India has been ranked at the third place in global foreign direct investments in 2009 and will continue to remain among the top five attractive destinations for international investors during 2010-11, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in a report on world investment prospects titled, 'World Investment Prospects Survey 2009-2011' released in July 2009.

The 2009 survey of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation released in November 2009, conducted among Japanese investors continues to rank India as the second most promising country for overseas business operations, after China.

A report released in February 2010 by Leeds University Business School, commissioned by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), ranks India among the top three countries where British companies can do better business during 2012-14.

According to Ernst and Young's 2010 European Attractiveness Survey, India is ranked as the 4th most attractive foreign direct investment (FDI) destination in 2010. However, it is ranked the 2nd most attractive destination following China in the next three years.

Moreover, according to the Asian Investment Intentions survey released by the Asia Pacific Foundation in Canada, more and more Canadian firms are now focussing on India as an investment destination. From 8 per cent in 2005, the percentage of Canadian companies showing interest in India has gone up to 13.4 per cent in 2010.

India attracted FDI equity inflows of US$ 2,214 million in April 2010. The cumulative amount of FDI equity inflows from August 1991 to April 2010 stood at US$ 134,642 million, according to the data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

The services sector comprising financial and non-financial services attracted 21 per cent of the total FDI equity inflow into India, with FDI worth US$ 4.4 billion during April-March 2009-10, while construction activities including roadways and highways attracted second largest amount of FDI worth US$ 2.9 billion during the same period. Housing and real estate was the third highest sector attracting FDI worth US$ 2.8 billion followed by telecommunications, which garnered US$ 2.5 billion during the financial year 2009-10. The automobile industry received FDI worth US$ 1.2 billion while power attracted FDI worth US$ 1.4 billion. during April-March 2009-10, according to data released by DIPP.

In April 2010, the telecommunication sector attracted the highest amount of FDI worth US$ 430 million, followed by services sector at US$ 355 million and computer hardware and software at US$ 172 million, according to data released by DIPP. During the financial year 2009-10, Mauritius has led investors into India with US$ 10.4 billion worth of FDI comprising 43 per cent of the total FDI equity inflows into the country. The FDI equity inflows in Mauritius is followed by Singapore at US$ 2.4 billion and the US with US$ 2 billion, according to data released by DIPP.

During April 2010, Mauritius invested US$ 568 million in India, followed by Singapore which invested US$ 434 million and Japan that invested US$ 327 million, according to latest data released by DIPP

Investment Scenario

In May 2010, the government cleared 24 foreign investment proposals, worth US$ 304.7 million. These include:

• Asianet's proposal worth US$ 91.7 million to undertake the business of broadcasting non-news and current affairs television channels.
• Global media magnate Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star India holdings' investment of US$ 70 million to acquire shares of direct-to-home (DTH) provider Tata Sky.
• AIP Power will set up power plants either directly or indirectly by promotion of joint ventures at an investment of US$ 24.4 million.