Friday, April 10, 2009

FDI inflows fall 73% in February

FDI inflows fall 73% in February
The Financial Express, April 10, 2009, Page 2

fe Bureau, New Delhi

Global financial crisis continued to take its toll on foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country as such inflows fell in February 2009, for the fourth time in five months. FDI inflows in February dropped by as much as 73% to $1.49 billion from $ 5.67 billion a year ago.

FDI inflows from the beginning till the penultimate month of 2008-09 fiscal has touched only $25.38 billion. This means, the country may miss the $35 billion FDI target for 2008-09 or even the reduced target of $30 billion.

But total FDI during April 2008-February 2009 has already crossed $24.57 billion that the country received in the previous fiscal, an official said. In 2006-07, India had received only $15.5 billion worth FDI.

Though FDI inflows were robust in the first half of 2008-09, as the global financial crisis started spreading, it slowed down.

After maintaining a monthly average of $2.8 billion till September in the 2008-09 financial year, FDI inflows fell by 26% in October to $1.49 billion. After slipping by a similar 26% in November to just $1 billion, FDI inflows once again fell to $1.36 billion in December 2008 from $1.56 billion in December 2007, a year-on-year slump of about 13%.

However, it turned upwards in January, rising 55% at $2.74 billion, against $1.77 billion in January 2008.

While during the April-September 2008, FDI inflows were up 137% from the year-ago period at $17.2 billion, the growth fell to 66% during the April 2008-January 2009 period at $23.94 billion.

India has attracted FDI inflows of around $88 billion from April 2000 to February 2009.

•FDI inflows were robust in the first half of 2008-09, as the global financial crisis started spreading

• It slowed after maintaining a monthly average of $2.8 billion till September in the 2008-09

• FDI inflows fell 26% in October to $1.49 billion

• After slipping 26% in November to just $1 billion, FDI inflows once again fell to $1.36 billion in December 2008 from $1.56 billion in December 2007

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