rate
24 months or less	Short-term	Your slab rate
More than 24 months	Long-term	12.5%, no indexation

Full rules: how US stocks are taxed in India.

The $60,000 estate-tax trap

Directly-held SPIR is a US-situs asset. Above $60,000 of total US-situs holdings at death, US estate tax of up to 40% — no India-US treaty protection. See the estate-tax trap guide.

SPIR vs PL vs IRDM — satellite data spectrum

If you want…	Best route
Niche satellite data (weather, AIS, ADS-B) — highest risk	SPIR (Skip for most investors)
Earth observation imagery, daily global coverage	PL (Watch)
Defensive satellite infrastructure with DoD anchor	IRDM (Hold)
Full space investment picture	Space stocks guide for Indian investors