Taking advantage of these types of bank programs is only possible once you know the details, though other banks can help, as well.

1). Citibank is known for its program called Citi Online Remit. It lets Non Resident Indians, commonly called NRIs, to send money to India using their checking or savings account. Currently, it is only available to Indians who live in the United States and need a way to remit money home. It sets itself apart with the presence of the online tracking system and Online Identity Verification. Users can simply send money from their account to their family member's account in India.

2). Another program offered by Citibank is the rupee checking account. If you select this kind, rather than transfer money from one account to another, you can simply appoint one family member in India to be connected to the account. You can deposit U.S. dollars into the account, and they can then withdraw rupees in India. You will each also receive a checkbook, and you can issue demand drafts to family members and friends for free. Be sure to keep in mind the exchange rate when depositing cash to be withdrawn as rupees. Currently, one U.S. dollar equals 47.9635 rupees, though this rate changes often.

3). Wells Fargo lets customers to send up to $3000 each day to India, but a Wells Fargo International remittance checking account is required. It costs $5 per transfer, and you can send any amount of money for this price. This bank also allows you to send cash to be picked up by relatives in India without an account, and this service costs $7.

4). You can send money to India using other banks, as well. Banks without specialized programs simply usually cost more to use. One example is the State Bank of India, which is located in California and New York, along with a few other states. There are thousands of locations in India. You can transfer money to any branch of the bank in India. Customers who transfer at least 50,000 rupees are not charged any fees. This bank also offers wire transfers, but there is typically a hold period while your check clears, so they are not instant. Wire transfers cost $15 to $25 each, and the exact price depends on how much you send. ICICI Bank also offers such services.

5). You can select a bank that doesn't even have a large presence in India like the State Bank of India does. For example, HSBC charges $30 to transfer $100 to India, or 4796.35 rupees. For this price, it will be sent to the branch of HSBC in India. If you want to transfer money to another bank outside of HSBC, expect it to cost about $45.