DIPP notifies 100% FDI in more financial services

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DIPP notifies 100% FDI in more financial services The commerce and industry ministry notified 100 percent foreign direct investment in ‘other financial services’ carried out by NBFCs.

 

The move will help attract foreign capital into the country. “The government has liberalised its FDI policy in Other Financial Services and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), the DIPP said in a press note.

 

Other financial services will include activities which are regulated by any financial sector regulator – RBI, SEBI, IRDA, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, National Housing Bank “or any other financial sector regulator as may be notified by the government in this regard,” it said.

 

Such foreign investment would be subject to conditionalities, including minimum capitalisation norms, as specified by the concerned regulator or government agency, it said.

 

The press note, however, did not specify the sectors which have been opened up for automatic route. The present regulations on NBFCs stipulate that FDI would be allowed on automatic route for only 18 specified NBFC activities after fulfilling prescribed minimum capitalisation norms mentioned therein.

 

In the Budget 2016-17 Speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced about this liberalisation.

 

Currently, 100 percent FDI through automatic route is permitted in 18 NBFC activities including merchant banking, under writing, portfolio management services, financial consultancy and stock broking. In 2015-16, foreign direct investment in India grew by 29 percent year-on-year to USD 40 billion.

Source: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/dipp-notifies-100-fdimore-financial-services_7829901.html

 

FPI inflows top Rs. 20,000 cr in Sept, at 11-month high

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Foreign investors pumped in more than Rs. 20,000 crore into the capital market in September, making it the highest net inflow in 11 months.

This also marks the third consecutive month of positive inflows (equity and debt).

The trend is likely to continue in the coming weeks as regulator SEBI has decided to offer well-regulated foreign investors direct entry to invest in corporate bonds, say experts.

They attributed the latest flurry of capital to factors such as sound progress in roll-out of GST, better corporate earnings and the US Fed’s decision not to lift interest rates.

Sentiment turned better after the current account deficit (CAD) narrowed sharply to just $300 million, or 0.1 per cent of GDP, in the June quarter and domestic passenger vehicle sales grew for the 14th straight month in August, they added.

According to depositors’ data, net investment by FPIs stood at Rs. 10,443 crore in equities last month while the same for debt was Rs. 9,789 crore, taking the total inflow to Rs. 20,233 crore ($3 billion).

This was the highest net inflow in the capital markets since October 2015 when FPIs had infused Rs. 22,350 crore.

The latest inflow has taken the FPI investment tally in equities to Rs. 51,293 crore in 2016 while the same for the debt market stands at Rs. 2,441 crore, resulting in a net inflow of Rs. 53,734 crore.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/fpi-inflows-surpass-rs-20000-cr-in-sept-at-11month-high/article9176139.ece

Forex reserves hit fresh all-time high, cross $371 billion

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The country’s forex reserves continued to scale new highs, with the week to September 9 adding $3.513 billion to the kitty, which hit a new life-time peak of $371.279 billion, RBI data showed today.

The reserves had increased by $989.5 million to $367.76 billion in the previous reporting week.

The reserves are more than sufficient to cover nearly 13 months of exports.

The surge indicates that new RBI Governor Urjit Patel is continuing with his predecessor Raghuram Rajan’s policy of building up the forex reserves. The three-year tenure of Rajan saw the RBI adding a net of $92 billion to the kitty.

Foreign currency assets (FCAs), a major component of the overall reserves, swelled by $3.509 billion to $345.747 billion for the week ended September 9, the Reserve Bank said.

FCAs, expressed in dollar terms, include the effect of appreciation/depreciation of non-US currencies such as the euro, pound and the yen held in the reserves.

Gold reserves, however, were unchanged at $21.64 billion at the end of the reporting week, the apex bank said.

The country’s special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund increased by $5.3 million to $1.493 billion, while the reserve position with the fund was down by $1.3 million to $2.395 billion, it added.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/economy/forex-reserves-hit-fresh-all-time-high-cross-371-billion/379908/

FPIs infuses $1 billion in capital markets in September

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Foreign investors have pumped in nearly Rs 6,800 crore (USD 1 billion) into the country’s capital markets so far this month, driven by global and domestic factors.

The latest infusion comes on top of a whopping inflow of Rs 25,904 in the preceding two months (July-August). Prior to that, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) had pulled out a total of Rs 4,373 crore from the capital markets (equity and debt) in June and July.

Experts attributed the latest flurry in inflow to factors including good and widespread monsoon, better corporate earnings, sound progress on rollout progress of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and positive data coming from the US economy.

Sentiments also rode high after domestic passenger vehicle sales grew for the 14th straight month in August, they added.

According to depositors’ data, net investment by FPIs stood at Rs 3,178 crore in equities during September 1-9, while the same for debt markets was at Rs 3,617 crore, taking the total inflow to Rs 6,795 crore (USD 1.02 billion).

So far this year, FPIs have invested Rs 44,028 crore in equities while withdrawing Rs 3,730 crore from the debt market. This resulted in a net flow of Rs 40,297 crore.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/economy/fpis-infuses-1-billion-in-capital-markets-in-september/373416/

Kaya acquires “beneficial interest” in 2 UAE skincare firms

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Skincare firm Kaya Ltd today said it has acquired majority “beneficial interest” in UAE’s Minal Medical Centre and Minal Specialized Clinic Dermatology for an undisclosed sum.

“Kaya Middle East, DMCC, a foreign subsidiary of Kaya Ltd has entered into an agreement dated September 8, 2016 for acquiring 75 per cent beneficial interest in Minal Medical Centre, Dubai and Minal Specialized Clinic Dermatology, Sharjah.

“However, the agreement will become effective on fulfilling of certain conditions precedent and obtaining the requisite statutory approval/s, which will take approximately 4 months,” the company said in a BSE filing.

It further said: “The above said entities carry out business of skincare, body and hair services and reported revenue of Arab Emirate Dirham (AED) 11.17 million (around Rs 20.26 crore), as per the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015.”

Kaya Ltd said: “This acquisition will further strengthen company’s network of clinics in the UAE region and add new set of customers to our existing base in the region. With its special expertise in body contouring, it would help Kaya in leveraging across the region.”

With this acquisition, the total network of Kaya’s clinics in the Middle East region would increase to 23.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/companies/kaya-acquires-beneficial-interest-in-2-uae-skincare-firms/372083/

Second instalment of FDI reforms cleared

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The Union Cabinet today approved the second instalment FDI of reforms, which the Centre has announced in June covering diverse sectors including Defence, food-processing, single brand retail and broadcasting.

The ex-post-facto approval for the reforms in the Foreign Direct Investment regime was given by the Cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday.

Under the amended rules, 100 per cent FDI with government approval is permitted for trading, including through e-commerce, in respect of food products manufactured and/or produced in India.

In Defence, foreign investment beyond 49 per cent is permitted through the approval route wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded. The state-of-the-art technology condition has been dropped.

In the broadcasting sector, the amendments allow 100 per cent FDI via the automatic route, up from 49 per cent.

To encourage investments in pharmaceuticals, the amendments allow 74 per cent FDI under the automatic route in the brownfield (existing projects) segment. Earlier, all FDI in brownfield projects had to come in through the government approval route.

Similarly, in the civil aviation sector, 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route has been allowed in brownfield projects as against 49 per cent earlier.

Local sourcing norms have been relaxed up to three years, with government approval for entities undertaking single brand retail trading of products having state-of-the-art and cutting edge technology. Thereafter, sourcing norms would be applicable.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-news/second-instalment-of-fdi-reforms-cleared/article9057070.ece