Delhi most favoured destination for FDI

Delhi has emerged as the most favoured destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) with over 14.73 per cent of the total Rs. 2,07,770 crore FDI approved during 1991-2000 going its way.

Maharashtra with 13.83 per cent of total FDI is second. Andhra Pradesh with less that four percent of total FDI approved during the ten years since liberalisation is at the seventh spot, according to Confederation of India Industry (CII) data on investments in India.

Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, together account for 53 per cent of the total amount of FDI approvals during the period. 

On the domestic investment front, Maharashtra garnered 21.7 per cent of Rs.6,96,030 crore investment proposals during August 1991 and March 2000. It was followed by Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. These five States attracted 62 per cent of the total domestic investment.

Tamil Nadu with 6.5 per cent of total domestic investment is at the sixth spot closely followed by neighbouring Karnataka with 5.12 per cent of total investment. 

FICCI urges fund for SSIs’ technology upgradation

Federation  of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has suggested setting up of a separate fund at the national level to help small industrial units to adopt technology. In a background paper on the impact of the World Trade Organisation on Indian SSIs, FICCI has observed the following:-

• There is a need for a separate fund at the national level to support the SSI units in absorbing the technology transfer cost. 
• Financial assistance on soft terms may be extended to those units which go in for modernisation and technology upgradation provided their proposals envisage close involvement of an accredited technical agency.
• The government could consider cluster approach to help SSI units to adopt technology.
• Effective measures need to be adopted to strengthen the delivery mechanisms so that available technologies get commercially exploited. Co-operation among technology developing organisations, financial institutions and SSIs was a must to upgrade technology.
• The SSI units need to have a better market presence and this can be achieved if the SSI units go online or establish its Web presence on the Internet.  With the dismantling of the non-tariff barriers and reduction of tariffs, the SSIs, would face competition from all sides and hence would need to have a better market presence. 

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has launched www.cleantechindia.com - India’s first environmental information portal. It has been specially developed jointly by FICCI, ICICI and US aid to assist Indian industry in improving its environmental performance. The portal provides a large volume of information such as industry specific environmental check lists, technology tips, audit manuals, guide books and success stories.   Technology Sources directory of the Website contains detailed information about 10,000 environmental technology companies. Cleantechindia can also help in undertaking technology negotiations, specially with US companies and setting up demonstration projects.

An exclusive Environmental Information Centre has been set up at FICCI with three full time professionals ready to answer environment related queries.