India gets $42-bn FDI during Apr-Feb: RBI

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country increased to $42 billion during April-February in 2015-16, up 27.45 per cent from the inflows in the corresponding period of the previous financial year, RBI said on Monday.

The inflows were $32.96 billion during April-February 2014-15.

Read more from our special coverage on "RBI"

• RBI sells $3.34 billion in spot forex in February
• RBI declines to share details of banks inspection report
• Power reforms may pressure states budgets: RBI
• RBI cuts by 25 bps, but feels like more: Ravneet Gill
• Rate transmissions can be seen in next few months: Manas Datta

The data further revealed that FDI in February was $3.2 billion, down from $5.14 billion in January. The foreign direct inflows were $3.48 billion in February 2015.

The net FDI (minus FDI outflow) was $34.04 billion during April-February against $29.66 billion in the corresponding period of the last financial year.

According to the finance ministry, 98 per cent of FDI is coming into India through the automatic route and, as a “positive sign”, the number of applications being routed via the Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval route has started declining.

The NDA government has been liberalising the FDI regime and has brought a number of sectors under the automatic route. Insurance, railways, defence and e-commerce are some of the key sectors where FDI norms have been liberalised.