Industry bodies hail government decision on FDI

18 Jul 2013 Evaluate

A day after India went for a big reform push through Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in over a dozen sectors, the leading industry bodies FICCI and CII have welcomed the move to hike FDI limits in key areas like insurance, retail, telecom, defence and have said that it would provide the much needed boost to the Indian economy.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) president Naina Lal Kidwai said that “We welcome this move. This was long-awaited, it showed such a broad view to make the process easier by moving from the FIPB to automatic route and the significant increases in telecom, insurance and defence sectors are indeed welcomed. This should bring FDI into the country, which will help in our current account deficit and encourage fresh investment in the country”. While, Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said that “It is good news for India, a very bold and a significant step” and CII welcomes the decision to liberalise sectoral FDI limits and put more sectors on the automatic route. Banerjee, however, said that it still might take time before the flow of FDI is seen in India as a result of these major policy changes.

Earlier, in a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister the government decided to liberalize the FDI route in 13 sectors, clearing 100 percent FDI in telecom, raising FDI in insurance to 49 percent from present 26 percent and 49 percent FDI in petroleum refining and power exchanges. The government also raised FDI in asset reconstruction companies to 100 percent from 74 percent, further up to 49 percent in stock exchanges, in courier services up to 100 percent. In tea plantation up to 49 percent through automatic route and 49-100 percent through FIPB route, while the limit was increased in credit information companies to 74 percent from 49 percent.

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