India Approves IKEA’s Investment in Single-Brand Retail

Posted by Reading Time: 2 minutes

Nov. 22 – India’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approved IKEA’s US$1.9 billion investment plan on Tuesday in the largest ever instance of foreign direct investment into the country’s single-brand retail sector.

“FIPB has approved the proposal of IKEA,” Arvind Mayaram, the county’s Economic Affairs Secretary told reporters after the meeting to consider FDI proposals on Tuesday.

The FIPB approval came only two months after the government relaxed the mandatory 30 percent local sourcing clause, and allowed 100 percent FDI in single-brand retail and 51 percent in multi-brand retail.

IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, proposed to invest INR10,500 crore (US$1.9 billion) in India through a 100 percent owned subsidiary and open 25 retail stores across the country. The proposal now waits to be cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs as any proposal over INR1,200 crore has to be approved by the Cabinet panel.

Earlier, the FIPB had also approved three proposals in the single-brand retail sector, including British footwear retailer Pavers England’s plan to open fully-owned stores, U.S. clothing Brooks Brothers’ proposal for a 51 percent joint venture and Italian jewelry manufacturer Damiani’s plan to start a joint venture.

Dezan Shira & Associates is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in emerging Asia. Since its establishment in 1992, the firm has grown into one of Asia’s most versatile full-service consultancies with operational offices across China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam as well as liaison offices in Italy and the United States.

For further details or to contact the firm, please email india@dezshira.com, visit www.dezshira.com, or download the company brochure.

You can stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends across India by subscribing to The India Advantage, our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary, guides, and multimedia resources.

Related Reading

An Introduction to Doing Business in India
In this guide, we introduce the basics of setting up and running a company in the country and some of the key issues investors should pay attention to. This issue is currently available as a complimentary download on the Asia Briefing Bookstore.

Starbucks’ India Expansion Attracts Brand-Conscious Middle Class Consumers

What Are My Options for Investment into India?

Reforms in India: Government Allows FDI in Multi-Brand Retail