India received $1.1 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) in December 2013, unchanged from the level in the same month a year earlier, according to data from the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
For the April-December period, foreign investment inflows dipped 2 per cent to $16.56 billion from $16.94 billion during the corresponding period of the previous year, it said.
During the first nine months of this financial year, the highest FDI came in services ($1.59 billion), followed by pharmaceuticals ($1.26 billion), construction development ($914 million) and automobiles ($871 million).
Mauritius led inflows into India with $3.67 billion of FDI during April-December, followed by Singapore ($3.2 billion), UK ($3.14 billion) and the Netherlands ($1.6 billion).
The country needs foreign investment to help regain its growth momentum. India’s economic growth slowed to a decade’s low of 4.5 per cent in 2012—13.
India is estimated to require about $1 trillion between 2012—13 and 2016—17, the 12th Five—Year Plan period, to fund infrastructure projects.