Principal Gaps in India's FDI Statistics: User Perspectives

This note summarises the findings of interviews with senior Indian policy-makers and FDI researchers to ascertain the adequacy of India’s FDI statistics in answering important FDI policy and research questions. The principal gaps identified are: lack of data on the operations of foreign firms in India, on the state and district break-up of FDI inflows, on the specific nature of FDI activity within a sector, and on the correct country source of FDI inflows. Another major gap is that there is as yet no complete inventory, location-wise, of foreign direct investors in the country.