DIPP finalizes cabinet note for relaxing FDI norms for housing sector

28 Oct 2013 Evaluate

With an aim to provide houses at affordable prices to the people and to attract more foreign investment into country’s construction development sector, the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) has finalised the Cabinet note on relaxing norms for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the construction sector including townships, housing and built-up infrastructure. The views received from various departments and ministries such as the finance and home affairs ministries, ministry of housing and poverty alleviation and planning commission have been assimilated in the final draft note. The DIPP will soon circulate the draft note to Cabinet for approval.

The draft note proposed easing the three-year lock-in period for FDI in housing and townships, and also sought reduction in the minimum capitalization to $5 million from the present $10 million for wholly-owned subsidiaries. Further, the note has suggested a cut in the minimum built-up area of 50,000 sq mts to 20,000 sq mts of carpet area in case of construction development projects.

India has received FDI worth $22.24 billion during the period from April 2000 to June 2013, in construction development sector, accounting for 11 per cent of the total FDI that came into India. However, foreign investments in the sector has started drying up since 2012 as the government has also imposed several conditions on it despite allowing 100 percent FDI in construction development sector. FDI in Indian construction sector declined by 52 percent to Rs 7,248 crore in FY13 from Rs 15,236 crore recorded in the FY12. During the April-July, 2013 FDI in construction sector stood at Rs 2,092 crore.

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