The Foreign Direct Investment in Indian business sectors can easily be made in two ways, i.e. either through the Automatic route or through the Governmental route.

• Automatic Route: Under automatic route, FDI is allowed without requiring any prior approval from the Central Government or the Reserve Bank of India. Here the FDI can be made in any of the sectors/activities that are specified and updated from time to time as per the provisions of the act.
• Government Route: Those sectors/activities which are not covered for foreign investment under automatic route fall under Government route. Investment in sectors/activities under this route requires prior approval of the Government. The application filled is considered by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), Department of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Finance.

The present policy prohibits foreign investment in the following sectors:

• Lottery business which includes Government lottery, private lottery, online lotteries, etc.
• Gambling and betting which includes casinos, etc. (Any form of foreign technology collaboration in the lottery, gambling or betting business is also prohibited)
• Services like accounting, auditing, bookkeeping and legal services
• Nidhi company (i.e. borrowing from members and lending to members only for mutual benefit)
• Chit fund business (i.e. a company that manages, conducts or supervises a chit scheme)
• Manufacturing of tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, cheroots, cigarettes and other tobacco substitutes
• Real Estate Business (does not include construction development) and Construction of Farm Houses
• Trading in Transferable Development Rights (TDRs)
• Activities/sectors not open to private sector investment (like Atomic energy, Railway operations)

A foreign company planning to set up business operations in India has the following options:

• Incorporating a Company in India: A foreign company can incorporate a private or public, limited company in India It can be a joint venture or a wholly owned company. However, the foreign company has to comply with certain rules and regulations in this regard.
• Limited Liability Partnerships: A foreign company can set up business operations in India by way of forming a limited liability partnership. It is allowed under Government route for sectors which have 100% FDI It is also allowed under automatic route without imposing any restrictions.
• Sole Proprietorship/Partnership Firm: It is possible for a foreign company to set up a sole proprietorship or partnership firm in India by getting prior approval from Reserve Bank of India.
• Extension of Foreign Entity: A foreign company can opt to register a branch office, project office or liaison office in India. Setting up these offices requires RBI or Government approval. These offices can undertake only those activities that are specified by the RBI.

In order to set up business operations in India, you can seek help from FDI consultants in India. Numbro, a leading foreign direct investment consulting firms in India has a team of business consultants who can acquaint you with the current statutory legislations so that you don’t have to face any hurdles while starting your business.

Yes, all the foreign investments in India are generally allowed to be repatriated, after payment of taxes due without any restriction and without any approval from RBI. However, there are exceptional cases where it is not allowed. Such cases are:

• where the investment is made or held on non-repatriation basis, or
• where the sectoral condition specifically mentions non-repatriation

The following can be an investor under FDI:

• An individual which includes financial institutions, foreign venture capital investors, pension or provident fund.
• Company which includes sovereign wealth funds, foreign trust, non-resident Indians or persons of Indian origin.
• Foreign Institutional Investors which includes private equity funds, partnership or proprietorship firm and others.

We are one of the leading foreign direct investment consulting firms in India and cater to a lot of clients ranging from providing services to clients for FDI in retail in india, FDI advisory and other FDI consulting.

There are several ways by which an Indian Company can receive foreign investment. These ways are:

• By issuing equity shares as per the provisions of Companies Act, 2013.
• By issuing fully and mandatorily convertible preference shares; and fully and mandatorily convertible debentures.
• By issuing partly paid equity shares and warrants as per the provisions of Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI guidelines.

So, if you need any help with FDI related matters, get in touch with us on our email [email protected] or call us on + 91 9000333992 / + 91 9160656666. We are one of the renowned and professional foreign direct investment consulting firms in India.