New Delhi - Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India have crossed the USD one trillion milestone in the April 2000 – September 2024 period, firmly establishing the country’s reputation as a safe and key investment destination globally. According to data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the cumulative amount of FDI, including equity, reinvested earnings and other capital, stood at USD 1,033.40 billion during the said period.

About 25 per cent of the FDI came through the Mauritius route. It was followed by Singapore (24 per cent), the US (10 per cent), the Netherlands (7 per cent), Japan (6 per cent), the UK (5 per cent), UAE (3 per cent) and Cayman Islands, Germany and Cyprus accounted for 2 per cent each.

India received USD 177.18 billion from Mauritius, USD 167.47 billion from Singapore and USD 67.8 billion from the US during the period under review, as per the data.

The key sectors attracting the maximum of these inflows include the services segment, computer software and hardware, telecommunications, trading, construction development, automobile, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry, since 2014, India has attracted a cumulative FDI inflow of USD 667.4 billion (2014-24), registering an increase of 119 per cent over the preceding decade (2004-14).

“This investment inflow spans 31 states and 57 sectors, driving growth across diverse industries. Most sectors, except strategically important sectors, are open for 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route.

FDI equity inflows into the manufacturing sector over the past decade (2014-24) reached USD 165.1 billion, marking a 69 per cent increase over the previous decade (2004 -14), which saw inflows of USD 97.7 billion, an official has said.

To ensure that India remains an attractive and investor-friendly destination, the government reviews FDI policy on an ongoing basis and makes changes from time to time after having extensive consultations with stakeholders.

The overseas inflows into India are likely to gather momentum in 2025, as healthy macroeconomic numbers, better industrial output and attractive PLI schemes will attract more overseas players amid geopolitical headwinds, experts said.

They added that despite the global challenges, India is still the preferred investment destination.

Avimukt Dar, Founding Partner, INDUSLAW, said the inflows are likely to continue in a robust form. There is strong anticipation that private equity financing in the tech sector, which had slowed down in the past, will pick up again since various funds have enjoyed good exits in the public markets and are ready to deploy again.

“The government can continue with structural reforms, particularly in the space of M&A, by nudging SEBI to make the public takeover regime more friendly for foreign players,” Dar said.

Rumki Majumdar, an economist at consultancy Deloitte India, said FDI inflows are likely to remain modest amidst expected policy changes in the US and the impact of policy stimulus on China’s economy.

Geopolitical situations may alter supply chains, and trade regulations would dampen investors’ sentiments, keeping capital flows volatile, she said, adding that the government will have to prioritise infrastructure capex with timely project execution, boost workforce skilling via PPPs and incentives, invest in digital ecosystems for productivity gains, and foster R&D for digital solutions that help inclusion and formalisation of the economy.