In India, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been an important source of funds, in this article, we will discuss the Eligible Investee Entities and the Instrument of Investments in detail.
ELIGIBLE INVESTEE ENTITIES
1. India Company
2. Partnership Firm/Proprietary Concern
3. Trust
4. Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
5. Investment Vehicle
6. Start-up Companies
7. Other Entities
India Company
Indian companies can issue capital against FDI.
Partnership Firm/Proprietary Concern
1. A Non-Resident Indian (NRI) can invest in the capital of a firm or a proprietary concern in India on a non-repatriation basis provided;
2. Amount is invested by inward remittance or out of NRE/FCNR(B)/NRO account maintained with Authorized Dealers/Authorized banks.
3. The firm or proprietary concern is not engaged in any agricultural/plantation or real estate business or print media sector.
4. Amount invested shall not be eligible for repatriation outside India.
- Investments with repatriation option: NRIs may seek prior permission of Reserve Bank for investment in sole proprietorship concerns/partnership firms with repatriation option. The application will be decided in consultation with the Government of India.
5. Investment by non-residents other than NRIs: A person resident outside India other than NRIs may make an application and seek prior approval of Reserve Bank for making investment in the capital of a firm or a proprietorship concern or any association of persons in India. The application will be decided in consultation with the Government of India.
6. Restrictions: An NRI is not allowed to invest in a firm or proprietorship concern engaged in any agricultural/plantation activity or real estate business or print media.
Trust
Investment by a person resident outside India is not permitted in Trusts other than in ‘VCF’ registered and regulated by SEBI and ‘Investment vehicle’.
Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
Foreign Investment in LLPs is permitted subject to the following conditions:
- Foreign Investment is permitted under the automatic route in Limited Liability Partnership (LLPs) operating in sectors/activities where 100% FDI is allowed through the automatic route and there are no FDI-linked performance conditions.
- An Indian company or an LLP, having foreign investment, is also permitted to make downstream investment in another company or LLP in sectors in which 100% FDI is allowed under the automatic route and there are no FDI-linked performance conditions.
- Conversion of an LLP having foreign investment and operating in sectors/activities where 100% FDI is allowed through the automatic route and there are no FDI-linked performance conditions, into a company is permitted under automatic route. Similarly, conversion of a company having foreign investment and operating in sectors/activities where 100% FDI is allowed through the automatic route and there are no FDI-linked performance conditions, into an LLP is permitted under automatic route.
- Foreign Investment in LLP is subject to the compliance of the conditions of LLP Act, 2008.
Investment Vehicle
An entity being ‘investment vehicle’ registered and regulated under relevant regulations framed by SEBI or any other authority designated for the purpose including Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) governed by the SEBI (REITs) Regulations, 2014, Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvIts) governed by the SEBI (InvIts) Regulations, 2014, Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) governed by the SEBI (AIFs) Regulations, 2012 is permitted to receive foreign investment from a person resident outside India (other than an individual who is citizen of or any other entity which is registered / incorporated in Pakistan or Bangladesh) in the manner and subject to the terms and conditions specified under Schedule VIII of the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019.
Start-up Companies
Start-ups can issue equity or equity linked instruments or debt instruments to FVCI against receipt of foreign remittance, as per the Schedule VII of Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019. In addition, start-ups can issue convertible notes to person resident outside India subject to the following conditions:
A person resident outside India (other than an individual who is citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh or an entity which is registered/incorporated in Pakistan or Bangladesh), may purchase convertible notes issued by an Indian startup company for an amount of twenty-five lakh rupees or more in a single tranche.
Explanation: For the purpose of this Regulation, a ‘startup company’ means a private company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 or Companies Act,1956 and recognised as such in accordance with notification number G.S.R. 127(E), dated 19th February, 2019 issued by the DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and as amended from time to time.
A startup company engaged in a sector where foreign investment requires Government approval may issue convertible notes to a non-resident only with approval of the Government.
Explanation: For the purpose of this regulation, the issue of shares against such convertible notes shall have to be in accordance with the Schedule I of the. Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019.
- A startup company issuing convertible notes to a person resident outside India shall receive the amount of consideration by inward remittance through banking channels or by debit to the NRE / FCNR (B) / Escrow account maintained by the person concerned in accordance with the Foreign Exchange Management (Deposit) Regulations, 2016, as amended from time to time.
Provided that an escrow account for the above purpose shall be closed immediately after the requirements are completed or within a period of six months, whichever is earlier. However, in no case continuance of such escrow account shall be permitted beyond a period of six months.
1. NRIs may acquire convertible notes on non-repatriation basis in accordance with Schedule IV of the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019
2. A person resident outside India may acquire or transfer, by way of sale, convertible notes, from or to, a person resident in or outside India, provided the transfer takes place in accordance applicable pricing guidelines under FEMA. Prior approval from the Government shall be obtained for such acquisitions or transfers in case the startup company is engaged in a sector which requires Government approval.
