KACHARAGADLA

India’s recent reforms to it’s foreign direct investment guidelines have prompted a flurry of excitement from companies looking to get in on the action, and there are a few growth sectors to watch out for in 2016, says U.S.-India Business Council India Director Nivedita Mehra. Earlier in November, the Indian government  relaxed  several of the stringent foreign investment guidelines, giving leeway for increased bilateral business development. The government eased regulations for 15 sectors including mining, defense, construction, real estate, civil aviation, and broadcasting. Mehra, who is based in New Delhi with the USIBC, and regularly hosts multinational delegations seeking business in the country, pointed out a few of the sectors to watch for 2016. Single brand retail is first on everyone’s watch list. India is well on its way to allowing single-brand retail foreign companies to sell in the country via e-commerce portals. This coming as a possible boon for the 100% forei

While recent reports have said that India has outstripped China in terms of FDI, this is a limited view. In fact, China’s gross FDI inflows are far higher than India’s. While FDI inflows into ‘Make in India’ industries have increased, the export focus of the campaign seems to have been diluted in favour of the Digital India sectors, suggests a report by brokerage firm Emkay Global. The report, published on Wednesday, also adds that while recent media reports have said that India has outstripped China in terms of FDI, this is a limited view. In fact, China’s gross FDI inflows are far higher than India’s. While $5.3 billion flowed into the computer software and hardware sectors between December 2013 and June 2015, only $1.1 billion entered the construction sector in the same period, the report finds, based on data from the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In addition, the report s