Inheritance laws in India are religion-based: Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs follow the Hindu Succession Act (amended in 2005 to give sons and daughters equal rights); Muslims follow Sunni (Hanafi) or Shia law with testamentary freedom limited to one-third of the estate; Christians, Parsis, and others follow the Indian Succession Act of 1925. Importantly, NRI status does not affect inheritance rights under any of these laws.
