Indian authorities have recently accused Octa and several other international brokers of operating illegally in the country. The authorities claim that the broker managed to earn millions of dollars with what they call ‘false promises of high returns’, allegedly deceiving many Indian investors. Does that mean you can't trust the Octa India broker anymore? Or maybe these accusations are actually overblown, and the government hurts traders with these restrictions in the first place. Let's dive into the legal aspects of the Octa case and find some answers: is Octa legal in India? Can Indian traders still trust it? And why is it so popular now?
What is the story behind the Octa ban in India?
In April 2024, the Directorate General of Economic Enforcement (ED) reported on raiding several offices associated with Octa (formerly known as OctaFX) in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. The authorities accused Octa of cheating Indian traders under the disguise of a Forex trading app and laundering money outside the country. ED claimed that the broker had earned almost US$120 million illegally. As a result, it declared Octa banned in India in September 2024 — along with several other online Forex trading firms.
It seems, however, that ED has got things a little mixed up. The raided offices belong to OctaFX India Pvt. Ltd., an entity that turns out to be completely unrelated to the broker — despite the name. Any well-known Forex trading platform frequently gets impersonated by scammers trying to exploit their clients, and this is obviously another such case. Octa itself has officially denied any ties with this entity, stating that it ‘doesn't have individuals acting as the company's official representatives in any country or region’.
Moreover, Octa consistently emphasises that the broker has never claimed that Forex trading would ‘bring quick and immense returns’ to their clients. Such promises could be made only by copycats trying to lure Indian traders. Considering this, the recent Octa ban in India seems excessive and lines up with previous measures of the Indian government to over-regulate the Forex trading market in the country by equating all brokers without the local licence to betting services or outright scammers.
Why does Octa have no local licence in India?
An official RBI licence under the FEMA regulations would make Octa legal in India without any limitations imposed by the regulator. So why does it have no licence yet? Actually, this issue is common within the industry: the online Forex trading market is just so complex and decentralised in its essence that trying to fit into local regulations of every single country would dramatically hinder the brokers' ability to provide the best trading conditions for their clients around the world. That's why leading international brokers usually avoid obtaining local licences — and Octa is no exception here.
Local regulators, such as RBI, often impose unreasonable limitations on any Forex trading platform that wants to operate in their countries. They can limit the array of allowed trading instruments, promotional offers, conditions, bonuses and so on. Regulators might even restrict a broker from working with too many liquidity providers, resulting in slippages and a general lack of liquidity — and that directly affects traders. It explains why Octa has been avoiding getting an official licence in India: the broker seemingly aspires to provide the best Forex trading app on the international market, so it has to stay flexible.
However, that doesn't mean Octa is entirely unregulated. Octa holds official licences from respectable financial authorities: the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). These credentials guarantee that Octa trading services are genuine and trustworthy, despite what the Indian regulator might claim. What also speaks in favour of Octa is the wide international acclaim it has received from both industry experts and common traders all around the world — and in India, too.
Why is Octa so popular among Indian traders?
Octa is a well-known international brokerage firm that's been in the business since 2011. Over the years, the broker has gathered a large and devoted client base of traders from all over the world, including many private investors from India. Octa's excellent service standards and outstanding trading conditions for its clients from 180 countries have helped it build a solid reputation in the industry. The broker was declared the ‘Most Reliable Broker Asia’ in 2023 by Global Forex Awards and awarded for the ‘Best Trading App India’ in 2024 by FX Empire, just to name a few of its recent achievements.
However, Octa is praised not only by industry experts — most traders also seem to be satisfied with their Octa trading experience. On Trustpilot, a popular reviews aggregator, the broker holds an Excellent rating of 4.4 based on almost 8,000 Octa reviews written by real traders. In app stores, users also provide very positive feedback: the Octa trading app holds ratings of 4.6 in Google Play and 4.4 in the Apple App Store. It shows that traders appreciate Octa's reliability and attractive trading conditions — which are, by the way, really outstanding for the trading industry.
With Octa, you can trade different markets, including currency pairs, commodities, indices, most popular cryptocurrencies and more. There are no trading fees, no swap fees, and the spreads are very low. You can employ leverage rates of up to 1:1000 to maximise your trading potential. Octa India also offers an impressive variety of bonuses and promotions for its clients, including a 50% bonus on deposits, a unique loyalty program with advantages and gifts for active traders and exciting contests with valuable prizes. It explains why so many Indian traders want to trade with the broker.
Octa provides access to various global markets through MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, but it also has its own trading platform, OctaTrader. The platform conveniently combines all the tools you might need in one intuitive interface that perfectly suits even beginner traders. It allows you to seamlessly switch back and forth between your devices while being able to manage your orders, access various indicators and deposit or withdraw funds almost instantly. The broker also provides extensive trading education to help you grow from a complete novice to an established trader.
Can you still trade with Octa in India?
The recent Octa news sounds like the broker might have to halt its business in the country. However, it appears that Octa will continue to operate in India as usual, providing Indian traders with full access to global markets. Despite some recent accusations from the financial authorities, Octa reviews definitely show that the broker offers real trading opportunities — and not some kind of ‘gambling’ or ‘betting’ as stated by the regulator. The difference is simple: with Octa, you do not guess the outcome of an order inside some virtual game, you trade real markets and can learn to analyse them better.
The broker simply helps you connect to those global markets, earning its profit in the form of spreads on your trades. That means Octa has a vested interest in helping you grow and earn in the long term while building a strong community of like-minded investors around. And that, in turn, requires the conditions to be completely transparent — in contrast with betting services that only care about taking your money as quickly as possible. Proclaiming Octa banned in India, the authorities follow a one-sided logic that every international entity without a local licence must be dangerous to Indian traders.
As we have seen, that is not the case with Octa. Despite the lack of an Indian licence, Octa has several other reputable licences and employs the most advanced security measures to protect its clients' funds, including segregated accounts, negative balance protection and secure deposits. So, the main question remains: is Octa legal in India? And the answer is: absolutely, Octa still operates in India as usual. Don't trust any Octa news regarding fraudsters trying to use the broker's name: you can still trade with Octa to securely use all the profitable opportunities it provides.