India records $843 billion cumulative FDI inflows, FY 2025‑26 hits $94.5 billion

India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) announced that cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows reached USD 843 billion between fiscal years 2014‑15 and 2025‑26, a 169 percent rise over the previous 12‑year period. The fiscal year 2025‑26 alone saw a record USD 94.53 billion, with more than 90 percent of equity inflows coming through the automatic route.

Joint Secretary Sumeet Jarangal attributed the surge to flagship programmes such as Make in India and the Production‑Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Across 14 strategic sectors, PLI initiatives have attracted investments of about Rs 2.40 lakh crore, generating production worth Rs 22.66 lakh crore, exports exceeding Rs 15.20 lakh crore and creating over 14 lakh jobs. The schemes have also boosted domestic manufacturing, with 99.2 percent of mobile phones used in India now produced locally and a substantial reduction in pharmaceutical import dependence through the production of 191 bulk drugs.

Reforms to improve the ease of doing business were highlighted, including the Jan Vishwas Act 2026, the elimination of more than 47,000 compliance requirements, and the National Single Window System, which processed over 13.7 lakh applications and granted more than 8.5 lakh approvals. The Startup India initiative, launched in 2016, now recognises over 2.35 lakh startups, generating roughly 24 lakh direct jobs, with half of these enterprises based in Tier‑II and Tier‑III cities and nearly half having at least one woman director.