Global companies perceive India as third most attractive destination: UN report

06 Jul 2012 Evaluate

At a time when Asia’s third largest Indian economy is showing signs of deterioration owing to a series of domestic challenges along with weakening international scenario, a recent report from United Nations underscoring global companies perceive India as third most attractive destination for investment after China and the United States, emerged as silver lining amid dark clouds. The report also highlighted that FDI inflows to South Asia turned around as a result of higher inflows to India, the dominant foreign direct investment (FDI) recipient in the region.

According to the World Investment Report 2012 prepared by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), a survey of 179 top global firms around the world showed that the companies unanimously saw India only behind China and the United States in their list of top destinations where they planned to invest between 2012 and 2014. However, the survey also highlighted that the transnational companies expected slower FDI growth at the global level in 2012.

India, the largest FDI recipient in South Asia accounting for more than four fifths of total FDI inflows to the region, showed a strong performance as FDI inflows in the country reached $31.6 billion in 2011, surging around 33 percent from previous years’ $24.2 billion levels. Assuming that the present trend of FDI inflow in India continues, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) chief economist Nagesh Kumar has predicted that the nation is likely to witness 20-25 percent growth in FDI inflows this year while that in the subsequent year would be about 20 percent.

Following declines in 2009 and 2010, FDI inflows to South Asia rose by 23 percent to $39 billion in 2011, of which India accounted for around $32 billion inflows followed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan, the second and third largest FDI recipients, amounted to $4.2 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively. Bangladesh also emerged as a major recipient, with FDI inflows increasing to a record high of $1.1 billion.

After three years’ decline, outbound FDI from the South Asian region recovered as well. In 2011, FDI outflows from South Asia rose by 12 percent to $15.2 billion. Outflows from India, the region’s dominant source of FDI, increased to $14.8 billion. The report also pointed that India remained the largest investor in least developed countries (LDCs) from developing and transition economies, followed by China and South Africa.

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