Total outward direct investment by Indian entities up 27% in FY26

Total outward direct investment by Indian entities, including companies, limited liability partnerships, alternative investment funds and partnership firms, grew 27 per cent year-on-year (yoy) in FY26 even as total Inward Direct Investment received was down about 2 per cent yoy, according to RBI data.

In absolute terms, total outward direct investment (ODI) by Indian entities, including companies, rose to $176.586 billion in FY27 ($138.669 billion in FY26).

However, total inward direct investment (IDI) received by the entities was lower at $747.134 billion ($761.542 billion), according to RBI’s Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA) of Indian Direct Investment Entities for 2025-26.

The RBI on Friday provisional results of the 2025-26 round of the annual census on FLA covering cross-border liabilities and assets of 43,123 Indian entities [companies, limited liability partnerships, alternative investment funds and partnership firms] with inward/outward direct investment.

Of the total number of Indian entities reporting foreign direct investment (FDI) and/or overseas direct investment (ODI), around 97 per cent entities were unlisted as at end-March 2026, and also held a major share in total FDI equity capital (at face value) in India,

Non-financial companies accounted for more than 90 per cent of the FDI equity at face value.

The United States of America (16.5 per cent) followed by Mauritius (14.5 per cent), Singapore (13.7 per cent) and the United Kingdom (10.8 per cent) were the top sources of outstanding FDI.

In case of ODI, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the US were the top destinations together accounting for more than 50 per cent share.