Union of India - Act
The Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of any Foreign Security) Regulations, 2004
UNION OF INDIA
India
India
The Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of any Foreign Security) Regulations, 2004
Rule THE-FOREIGN-EXCHANGE-MANAGEMENT-TRANSFER-OR-ISSUE-OF-ANY-FOREIGN-SECURITY-REGULATIONS-2004 of 2004
- Published on 7 July 2004
- Commenced on 7 July 2004
- [This is the version of this document from 7 July 2004.]
- [Note: The original publication document is not available and this content could not be verified.]
11.
/579In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (3) of section 6 and section 47 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999), and in supersession of Notification No. FEMA 19/RB 2000, dated 3rd May, 2000, as amended from time to time the Reserve Bank of India makes the following regulations relating to transfer or issue of any foreign security by a person resident in India, namely:-1. Short title and commencement. - (i) These regulations may be called the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of any Foreign Security) Regulations, 2004.
2. Definitions. - In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires,--
3. Prohibition on issue or transfer of foreign security. - Save as otherwise provided in the Act or rules or regulations made or directions issued thereunder, no person resident in India shall issue or transfer any foreign security:
Provided that the Reserve Bank may, on application made to it, permit any person resident in India to issue or transfer any foreign security.4. Purchase and sale of foreign security by a person resident in India. - A person resident in India--
Part I – Direct Investment Outside India
5. Prohibition on direct investment outside India. - Save as otherwise provided in the Act, rules or regulations made or directions issued thereunder, or with prior approval of the Reserve Bank-,-
6. Permission for direct investment in certain cases. - (1) Subject to the conditions specified in sub-regulation (2), [(and regulation 7 in case investment by an Indian party engaged in financial services sector)] [Inserted by Notification No. G.S.R. 607 (E) dated 7.3.2012 (w.e.f. 19.11.2004)] an Indian party may make direct investment in a Joint Venture or Wholly Owned Subsidiary outside India.
[2(i) The total financial commitment of the Indian Party in Joint Ventures/Wholly Owned Subsidiaries shall not exceed 100%, or as decided by the Reserve Bank from time to time, of the net worth of the Indian Party as on the date of the last audited balance sheet. [Substituted by Notification No. G.S.R. 552(E) dated 14.8.2013 (w.e.f. 19.11.2004)]Explanation: For the purpose of determining the `total financial commitment' within the limit of 100%, or as decided by the Reserve Bank from time to time, of the net worth, the following shall be reckoned, namely:(a)Remittance by market purchases, namely in freely convertible currencies; in case of Bhutan, investment made in freely convertible currencies or equivalent Indian Rupees, in case of Nepal investment made only in Indian Rupees;(b)Capitalization of export proceeds and other dues and entitlements as mentioned in Regulation 11;(c)Hundred per cent of the value of guarantees issued by the Indian party to on or behalf of the joint venture company or wholly owned subsidiary;(d)Investment in agricultural operations through overseas offices or directly;(e)External Commercial Borrowing in conformity with other parameters of the ECB guidelines;(f)Fifty per cent of the value of performance guarantee issued by the Indian party to or on behalf of the JV/WOS.Explanation : In cases where invocation of the performance guarantees breach the ceiling for the financial exposure of 100 per cent, or as decided by the Reserve Bank from time to time, of the net worth of the Indian party, the Indian party shall seek the prior approval of the Reserve Bank before remitting funds from India, on account of such invocation.(g)Hundred per cent of the value of the bank guarantee issued by a resident bank on behalf of an overseas JV/WOS of the Indian party, which is backed by a counter guarantee/ collateral by the Indian party.Overseas direct investment by an Indian party in Pakistan shall henceforth be considered under the approval route under regulation 9 of this Notification.](ii)[ the existing non-resident shareholders may apply for issue of additional shares, and the investee company may allot the same subject to the condition that the overall issue of shares to non-residents in the total paid-up capital does not exceed the sectoral cap;] [Added by G.S.R. No. 223 (E), dated 12.11.2002 (w.e.f. 18.3.2003)](iii)[] [Added by G.S.R. No. 223 (E), dated 12.11.2002 (w.e.f. 18.3.2003)] the existing shares or debentures against which shares or debentures are issued by the company on right basis were acquired and are held by the person resident outside India in accordance with these regulations;(iv)[ The Indian Party has submitted Annual Performance Report in respect of all its overseas investments in the format given in Part III of the Form ODI, as prescribed by the Reserve Bank from time to time.] [Substitued by G.S.R. No. 489 (E), dated 3.7.2014 (w.e.f. 19.11.2004)]6.
