FDI inflow dips 40% in March

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India declined by 40 per cent year-on-year to $2.11 billion in March 2015, the lowest in the last four months of 2014-15 financial year.

Previously, in November 2014 the FDI was the lowest at $1.53 billion.

FDI in India was at $3.53 billion in March 2014.

However, during the 2014-15 financial year, foreign fund inflows grew 27 per cent, year-on-year, to $30.93 billion as against $24.29 billion in 2013-14, according to the data of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Amongst the top 10 sectors, services received the maximum FDI of $3.25 billion in 2014-15, followed by telecommunication ($2.89 billion), automobiles ($2.57 billion), computer software and hardware ($2.20 billion) and pharmaceuticals ($1.52 billion).

During the entire financial year, India received the maximum FDI from Mauritius ($9.03 billion), followed by Singapore ($6.74 billion), the Netherlands ($3.43 billion), Japan ($2.08 billion) and the US ($1.82 billion).

In 2013-14, FDI stood at $24.29 billion as against $22.42 billion a year earlier.

India is estimated to require around $1 trillion investment over five years to overhaul its infrastructure sector, including ports, airports and highways to boost growth.