NASDAQ thematic investing: Megatrends for Indian investors
The NASDAQ Composite delivered a strong 21% return in 2025. Behind that headline number lies a deeper story about structural shifts reshaping the global economy. Artificial intelligence, clean energy, cybersecurity, healthcare innovation, and digital transformation are not passing trends. They are decade-long megatrends backed by trillions of dollars in capital spending.
For Indian investors, NASDAQ thematic investing offers direct exposure to these powerful forces. Instead of picking individual stocks, you can invest in focused baskets of companies driving each megatrend. Thematic investing on NASDAQ captures broad growth while reducing single-stock risk across the world's most innovative companies. Over 350 thematic ETFs now trade in the US, with technology-focused funds managing more than $55 billion in total assets. Here is a closer look at the five themes that matter most in 2026 and beyond.
AI and Automation: The dominant force on NASDAQ
The global AI market is estimated to have crossed $244 billion in 2025 and is growing at over 30% annually. Grand View Research projects it will reach $1.8 trillion by 2030. This is not speculation. Real revenue and real profits are powering this growth.
NVIDIA posted $115 billion in revenue for its fiscal year ending January 2025. That figure rose to $57 billion in a single quarter by late 2025. The company holds roughly 88% of the AI GPU market and has crossed $4 trillion in market capitalisation. Microsoft generated $281 billion in annual revenue, with its Azure cloud platform growing 34% year over year. AI services now drive 16 percentage points of that Azure growth.
Alphabet announced a capital expenditure plan of $175 to $185 billion for 2026. Meta plans to spend $115 to $135 billion. Combined hyperscaler AI spending will exceed $500 billion this year. These investments flow directly into chips, data centres, and software that NASDAQ-listed companies build and sell.
The AI automation theme extends beyond software into robotics, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation. Companies like Rockwell Automation and Intuitive Surgical are applying AI to manufacturing and surgery. This broadens the investment opportunity well beyond the Magnificent Seven.
For a deeper look at popular thematic ETFs in the US, explore how cloud, robotics, and other technology themes complement AI exposure.
Clean energy transition: A $2.2 Trillion investment wave
Global clean energy investment reached $2.2 trillion in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency. That is double the $1.1 trillion directed to fossil fuels in the same period. Solar energy alone attracted $450 billion, making it the single largest category in global energy investment.
Renewable power capacity is set to double by 2030. The IEA expects renewables to surpass coal as the largest electricity source by mid-2026. Battery storage spending hit $66 billion in 2025, up from $54 billion a year earlier. Nuclear investment rose 50% over five years to roughly $75 billion.
On NASDAQ, clean energy tech companies are at the centre of this shift. First Solar delivered $3.18 earnings per share in its second quarter of 2025. Enphase Energy posted $1.47 billion in full-year revenue despite a challenging stock price environment. The iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) returned a remarkable 47% in 2025, making clean energy the year's best-performing thematic category.
Policy risks remain real. The US rolled back several Inflation Reduction Act tax credits in mid-2025. However, global momentum continues to accelerate, led by China's $675 billion annual clean energy spend and the EU's $370 billion commitment.
Digital transformation: $6 Trillion in global IT spending
Gartner forecasts worldwide IT spending will reach $6.15 trillion in 2026. That marks a 10.8% increase and the first time global IT spending crosses the $6 trillion mark. IDC projects digital-transformation-specific investments totalling $3.4 trillion, with AI-related spending growing 1.7 times faster than overall technology budgets.
Data centre systems spending alone is set to hit $650 billion in 2026. AI-optimised server spending already reached $202 billion in 2025, easily doubling traditional server budgets. The fastest-growing use cases include digital twins and AI-powered process automation.
NASDAQ houses the infrastructure backbone of this digital transformation wave. Cloud platforms from Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud process the workloads that power modern businesses. Semiconductor companies like AMD, which reported record revenue of $34.6 billion, provide the processing power. Broadcom reached approximately $64 billion in revenue with a $73 billion AI order backlog. Software firms from Salesforce to ServiceNow deliver the enterprise applications that organisations use daily.
Healthcare innovation: Biotech enters a new growth cycle
The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index gained roughly 34% in 2025, recovering sharply from its 2023 lows. This rally was driven by accelerating mergers and acquisitions, AI-powered drug discovery, and strong clinical trial results.
The genomics market is valued at nearly $50 billion and growing at over 12% annually. Precision medicine could reach $237 billion by 2031, according to recent industry projections. AI drug discovery has matured considerably. Over 530 companies in this space have collectively raised more than $420 billion in funding.
