Saturday, 11 January 2014

Reserve Bank of India Eases FDI Rules; Exit Norms Relaxed

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday relaxed foreign direct investment regulations to allow investors to exit their investments subject to the conditions of a minimum lock-in period and without any assured returns.

“It is expected that this relaxation will facilitate greater FDI flows into the country,” the RBI said in a statement.                                              
                                         
According to the modified norms, foreign direct investment Eases (FDI) Rules contracts can now have optionality clauses, which allows investors to exit, subject to the conditions of minimum lock—in period and without any assured returns.
                           
Until now, only equity shares or compulsorily and mandatorily convertible preference shares or debentures could be issued to person’s resident outside India under the FDI policy and these instruments were not allowed to have any optionality clause, the RBI said.

FDI in India declined by about 15 per cent to $12.6 billion (Rs 74,971 crore) in April—October. According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, FDI in the same period a year earlier was $14.78 billion.

Food processing industries received $2.14 billion, services $1.36 billion, pharmaceuticals $1.08 billion, automobile $784 million and construction development $699 million.

In a separate notification, the RBI said banks may include a close NRI relative as a joint holder in an individual resident’s existing or new bank account on an “either or survivor” basis.

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