FDI equity inflows
FDI = Foreign Direct Investment- How often
- Every quarterQuarterly factsheet
- Last released
- 14 Sep 2026Q1 2026-27 (Apr–Jun 2026)
April–June 2026, up from $10.97 bn in January–March 2026.
Events on this chart
Source: DPIIT, released 14 Sep 2026 · Chart: Clarity UPSC
- Previous
- $10.97 bnQ4 2025-26 (Jan–Mar 2026)
- Highest
- $19.82 bnQ1 2026-27 (Apr–Jun 2026)
- Lowest
- $10.97 bnQ4 2025-26 (Jan–Mar 2026)
5 readings since Q1 2025-26 (Apr–Jun 2025).
Story
Fresh equity investment by foreign companies in Indian firms.
What is happening now As of Q1 2026-27 (Apr–Jun 2026)
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows were $19.82 billion in April–June 2026, 6% more than the $18.63 billion of April–June 2025, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) reports. April alone brought $12.11 billion. Counting reinvested earnings and other capital, total FDI in the quarter was $30.66 billion. Among the top ten investor countries, Japan sent the most ($5.71 billion), followed by Singapore ($5.22 billion); among the leading sectors, services drew the most ($7.04 billion).
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) says net FDI improved to $13.8 billion in April–August 2026, from $9.6 billion a year earlier, because gross inflows rose and investment abroad by Indian firms grew more slowly. It reads the strong gross inflows as a sign of global investors' interest in India.
Why it matters
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) brings long-term money into Indian companies, often with technology, management skills and links to foreign markets. It pays for new factories, offices and services, and so creates jobs.
Portfolio money can leave the stock market in days; direct investors usually stay for years. FDI therefore helps pay for India's current account deficit in a steadier way and supports the rupee. The government uses the data when it decides which sectors to open to foreign investors, and how far.
What it is
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is investment by a person or company outside India in the equity of an Indian company: any stake in an unlisted company, or 10% or more of a listed one. This figure counts fresh equity: money paid for new shares and for the purchase of existing shares.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) publishes it in a quarterly factsheet, using remittance data the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has supplied since April 2000. Investment comes in through the automatic route or through the government route, which needs prior approval.
The RBI's total FDI is larger. It adds the profits foreign-owned firms reinvest in India and loans between parent companies and their Indian units. Flows depend on global investment conditions, India's growth prospects and the FDI rules.
Read this number
- The publisher
- The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade publishes foreign direct investment figures every quarter.
Terms on this page (2)
- DPIIT
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
- RBI
- Reserve Bank of India
History
- 24 Jul 1991The Budget offers prompt approval for foreign equity of up to 51% in specified high-priority industries.
- Apr 2000The data series of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) begins; the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) supplies remittance-wise details from this month.
- 17 Apr 2020Press Note 3 (2020): investors from countries that share a land border with India may invest only through the government route.
- 2020-21Equity inflows reach $59.6 billion, the highest year in DPIIT's series.
- 15 Mar 2026Press Note 2 (2026) defines the 'beneficial owner' for the land-border rule using the anti-money-laundering rules.
Readings
| Period | Value | Status | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026-27 (Apr–Jun 2026) | $19.82 bn | Provisional | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Q4 2025-26 (Jan–Mar 2026) | $10.97 bn | Provisional | 3 Jun 2026 |
| Q3 2025-26 (Oct–Dec 2025) | $12.70 bn | Provisional | 3 Jun 2026 |
| Q2 2025-26 (Jul–Sep 2025) | $16.55 bn | Provisional | 3 Jun 2026 |
| Q1 2025-26 (Apr–Jun 2025) | $18.63 bn | Provisional | 3 Jun 2026 |
For UPSC
Know how Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is defined (the 10% threshold in a listed company), the automatic and government routes, equity versus total FDI, gross versus net FDI, and the Press Note 3 rule for countries sharing a land border with India.