This is in continuance of our series on
Consolidated
FDI Policy of India 2012 by DIPP. In this article Perry4Law
and Perry4Law
Techno
Legal Base (PTLB) would discuss the FDI in banking sector of
India under the consolidated FDI policy of India 2012.
FDI in private banking sector of India
is allowed up
to 74% where FDI up to 49% is allowed through automatic route and FDI
beyond 49% but up to 74% is allowed through government approval
route.
These conditions must also be satisfied in this regard:
(1) This 74% limit will include
investment under the
Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) by FIIs, NRIs and shares acquired
prior to September 16, 2003 by erstwhile OCBs, and continue to
include IPOs, Private placements, GDR/ADRs and acquisition of shares
from existing shareholders.
(2) The aggregate foreign investment in a private bank from all sources will be allowed up to a maximum of 74 per cent of the paid up capital of the Bank. At all times, at least 26 per cent of the paid up capital will have to be held by residents, except in regard to a wholly-owned subsidiary of a foreign bank.
(3) The stipulations as above will be applicable to all investments in existing private sector banks also.
(4) The permissible limits under portfolio investment schemes through stock exchanges for FIIs and NRIs will be as follows:
(i) In the case of FIIs, as hitherto,
individual FII
holding is restricted to 10 per cent of the total paid-up capital,
aggregate limit for all FIIs cannot exceed 24 per cent of the total
paid-up capital, which can be raised to 49 per cent of the total
paid-up capital by the bank concerned through a resolution by its
Board of Directors followed by a special resolution to that effect by
its General Body.
(a) Thus, the FII investment limit will
continue to
be within 49 per cent of the total paid-up capital.
(b) In the case of NRIs, as hitherto,
individual
holding is restricted to 5 per cent of the total paid-up capital both
on repatriation and non-repatriation basis and aggregate limit cannot
exceed 10 per cent of the total paid-up capital both on repatriation
and non-repatriation basis. However, NRI holding can be allowed up to
24 per cent of the total paid-up capital both on repatriation and
non-repatriation basis provided the banking company passes a special
resolution to that effect in the General Body.
(c) Applications for foreign direct
investment in
private banks having joint venture/subsidiary in insurance sector may
be addressed to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for consideration in
consultation with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
(IRDA) in order to ensure that the 26 per cent limit of foreign
shareholding applicable for the insurance sector is not being
breached.
(d) Transfer of shares under FDI from residents to non-residents will continue to require approval of RBI and Government as per para 3.6.2 above as applicable.
(e) The policies and procedures
prescribed from time
to time by RBI and other institutions such as SEBI, D/o Company
Affairs and IRDA on these matters will continue to apply.
(f) RBI guidelines relating to
acquisition by
purchase or otherwise of shares of a private bank, if such
acquisition results in any person owning or controlling 5 per cent or
more of the paid up capital of the private bank will apply to
non-resident investors as well.
(ii) Setting up of a subsidiary by foreign banks
(a) Foreign banks will be permitted to either have branches or subsidiaries but not both.
(b) Foreign banks regulated by banking
supervisory
authority in the home country and meeting Reserve Bank‘s licensing
criteria will be allowed to hold 100 per cent paid up capital to
enable them to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in India.
(c) A foreign bank may operate in India
through only
one of the three channels viz., (i) branches (ii) a wholly-owned
subsidiary and (iii) a subsidiary with aggregate foreign investment
up to a maximum of 74 per cent in a private bank.
(d) A foreign bank will be permitted to
establish a
wholly-owned subsidiary either through conversion of existing
branches into a subsidiary or through a fresh banking license. A
foreign bank will be permitted to establish a subsidiary through
acquisition of shares of an existing private sector bank provided at
least 26 per cent of the paid capital of the private sector bank is
held by residents at all times consistent with para (i) (b) above.
(e) A subsidiary of a foreign bank will
be subject
to the licensing requirements and conditions broadly consistent with
those for new private sector banks.
(f) Guidelines for setting up a
wholly-owned
subsidiary of a foreign bank will be issued separately by RBI.
(g) All applications by a foreign bank
for setting
up a subsidiary or for conversion of their existing branches to
subsidiary in India will have to be made to the RBI.
(iii) At present there is a limit of
ten per cent on
voting rights in respect of banking companies, and this should be
noted by potential investor. Any change in the ceiling can be brought
about only after final policy decisions and appropriate Parliamentary
approvals.
FDI in public banking sector of India
is allowed up
to 20% (FDI and Portfolio Investment) through government approval
route subject to Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of
Undertakings) Acts 1970/80. This ceiling (20%) is also applicable to
the State Bank of India and its associate Banks.
