FPI outflow crosses ₹4,000 cr in January so far

Foreign investors have pulled out more than ₹4,000 crore from the Indian capital markets so far in January, highlighting their cautious stance towards the country.

This comes following a collective net inflow of over ₹17,000 crore in the capital markets — both equity and debt — by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) during November and December.

Prior to that, they had pulled out a massive ₹38,905 crore in October.

According to data available with the depositories, FPIs withdrew a net amount of ₹3,987 crore from equities and a net sum of ₹53 crore from the debt market, taking the total outflow to ₹4,040 crore during January 1-18.

Market experts believe that FPIs are continuing with their ‘wait and watch’ approach towards India.

Going ahead, the focus would be on the budget, progress on the economic growth front and general elections, they added.

Other factors such as movement in crude prices and currency as well as U.S.-China trade relations will also play a role in FPI flows, they added.

Harsh Jain, COO at Groww, an online MF investment platform, said 2019 is likely to see a lot of volatility because of the rate hikes and dollar instability, but the Indian markets may be able to weather the storm.

“India offers better investment opportunities due to consistent growth, supportive global factors and attract valuations. We should expect positive inflow in coming months,” he added.