Govt liberalises FDI limit

In 12 sectors, including insurance, telecom, defence

• Telecom 100 % S Civil aviation unchanged at 49%
• Defence sector unchanged at 26% S Insurance limit moved from 26% to 49%
• Single brand retail at 49% automatic route, beyond FIPB approval needed
• No view taken on relaxing FDI caps in airports, media, brownfield pharma, multi-brand retail
• Oil refineries, commodity bourses, power exchanges, stock exchanges and clearing corporations, now FDI allowed up to 49% under automatic route
• Under automatic approval mode, the company is required to report to RBI within 30 days of getting foreign equity
• FDI limit increased in credit information companies to 74% from 49%.
• FDI in tea plantation up to 49% through automatic route; 49-100% through FIPB route
• Raised FDI in asset reconstruction companies to 100% from 74%; of this up to 49% will be under automatic route
• FDI up to 100% through automatic route allowed in courier services

New Delhi (PTI): Opening the doors to shore up foreign investments, the government on Tuesday liberalised FDI limits in a dozen sectors, including allowing 100 per cent in telecom and higher limits in 'state-of-the-art' defence manufacturing, to boost the sagging economy. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap for civil aviation was, however, left unchanged at 49 per cent. While the FDI cap in defence sector remained unchanged at 26 per cent, higher limits of foreign investments in 'state-of-the-art' technology manufacturing will be considered by the Cabinet Committee on Security, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said here. In the contentious insurance sector, it was decided to raise the sectoral FDI cap from 26 per cent to 49 per cent under automatic route under which companies investing do not require prior government approval. A Bill to raise FDI cap in the sector is already pending in the Rajya Sabha. "Consensus" on raising FDI limits in some sectors and relaxing the route in others was arrived at a meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took with his key ministers, Sharma said. It was decided to allow 49 per cent FDI in single brand retail under the automatic route and beyond through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). Besides civil aviation, Sharma said, no view was taken on relaxing FDI caps in airports, media, brownfield pharma and multi-brand retail. In case of PSU oil refineries, commodity bourses, power exchanges, stock exchanges and clearing corporations, FDI will be allowed up to 49 per cent under automatic route as against current routing of the investment through FIPB.