3. The startup company issuing convertible notes shall be required to furnish reports as prescribed by the RBI
Other Entities
FDI in resident entities other than those mentioned above is not permitted.
TYPE OF INSTRUMENTS
As per Annexure-1 of Consolidated FDI Policy 2020 Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade following are the Types of Instrument for FDI.
Indian companies can issue equity shares, fully, compulsorily and mandatorily convertible debentures and fully, compulsorily and mandatorily convertible preference shares subject to pricing guidelines/valuation norms prescribed under FEMA Regulations. The price/conversion formula of convertible capital instruments should be determined upfront at the time of issue of the instruments. The price at the time of conversion should not in any case be lower than the fair value worked out, at the time of issuance of such instruments, in accordance with the extant FEMA rules/regulations [as per any internationally accepted pricing methodology on arm’s length basis for the unlisted companies and valuation in terms of SEBI (ICDR) Regulations, for the listed companies].
- Optionality clauses are allowed in equity shares, fully, compulsorily and mandatorily convertible debentures and fully, compulsorily and mandatorily convertible preference shares under FDI scheme, subject to the following conditions:
1. There is a minimum lock-in period of one year which shall be effective from the date of allotment of such capital instruments.
2. After the lock-in period and subject to FDI Policy provisions, if any, the non-resident investor exercising option/right shall be eligible to exit without any assured return, as per pricing/valuation guidelines issued under FEMA from time to time.
- Other types of Preference shares/Debentures i.e. non-convertible, optionally convertible or partially convertible for issue of which funds have been received on or after May 1, 2007 are considered as debt. Accordingly, all norms applicable for ECBs relating to eligible borrowers, recognized lenders, amount and maturity, end-use stipulations, etc. shall apply. Since these instruments would be denominated in rupees, the rupee interest rate will be based on the swap equivalent of London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus the spread as permissible for ECBs of corresponding maturity.
- The inward remittance received by the Indian company vide issuance of DRs and FCCBs are treated as FDI and counted towards FDI.
- Acquisition of Warrants and Partly Paid Shares – An Indian Company may issue warrants and partly paid shares to a person resident outside India subject to terms and conditions as stipulated by the Reserve Bank of India in this behalf, from time to time.
- Issue of Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs) and Depository Receipts (DRs)
1. FCCBs/DRs may be issued in accordance with the Scheme for the issue of Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds and Ordinary Shares (Through Depository Receipt Mechanism) Scheme, 1993 and DR Scheme 2014 respectively, as per the guidelines issued by the Government of India thereunder from time to time.
2. DRs are foreign currency-denominated instruments issued by a foreign Depository in a permissible jurisdiction against a pool of permissible securities issued or transferred to that foreign depository and deposited with a domestic custodian.
3. In terms of Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 as amended from time to time, a person will be eligible to issue or transfer eligible securities to a foreign depository, for the purpose of converting the securities so purchased into depository receipts in terms of Depository Receipts Scheme, 2014 and guidelines issued by the Government of India thereunder from time to time.
4. A person can issue DRs, if it is eligible to issue eligible instruments to person resident outside India under relevant Schedules under Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019, as amended from time to time.
5. The aggregate of eligible securities which may be issued or transferred to foreign depositories, along with eligible securities already held by persons resident outside India, shall not exceed the limit on foreign holding of such eligible securities under the relevant regulations framed under FEMA, 1999.
6. The pricing of eligible securities to be issued or transferred to a foreign depository for the purpose of issuing depository receipts should not be at a price less than the price applicable to a corresponding mode of issue or transfer of such securities to domestic investors under the relevant regulations framed under FEMA, 1999.
7. The issue of depository receipts as per DR Scheme 2014 shall be reported to the Reserve Bank by the domestic custodian as per the reporting guidelines for DR Scheme 2014.
- Two-way Fungibility Scheme: A limited two-way Fungibility scheme has been put in place by the Government of India for ADRs/GDRs. Under this Scheme, a stockbroker in India, registered with SEBI, can purchase shares of an Indian company from the market for conversion into ADRs/GDRs based on instructions received from overseas investors. Re-issuance of ADRs/GDRs would be permitted to the extent of ADRs/GDRs which have been redeemed into underlying shares and sold in the Indian market.
- Sponsored ADR/GDR issue: An Indian company can also sponsor an issue of ADR/GDR. Under this mechanism, the company offers its resident shareholders a choice to submit their shares back to the company so that on the basis of such shares, ADRs/GDRs can be issued abroad. The proceeds of the ADR/GDR issue are remitted back to India and distributed among the resident investors who had offered their Rupee denominated shares for conversion. These proceeds can be kept in Resident Foreign Currency (Domestic) accounts in India by the resident shareholders who have tendered such shares for conversion into ADRs/GDRs.
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