Several landmark developments shaped the healthcare theme in 2025. The FDA approved 55 new products, including Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Journavx. It became the first non-opioid pain signal inhibitor approved in over two decades. CRISPR Therapeutics' gene therapy CASGEVY hit $100 million in revenue with a threefold increase in patient treatments. Globally, researchers now track over 250 clinical trials involving gene-editing therapies.
Key NASDAQ biotech performers include Regeneron, with $14.3 billion in annual revenue, and Gilead Sciences, whose stock is up nearly 59% over 52 weeks. Vertex Pharmaceuticals reported $2.96 billion in quarterly revenue with operating margins above 40%.
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Cybersecurity growth: Defending against AI-powered threats
Global cybersecurity spending reached $213 billion in 20,25 and Gartner projects it will grow to $240 billion in 2026. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that cybercrime costs the world $10.5 trillion annually. Gartner predicts that 17% of cyberattacks will involve generative AI by 2027, creating an urgent need for advanced defences.
The NASDAQ cybersecurity landscape is consolidating around dominant platforms. Palo Alto Networks generated $9.2 billion in revenue and announced a $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk. CrowdStrike grew its annual recurring revenue to $4.24 billion with 73% year-over-year growth in net new subscriptions. Fortinet expects roughly $6.7 billion in full-year revenue. Zscaler's stock price rose 56% in 2025.
Google's $32 billion acquisition of Wiz signals that cybersecurity growth remains a top priority for the largest technology companies. As enterprises adopt zero-trust architecture and governments enforce stricter data protection rules, spending will continue to rise. India's own Digital Personal Data Protection Act adds momentum to this global trend.
Thematic ETF options: How to access each megatrend
Thematic ETFs provide focused exposure to each megatrend in a single trade. Here are the leading options across the five themes.
For the AI automation theme, the Global X AI and Technology ETF (AIQ) leads with $7 billion in assets and a 2025 return of 18.7%. The Global X Robotics and AI ETF (BOTZ) manages $3 billion in assets and focuses on industrial robotics. The ROBO Global ETF uses an equal-weight approach for balanced exposure across $1.15 billion in assets.
For clean energy tech, ICLN manages $9.2 billion and returned 47% in 2025. The Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) focuses purely on solar with $5.8 billion in assets. The First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge ETF (QCLN) is the most U.S.-Focused option, with roughly $536 million in assets.
For healthcare, the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) favours small-cap biotech with $8.4 billion in assets and a 37% return. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) offers large-cap stability, with $9 billion in assets and holdings in Amgen, Vertex, and Gilead. ARK Genomic Revolution ETF (ARKG) targets gene editing and genomics with an actively managed approach.
For cybersecurity, the First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR) dominates with $11 billion in assets. It delivered a 303% return over the past decade. HACK and BUG offer alternative approaches at lower asset levels.
For broader digital transformation, the ALPS Disruptive Technologies ETF (DTEC) spans multiple themes but has lower liquidity with $90 million in assets.
Before selecting ETFs, review this comprehensive guide to investing in NASDAQ-listed ETFs from India, covering platforms, costs, and regulatory requirements.
Building a thematic portfolio as an Indian investor
Indian investors can access NASDAQ thematic ETFs through the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. The LRS allows you to remit up to $250,000 per financial year. For amounts above ₹10 lakh, a 20% tax is collected at source on investment remittances. This TCS is fully adjustable against your income tax liability when you file returns.
SEBI's $7 billion cap on overseas mutual fund investments remains fully utilised. Several popular India-listed NASDAQ funds have suspended fresh investments. This makes direct investing through platforms such as Winvesta, INDmoney, Vested Finance, and Groww the most practical option.
Start by anchoring your portfolio with a broad NASDAQ-100 ETF like QQQ. Allocate roughly 50% to 60% here. Then layer in thematic ETF options based on your conviction and risk appetite. A balanced approach might allocate 10%-15% to each of your two or three highest-conviction themes.
Rebalance annually to manage concentration risk. Review each theme's fundamentals rather than chasing short-term price moves. Currency depreciation adds a structural tailwind. The rupee has weakened from ₹74.5 in early 2022 to over ₹87 per dollar, adding 3%-4% to annual returns for Indian investors in dollar-denominated assets.
Thematic investing on NASDAQ rewards patience and discipline. The megatrends driving AI, clean energy, cybersecurity, healthcare, and digital transformation will play out over the next decade. Each theme is backed by trillions in committed capital and measurable revenue growth from the companies involved. Starting with focused, low-cost ETFs gives you the best chance to capture this growth from India.
Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or brokerage companies, and not of Winvesta. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
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Table of Contents
The NASDAQ Composite delivered a strong 21% return in 2025. Behind that headline number lies a deeper story about structural shifts reshaping the global economy. Artificial intelligence, clean energy, cybersecurity, healthcare innovation, and digital transformation are not passing trends. They are decade-long megatrends backed by trillions of dollars in capital spending.
For Indian investors, NASDAQ thematic investing offers direct exposure to these powerful forces. Instead of picking individual stocks, you can invest in focused baskets of companies driving each megatrend. Thematic investing on NASDAQ captures broad growth while reducing single-stock risk across the world's most innovative companies. Over 350 thematic ETFs now trade in the US, with technology-focused funds managing more than $55 billion in total assets. Here is a closer look at the five themes that matter most in 2026 and beyond.
AI and Automation: The dominant force on NASDAQ
The global AI market is estimated to have crossed $244 billion in 2025 and is growing at over 30% annually. Grand View Research projects it will reach $1.8 trillion by 2030. This is not speculation. Real revenue and real profits are powering this growth.
NVIDIA posted $115 billion in revenue for its fiscal year ending January 2025. That figure rose to $57 billion in a single quarter by late 2025. The company holds roughly 88% of the AI GPU market and has crossed $4 trillion in market capitalisation. Microsoft generated $281 billion in annual revenue, with its Azure cloud platform growing 34% year over year. AI services now drive 16 percentage points of that Azure growth.
Alphabet announced a capital expenditure plan of $175 to $185 billion for 2026. Meta plans to spend $115 to $135 billion. Combined hyperscaler AI spending will exceed $500 billion this year. These investments flow directly into chips, data centres, and software that NASDAQ-listed companies build and sell.
The AI automation theme extends beyond software into robotics, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation. Companies like Rockwell Automation and Intuitive Surgical are applying AI to manufacturing and surgery. This broadens the investment opportunity well beyond the Magnificent Seven.
For a deeper look at popular thematic ETFs in the US, explore how cloud, robotics, and other technology themes complement AI exposure.
Clean energy transition: A $2.2 Trillion investment wave
Global clean energy investment reached $2.2 trillion in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency. That is double the $1.1 trillion directed to fossil fuels in the same period. Solar energy alone attracted $450 billion, making it the single largest category in global energy investment.
Renewable power capacity is set to double by 2030. The IEA expects renewables to surpass coal as the largest electricity source by mid-2026. Battery storage spending hit $66 billion in 2025, up from $54 billion a year earlier. Nuclear investment rose 50% over five years to roughly $75 billion.
On NASDAQ, clean energy tech companies are at the centre of this shift. First Solar delivered $3.18 earnings per share in its second quarter of 2025. Enphase Energy posted $1.47 billion in full-year revenue despite a challenging stock price environment. The iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) returned a remarkable 47% in 2025, making clean energy the year's best-performing thematic category.
Policy risks remain real. The US rolled back several Inflation Reduction Act tax credits in mid-2025. However, global momentum continues to accelerate, led by China's $675 billion annual clean energy spend and the EU's $370 billion commitment.
Digital transformation: $6 Trillion in global IT spending
Gartner forecasts worldwide IT spending will reach $6.15 trillion in 2026. That marks a 10.8% increase and the first time global IT spending crosses the $6 trillion mark. IDC projects digital-transformation-specific investments totalling $3.4 trillion, with AI-related spending growing 1.7 times faster than overall technology budgets.
Data centre systems spending alone is set to hit $650 billion in 2026. AI-optimised server spending already reached $202 billion in 2025, easily doubling traditional server budgets. The fastest-growing use cases include digital twins and AI-powered process automation.
NASDAQ houses the infrastructure backbone of this digital transformation wave. Cloud platforms from Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud process the workloads that power modern businesses. Semiconductor companies like AMD, which reported record revenue of $34.6 billion, provide the processing power. Broadcom reached approximately $64 billion in revenue with a $73 billion AI order backlog. Software firms from Salesforce to ServiceNow deliver the enterprise applications that organisations use daily.
Healthcare innovation: Biotech enters a new growth cycle
The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index gained roughly 34% in 2025, recovering sharply from its 2023 lows. This rally was driven by accelerating mergers and acquisitions, AI-powered drug discovery, and strong clinical trial results.
The genomics market is valued at nearly $50 billion and growing at over 12% annually. Precision medicine could reach $237 billion by 2031, according to recent industry projections. AI drug discovery has matured considerably. Over 530 companies in this space have collectively raised more than $420 billion in funding.