-A. General permission for investment in agricultural operations overseas directly or through overseas offices. - A person resident in India being a company incorporated in India or a partnership firm registered under Indian Partnership Act, 1932, may undertake agricultural operations including purchase of land incidental to such activity either directly or through their overseas offices:Provided that--6.
-B. General permission for investment in equity of a company registered overseas. - [A person resident in India, being [* * *] [Inserted by Notification No. G.S.R. 516 (E) dated 8.5.2013 (w.e.f. 27.5.2011)] [a listed Indian company] [ Substituted by G.S.R. 535(E), dated 21.8.2006, for certain words (w.r.e.f. 26.7.2006). ] [ Inserted by G.S.R. 13(E), dated 9.10.2007 (w.r.e.f. 27.3.2006).], may invest in--(a)the shares of an overseas company which is listed on recognised stock exchange [* * *] [ Certain words omitted by G.S.R. 209(E), dated 19.12.2007 (w.r.e.f. 26.9.2007).];(b)the rated bonds/fixed income securities issued by companies at (a) above:Provided that--(i)in the case of investment by the listed Indian company, the investment shall not exceed [50% of the net worth] [ Substituted by G.S.R. 209(E), dated 19.12.2007 (w.r.e.f. 26.9.2007).] as on the date of its last audited balance sheet;[* * *] [ Clause (ii) omitted by G.S.R. 535(E), dated 21.8.2006 (w.r.e.f. 26.7.2006).](ii)[] [ Clause (iii) renumbered as clause (ii) by G.S.R. 535(E), dated 21.8.2006 (w.r.e.f. 26.7.2006).] every transaction relating to purchase and sale of shares of the overseas company or bonds/securities shall be routed through the designated branch of an authorised dealer in India.[6-C. Investment by mutual funds.7. [Investment by Indian party engaged in financial services sector].
- [(1) Subject to the regulations in Part I, an Indian party engaged in financial services sector in India may make investment in an entity outside India] [Substituted by G.S.R. 441(E), dated 25.5.2009 (w.r.e.f. 6.9.2006). ]:Provided that the Indian party--(i)has earned net profit during the preceding three financial years from the financial services activities;(ii)is registered with the regulatory authority in India for conducting the financial services activities;(iii)has obtained approval from the concerned regulatory authorities both in India and abroad, for venturing into such financial sector activity;(iv)has fulfilled the prudential norms relating to capital adequacy as prescribed by the concerned regulatory authority in India.8. Omitted.[* * *]
9. Approval of Reserve Bank in certain cases. - (1) An Indian party, which does not satisfy the eligibility norms under regulations 6 or 7 or 8, may apply to the Reserve Bank for approval.
9A. [ Overseas investments by Registered Trust/Society.
- Registered Trusts and Societies engaged in the manufacturing/educational sector and which have set up hospital(s) in India satisfying the criteria as per Schedule III of the notification may invest in the same sector(s) in a joint venture/wholly owned subsidiary outside India with the prior approval of the Reserve Bank.] [Substituted by Notification No. G.S.R. 489 (E), dated 3.7.2014, (w.e.f. 8.5.2000)]10. Unique Identification Number. - Reserve Bank will allot a Unique Identification Number for each Joint Venture or Wholly Owned Subsidiary outside India and the Indian party shall quote such number in all its communications and reports to the Reserve Bank and the authorised dealer.
11. Investment by capitalisation. - An Indian party may make direct investment outside India in accordance with the regulations in Part I by way of capitalisation in full or part of the amount due to the Indian party from the foreign entity towards:--
(i)payment for export of plant, machinery, equipment and other goods/software to the foreign entity;(ii)fees, royalties, commissions or other entitlements due to the Indian Party from the foreign entity for the supply of technical know-how, consultancy, managerial or other services:Provided that where the [export proceeds have remained unrealised beyond the prescribed period of realisation] and fees, royalties, commissions or other entitlements of the Indian party have remained unrealised from the date on which such payment is due, such proceeds shall not be capitalised without the prior permission of the Reserve Bank.12. Export of goods towards equity procedure. - (1) An Indian party exporting goods/software/plant and machinery from India towards equity contribution in a Joint Venture or Wholly Owned Subsidiary outside India shall declare it on GR/SDF /SOFTEX form, as the case may be, which shall be superscribed as "Exports against equity participation in the JV/WOS abroad", and also quoting Identification Number, if already allotted by Reserve Bank.
