Govt panel identifies nine sectors for mandatory Indian ownership and control

24 Jun 2013 Evaluate

Constituted to liberalise the India's foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, the Arvind Mayaram committee has recommended nine sectors be categorised as those where Indian ownership and control will be mandatory. These sectors include FM radio, print media (news & current affairs), stock exchanges along with depositories and clearing corporation, power exchanges, petroleum & natural gas refining, insurance, defence production and private security agencies among others.

The committee has suggested keeping the FDI cap at 49 per cent in these nine sectors through the automatic route except for defence production and private security agencies to protect India's strategic interests in these sectors and will be subject to FIPB scrutiny. Further, it has also clarified that FDI will not include portfolio investments in insurance and petroleum & natural gas refining.

The proposal is currently needed to be vetted by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and if accepted will lead to significant liberalization of some sectors, such as commodity exchanges, stock exchanges and insurance, in which FDI up to 49 per cent will be allowed. The panel has also suggested for 100 per cent foreign investment in those sectors where Indian control and ownership are not material. Presently, 100 per cent FDI is allowed under the automatic route in infrastructure, energy and manufacturing sectors.

Further, there are many sectors in India, which are still in their nascent stage and require financial security and the panel has also recommended many sectors including IP services in telecom, broadcasting carriage services, uplinking and down linking of non-news and current affairs and TV channels, printing among others for 100 per cent FDI under automatic route.  

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