Several landmark developments shaped the healthcare theme in 2025. The FDA approved 55 new products, including Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Journavx. It became the first non-opioid pain signal inhibitor approved in over two decades. CRISPR Therapeutics' gene therapy CASGEVY hit $100 million in revenue with a threefold increase in patient treatments. Globally, researchers now track over 250 clinical trials involving gene-editing therapies.
Key NASDAQ biotech performers include Regeneron, with $14.3 billion in annual revenue, and Gilead Sciences, whose stock is up nearly 59% over 52 weeks. Vertex Pharmaceuticals reported $2.96 billion in quarterly revenue with operating margins above 40%.
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Cybersecurity growth: Defending against AI-powered threats
Global cybersecurity spending reached $213 billion in 20,25 and Gartner projects it will grow to $240 billion in 2026. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that cybercrime costs the world $10.5 trillion annually. Gartner predicts that 17% of cyberattacks will involve generative AI by 2027, creating an urgent need for advanced defences.
The NASDAQ cybersecurity landscape is consolidating around dominant platforms. Palo Alto Networks generated $9.2 billion in revenue and announced a $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk. CrowdStrike grew its annual recurring revenue to $4.24 billion with 73% year-over-year growth in net new subscriptions. Fortinet expects roughly $6.7 billion in full-year revenue. Zscaler's stock price rose 56% in 2025.
Google's $32 billion acquisition of Wiz signals that cybersecurity growth remains a top priority for the largest technology companies. As enterprises adopt zero-trust architecture and governments enforce stricter data protection rules, spending will continue to rise. India's own Digital Personal Data Protection Act adds momentum to this global trend.
Thematic ETF options: How to access each megatrend
Thematic ETFs provide focused exposure to each megatrend in a single trade. Here are the leading options across the five themes.
For the AI automation theme, the Global X AI and Technology ETF (AIQ) leads with $7 billion in assets and a 2025 return of 18.7%. The Global X Robotics and AI ETF (BOTZ) manages $3 billion in assets and focuses on industrial robotics. The ROBO Global ETF uses an equal-weight approach for balanced exposure across $1.15 billion in assets.
For clean energy tech, ICLN manages $9.2 billion and returned 47% in 2025. The Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) focuses purely on solar with $5.8 billion in assets. The First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge ETF (QCLN) is the most U.S.-Focused option, with roughly $536 million in assets.
For healthcare, the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) favours small-cap biotech with $8.4 billion in assets and a 37% return. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) offers large-cap stability, with $9 billion in assets and holdings in Amgen, Vertex, and Gilead. ARK Genomic Revolution ETF (ARKG) targets gene editing and genomics with an actively managed approach.
For cybersecurity, the First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR) dominates with $11 billion in assets. It delivered a 303% return over the past decade. HACK and BUG offer alternative approaches at lower asset levels.
For broader digital transformation, the ALPS Disruptive Technologies ETF (DTEC) spans multiple themes but has lower liquidity with $90 million in assets.
Before selecting ETFs, review this comprehensive guide to investing in NASDAQ-listed ETFs from India, covering platforms, costs, and regulatory requirements.
Building a thematic portfolio as an Indian investor
Indian investors can access NASDAQ thematic ETFs through the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. The LRS allows you to remit up to $250,000 per financial year. For amounts above ₹10 lakh, a 20% tax is collected at source on investment remittances. This TCS is fully adjustable against your income tax liability when you file returns.
SEBI's $7 billion cap on overseas mutual fund investments remains fully utilised. Several popular India-listed NASDAQ funds have suspended fresh investments. This makes direct investing through platforms such as Winvesta, INDmoney, Vested Finance, and Groww the most practical option.
Start by anchoring your portfolio with a broad NASDAQ-100 ETF like QQQ. Allocate roughly 50% to 60% here. Then layer in thematic ETF options based on your conviction and risk appetite. A balanced approach might allocate 10%-15% to each of your two or three highest-conviction themes.
Rebalance annually to manage concentration risk. Review each theme's fundamentals rather than chasing short-term price moves. Currency depreciation adds a structural tailwind. The rupee has weakened from ₹74.5 in early 2022 to over ₹87 per dollar, adding 3%-4% to annual returns for Indian investors in dollar-denominated assets.
Thematic investing on NASDAQ rewards patience and discipline. The megatrends driving AI, clean energy, cybersecurity, healthcare, and digital transformation will play out over the next decade. Each theme is backed by trillions in committed capital and measurable revenue growth from the companies involved. Starting with focused, low-cost ETFs gives you the best chance to capture this growth from India.
Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or brokerage companies, and not of Winvesta. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
Ready to earn on every trade?
Invest in 11,000+ US stocks & ETFs