13. Post investment changes/additional investment in existing JV/WOS .--A JV/WOS set up by the Indian party as per the regulations may diversify its activities/set up step down subsidiary/after the shareholding pattern in the overseas entity:
Provided the Indian party reports to the Reserve Bank, the details of such decisions taken by the JV/WOS within 30 days of the approval of those decisions by the competent authority concerned of such JV/WOS in terms of local laws of the host country, and, include the same in the Annual Performance Report required to be forwarded annually to the Reserve Bank in terms of regulation 15.14. Acquisition of a foreign company through bidding or tender procedure. - (1) On being approached by an Indian party, which is eligible under the regulations to make investment outside India, an authorised dealer may allow remittance towards earnest money deposit or issue a bid bond guarantee on its behalf for participation in bidding or tender procedure for acquisition of a company incorporated outside India.
15. Obligations of the Indian party. - An Indian party, which has acquired foreign security in terms of the regulations in Part I, shall--
16. Transfer by way of sale of shares of a JV/WOS outside India. - [(1) An Indian Party may transfer, byway of sale to another Indian Party which complies with the provisions of Regulation 6 above, or to a person resident outside India, any share or security held by it in a JV or WOS outside India subject to the following conditions:
(i)the sale does not result in any write off of the investment made;(ii)the sale is to be effected through a stock exchange where the shares of the overseas JV/WOS are listed;(iii)if the shares are not listed on the stock exchange and the shares are dis-invested by a private arrangement, the share price is not less than the value certified by a Chartered Accountant/Certified Public Accountant as the fair value of the shares based on the latest audited financial statements of the JV/WOS;(iv)the Indian Party does not have any outstanding dues by way of dividend, technical know-how fees, royalty, consultancy, commission or other entitlements and/or export proceeds from the JV or WOS;(v)the overseas concern has been in operation for at least one full year and the Annual Performance Report together with the audited accounts for that year has been submitted to the Reserve Bank;(vi)the Indian party is·not under investigation by CBI/DoE/SEBI/IRDA or any other regulatory authority in India.17. Transfer by way of sale of shares involving write-off. - Where the transfer by way of sale of shares or security referred to in sub-regulation (1) of regulation 16 by any Indian party listed on any stock exchange in India, is for a price less than the amount invested in the share or the security transferred,--
1. where the difference between the said value and the sale price does not exceed the percentage approved by the Reserve Bank, from time to time, of the Indian party's actual export realisation of the previous year, the Indian party may write-off to the extent of the difference, the capital invested in the overseas JV/WOS;
2. where such difference is more than the percentage approved by the Reserve Bank, from time to time, of the Indian party's actual export realisation of the previous year, the Indian party shall apply to the Reserve Bank for permission to write-off the capital invested, which permission may be granted subject to such conditions as the Reserve Bank considers appropriate.
[18. Pledge of shares of Joint Ventures (JV), and Wholly Owned Subsidiary (WOS) and step down Subsidiary (SDS) - An Indian Party may create charge, by way of pledge, on the shares of Joint Venture (JV) or Wholly Owned Subsidiary (SDS) outside India [held directly by the Indian party in JV or WOS and indirectly in SDS] as a security in favour of an Authorised Dealer or a public financial institution in India or an overseas lender, for availing of fund based or non-fund based facility for itself (i.e. the Indian party) or for its JV / WOS / SDS whose shares have been pledged, or for any other JV / WOS / SDS of the Indian party.Provided that18A. Creation of charge on domestic and foreign assets
| 18. Pledge of shares of Joint Ventures and Wholly Owned Subsidiaries.--An Indian party may transfer, by way of pledge, shares held in a Joint Venture or Wholly Owned Subsidiary outside India as a security for availing of fund based or non-fund based facilities for itself or for the Joint Venture or Wholly Owned Subsidiary from an authorised dealer or a public financial institution in India[or to an overseas lender, provided the lender is regulated and supervised as a bank and the total financial commitment of the Indian party remains within the limit stipulated by the Reserve Bank for overseas investments in JV/WOS].[18A. Creation of charge on immovable/movable property and other financial assetsAn Indian Party, with prior approval of the Reserve Bank, may transfer, by way of mortgage/pledge/hypothecation, the immovable/movable property and other financial assets (except shares of JV/WOS) of the Indian party and its group companies as a security for availing of fund based and/or non-fund based facilities for its JV or WOS from an authorised dealer bank or a public financial institution in India or to an overseas lender, provided the lender is regulated and supervised as a bank, the total financial commitment of the Indian Party remains within the limit stipulated by the Reserve Bank for overseas investments in JV/WOS and a 'No Objection' is submitted by the Indian party and its group companies from their resident lenders.][Inserted by Notification No. G.S.R. 516 (E) dated 8.5.2013 (w.e.f. 28.3.2012)] |