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India was among the top 10 recipients of Foreign Direct Investment in 2019, attracting $49 billion in inflows, a 16 per cent increase from the previous year, driving the FDI growth in South Asia, according to a UN report released on 20 January, 2020.
The Global Investment Trend Monitor report compiled by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) states that the global foreign direct investment remained flat in 2019 at $1.39 trillion, a 1 per cent decline from a revised $1.41 trillion in 2018.
Developing economies continue to absorb more than half of global FDI flows. South Asia recorded a 10 per cent increase in FDI to $60 billion and “this growth was driven by India, with a 16 per cent increase in inflows to an estimated $49 billion. The majority went into services industries, including information technology,” the report said.
India attracted an estimated $49 billion of FDI in 2019, a 16 per cent increase from the $42 billion recorded in 2018, it said.
The FDI flows to developed countries remained at a historically low level, decreasing by a further 6 per cent to an estimated $643 billion.
The FDI to the European Union (EU) fell by 15 per cent to $305 billion, while there was zero-growth of flows to United States, which received $251 billion FDI in 2019, as compared to $254 billion in 2018, the report said.
Despite this, the United States remained the largest recipient of FDI, followed by China with flows of $140 billion and Singapore with $110 billion.
China also saw zero-growth in FDI inflows. Its FDI inflows in 2018 were $139 billion and stood at $140 billion in 2019. The FDI in the UK was down 6 per cent as Brexit unfolded.