| Sector |
Ownership Limit |
Entry Route |
Remarks |
| Power |
100% |
Automatic |
Includes generation (except nuclear power
where FDI is prohibited), transmission and distribution of
power |
| Telecom |
|
|
|
| Basic, cellular and value-added services |
74% |
FIPB beyond 49% |
|
| ISP with gateways |
74% |
FIPB beyond 49% |
Subject to licensing and security requirements;
FDI cap of 74% for global mobile personal communications by
satellite |
| ISP without gateways |
100% |
FIPB beyond 49% |
| Email, Voice mail |
100% |
FIPB beyond 49% |
| Radio Paging |
74% |
FIPB beyond 49% |
| End-to-End Bandwidth |
74% |
FIPB beyond 49% |
| Infrastructure Providers providing Dark
Fibre |
100% |
FIPB beyond 49% |
| Telecom Manufacturing |
100% |
Automatic |
| Roads |
100% |
Automatic |
Includes construction and maintenance of roads, highways, bridges and tunnels |
| Ports |
100% |
Automatic |
Applies to construction and maintenance of ports |
| Civil Aviation |
|
|
|
| Airports |
100% |
Automatic |
FIPB beyond 74% for existing airport |
| Domestic Airlines |
49% |
Automatic |
Subject to no direct or indirect equity participation by foreign airlines. FDI up to 100% allowed for NRIs |
| Cargo, chartered and Non Scheduled Airlines |
74% |
Automatic |
Investment up to 100% allowed for Non-Resident Indians |
| Ground Handling Services |
74% |
Automatic |
Investment up to 100% allowed for Non-Resident Indians |
| MRO, flying training and technical institutes |
100% |
Automatic |
|
| Petroleum & Natural Gas |
|
|
|
| Petroleum refining |
100% |
Automatic |
|
| Petroleum product pipelines |
100% |
Automatic |
|
| Petroleum product marketing |
100% |
Automatic |
Subject to minimum investment of $450 million in exploration and production or refining or pipelines or terminals |
| Petroleum refining-PSUs |
49% |
FIPB |
|
| Others |
|
|
|
| Mass Rapid Transport System |
100% |
Automatic |
Includes associated real estate development in all metropolitan cities |
| EOU/SEZ/Industrial park construction |
100% |
Automatic |
100% allowed in Industrial park subject to
- Minimum of 10 units and no unit occupies more than 50%
allocable area
- Minimum industrial area of 66%
|
| Satellite establishment and operation |
74% |
FIPB |
|
 |
|
|
|
| Sector |
Ownership Limit |
Entry Route |
Remarks |
| Banking |
|
|
|
| Indian Private Banks |
74% |
Automatic |
Foreign banks can take an equity stake of more than 5% (up to 74%) only in those private sector banks which have been identified by the RBI for restructuring |
| PSU Banks |
20% |
|
Subject to compliance with RBI guidelines |
| NBFCs |
100% |
Automatic |
Includes 19 specified activities; subject
to minimum capitalisation norms and compliance with RBI guidelines |
| Microfinance |
100% |
Automatic |
|
| Insurance |
26% |
Automatic |
Includes both Life and Non-Life Insurance;
subject to licence from Insurance Regulatory & Development
Authority |
| Real estate and construction |
|
|
Subject to minimum land area of 10 hectare for serviced housing plot and built-up area of 50,000 sq. mts. for construction development projects. Also minimum capitalisation and completion norms. Minimum 3 years lock-in from the completion of capitalisation |
| Townships |
100% |
Automatic |
| Housing |
100% |
Automatic |
| Construction – Development Projects including Townships and housing |
100% |
Automatic |
| Build-up Infrastructure |
100% |
Automatic |
| Credit Information companies |
49% |
FIPB |
Prior clearance from FIPB. FII investment permitted up to 24% |
| Trading |
|
|
|
| Retail Trade - Single Brand |
51% |
Automatic |
|
| Retail Trade - Multi Brand |
Not Permitted |
— |
|
| Trading (Export, Cash and Carry Wholesale) |
100% |
Automatic |
|
| Commodity Exchanges |
49% |
|
FDI upto 26%, FII upto 23%. No single investor can hold more than 5% |
| Tourism |
|
|
|
| Hotels, restaurants, beach resorts |
100% |
Automatic |
Includes facilities for providing accommodation and food services |
| Tour and travel agencies |
100% |
Automatic |
|
| Broadcasting |
|
|
|
| TV software production |
100% |
|
Subject to maximum foreign equity up to 49% including FDI/NRI/FII |
| Hardware facilities - (Uplinking, HUB, etc.) |
49% |
|
Subject to maximum foreign equity up to 49% including FDI/NRI/FII; FDI in news and current affairs channels which uplink from India is capped at 26% |
| Cable network |
49% |
|
Subject to maximum foreign equity up to 49% including FDI/NRI/FII |
| DTH |
20% |
|
Subject to maximum foreign equity upto 49% including FDI/NRI/FII. FDI not to exceed 20% |
| Terrestrial Broadcast FM |
20% |
|
Subject to licensee being a company registered in India under the Companies Act, 1956 |
| Terrestrial TV Broadcast |
Not Permitted |
|
|
| Print Media |
|
|
|
| Scientific/Technical journals |
100% |
|
|
| Other non-news/non-current affairs/specialty publications |
74% |
|
|
| Newspapers, Periodicals dealing with news and current affairs |
26% |
|
|
| Other Services |
|
|
|
| Advertising and Film |
100% |
Automatic |
Includes all film related activities |
| Courier and express services |
100% |
FIPB |
Includes all express postal services except the distribution of letters |
| Lottery, Betting and Gambling |
Not Permitted |
— |
|
| Defence and Strategic Industries |
26% |
FIPB |
Subject to security and licensing requirement; products
to be sold primarily to the Ministry of Defence |
| R&D activities |
100% |
Automatic |
|
|
|
|
|
| Sector |
Ownership Limit |
Entry Route |
Remarks |
| Coal and Lignite |
|
|
|
| Coal Processing |
100% |
Automatic |
|
| Captive Coal mining for Power |
100% |
Automatic |
|
Captive Coal mines —
non-power |
74% |
Automatic |
|
| Other Mining and Quarrying |
|
|
|
| Mineral Ores |
100% |
Automatic |
Including Gold, Silver and other mineral
ores |
| Diamonds and precious stones |
100% |
Automatic |
|
| Titanium Mining and mineral separation |
100% |
FIPB |
Value addition facilities to be setup within India along with transfer of technology |
| Atomic Minerals |
74% |
FIPB |
Includes only mining, mineral separation and subsequent value addition |
| Oil and Natural Gas Exploration |
100% |
Automatic |
|
|
|
|
|
FDI
policy overview
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