Foreign Investment

Insurance Amendment Bill, which proposes 100 per cent FDI in the insurance sector, may not be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing session, sources said. Some finetuning may be required in the draft Bill after receiving comments from stakeholders, sources said. Given the paucity of time, it is difficult to present the Bill in the ongoing session, sources said, adding it may, however, come in the Budget session. The finance ministry has proposed to amend various provisions of the Insurance Act, of 1938, including raising foreign direct investment (FDI) in the insurance sector to 100 per cent, reduction in paid-up capital, and provision for composite licence. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has sought public comments on the proposed amendments by December 10. As per the proposal, the FDI limit in Indian insurance companies will be raised from 74 per cent to 100 per cent. This is the second public consultation that the DFS has sought on the proposed amendments to the .

Global funds have piled into sectors with strong growth potential, while pulling back exposure to sectors like banks, consumer and energy- the stragglers of 2024

The benchmarks rallied on Monday, after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a decisive victory in the elections of the country's richest state, Maharashtra

The government initiatives such as Make in India and production linked incentive schemes for different sectors are helping attract foreign investors to set up bases in India, according to industry chamber CII. In a letter to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said that the government's increased investments in infrastructure such as roads, railways and ports are making the domestic industry more competitive. The policy shift within India has also occurred at the same time as geopolitical conditions have become favourable for India, with many global companies looking to diversify their geographical base, the letter, dated November 5, said. "FDI inflows have increased from USD 45.14 billion in 2014-15 to USD 70.95 billion in 2023-24, indicating the growing interest of foreign investors for setting up base in India," it said, adding that the PLI schemes have attracted huge investments. It added that India's manufacturing capabilities

Trading activity of foreign investors and global trends will be the major driving factors for the equity markets in a holiday-shortened week ahead, according to analysts. Leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE have declared a trading holiday on November 20 for assembly elections in Maharashtra. Elections to the 288-member state legislative assembly will be held on November 20, and votes will be counted on November 23. "The Indian stock market will remain shut on Wednesday, November 20, in observance of Maharashtra assembly elections. The election results, along with key global economic indicators, including US bond yields, dollar index performance, US unemployment claims, flash manufacturing and services PMI data, and Japan's inflation data, will be pivotal in shaping market direction. "High US bond yields and a strengthening dollar post-election have impacted emerging markets like India, and FII (Foreign Institutional Investors) activity remains a key factor, influencing Indian equit

For the first 10 months of 2024, foreigners bought Rs 1.18 trillion of bonds, driven by India's inclusion in the JPMorgan index on June 28

Policymakers are looking at the option of foreign investments through a mix of equity and debt, which aren't permitted currently, the sources said, noting that a final decision is still pending

Equity investors will track the trading activity of foreign investors, global trends and ongoing earnings results for further cues, and benchmark indices may continue to witness consolidation in a holiday-shortened week amid the monthly derivatives expiry, analysts said. Markets fell sharply last week amid massive foreign capital outflows and dismal Q2 earnings so far. Weakness in the markets might continue in the near term amid cautiousness among investors ahead of the US presidential election early next month, an expert said. Equity markets will remain closed on Friday for Diwali, but a special trading window will be open for one hour in the evening. Leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE will conduct a one-hour special 'Muhurat Trading' session on the occasion of Diwali on November 1, marking the start of the new Samvat 2081. Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services, said, "We expect the consolidation to continue in the short term. A reversal in trend will depend on

Investors must adhere to RBI guidelines and SEBI regulations when investing abroad

He spoke on IMAX's place in the global cinema ecosystem and its India plans

Foreign investors infused nearly Rs 11,000 crore in domestic equities in the first week of the month owing to resilience of the Indian market and expectations of rate cut in the US. Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have been consistently buying equities since June. Before that, they had pulled out funds to the tune of Rs 34,252 crore in April-May. The recent inflows are promising and could continue, supported by India's stable macroeconomic position. However, global factors like US interest rate and geopolitical scenario would continue to be the driving force, Himanshu Srivastava, Associate Director- Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India, said. According to the data with the depositories, FPIs put in a net investment of Rs 10,978 crore into equities this month (till September 6). FPIs have been on a buying spree in the Indian equity markets after the sentiments improved following comments from US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who suggested that a rate cut

Now, let's explore what the OCI status means, the investments OCIs can make in India, and how they are taxed

Iran's president said Saturday his country needs some $100 billion in foreign investment to achieve an annual target of 8% economic growth up from the current rate of 4%. The remarks by Masoud Pezeshkian, who was elected in July, came in his first live televised interview by state TV. Pezeshkian said Iran needs up to $250 billion to reach its goal but more than half is available from domestic resources. Experts say growth in GDP of 8% would reduce double-digit inflation and unemployment rates. Hundreds of entities and people in Iran from the central bank and government officials to drone producers and money exchangers are already under international sanctions, many of them accused of materially supporting Iran's Revolutionary Guard and foreign militant groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Pezeshkian in his interview complained about the sanctions and said his administration plans to reduce inflation, which is running at more than 40% annually, if we solve our problems

Investors are pumping money instead into initial public offerings (IPOs), whose valuations are lower

In May 2024, the company sought shareholder approval to raise the foreign investment threshold to 49% as part of a strategic initiative to attract significant foreign capital

The regulator for Gujarat International Finance ­Tec-­City is halting approvals for family investment funds after feedback from the central bank

Global investment firm Blackstone plans to sell 33 crore units in its REIT firm 'Nexus Select Trust' for nearly Rs 4500 crore through a block deal on stock exchanges, according to sources. Blackstone currently holds around 43 per cent stake in Nexus Select Trust, which is India's first real estate investment trust (REIT) backed by retail properties. According to sources, Blackstone plans to sell 33 crore units in Nexus Select Trust at a floor price of Rs 135 apiece. Block deal is likely to happen on Friday. Blackstone intends to monetise its investment through this block deal. Post divestment of these units, Blackstonestake in Nexus Select Trust will come down to 21 per cent. Nexus Select Trust's portfolio comprises 17 shopping malls with a gross leasable area of 9.9 million square feet spread across 14 cities in India, two complementary hotel assets (354 keys) and three office assets with a Gross Leasable Area of 1.3 million square feet. Blackstone has sponsored three REITs in

India and Saudi Arabia on Sunday discussed various opportunities for bilateral investments in diverse areas in the public and private sectors, including refining and petrochemical plants, new and renewable energy, and power. They reviewed measures aimed at promoting two-way investments in a mutually beneficial manner at the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia High-Level Task Force on Investments, co-chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra and the Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in the virtual mode. The two sides reviewed the discussions held between the technical teams of the task force, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office here said. Constructive discussions were held on various opportunities for bilateral investments in diverse areas in the public and private sector, including refining and petrochemical plants, new and renewable energy, power, telecom, innovation, among others, the statement ...

Since September, when India's inclusion in the JPMorgan index was announced, foreigners have invested a net amount of $12.7 billion

Removal of the Angel tax for startups was a long pending issue as this levy was on investment coming into the country and such overseas inflows should not be taxed, a top government official said. Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Rajesh Kumar Singh said the decision will help in attracting foreign investments, promoting innovation and further strengthening the startup ecosystem of the country, which is the third largest in the world. "So this was an ease of doing business issue as well as a tax issue. Ultimately, it was a tax not on income but on investments and investments should not get taxed, that is the basic idea," Singh told PTI. Giving a big relief to startups, the government on Tuesday announced removal of angel tax for all classes of investors. Angel tax (income tax at the rate of over 30 per cent) refers to the income tax that the government imposes on funding raised by unlisted companies, or startups, if their valuation ...