CHANGE IN THE WORKING OF ISSUE PRICE FOR THE ALLOTMENT OR TRANSFER OF UNLISTED COMPANIES FOR FDIs UNDER FEMA

CHANGE IN THE WORKING OF ISSUE PRICE FOR THE ALLOTMENT  OR TRANSFER OF UNLISTED COMPANIES FOR FDIs  UNDER FEMA 

The extant pricing guidelines in respect of transfer/issue of shares and for exit from investment in equity shares with or without optionality clauses of listed/unlisted Indian companies have since been reviewed so as to provide greater freedom and flexibility to the parties concerned under the FDI framework. The new pricing guidelines shall be as under:

(i) In case of listed companies

(a) The issue and transfer of shares including compulsorily convertible preference shares and compulsorily convertible debentures shall be as per the SEBI guidelines;

(b) The pricing guidelines for FDI instruments with optionality clauses shall continue to be in accordance with A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 86 dated January 9, 2014, i.e., the non-resident investor shall be eligible to exit at the market price prevailing on the recognised stock exchanges subject to lock-in period as stipulated, without any assured return.

(ii) In case of unlisted companies

The issue and transfer of shares including compulsorily convertible preference shares and compulsorily convertible debentures with or without optionality clauses shall be at a price worked out as per any internationally accepted pricing methodology on arm’s length basis. Thus, the guiding principle will be that the non-resident investor is not guaranteed any assured exit price at the time of making such investment/agreement and shall exit at a fair price computed as above at the time of exit subject to lock-in period requirement as applicable in terms of A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 86 dated January 9, 2014.

4. The changes in the existing pricing guidelines for FDI applicable to transfer/issue of shares and for exit from foreign direct investment with optionality clauses for the unlisted Indian companies are given in the Annex 1 and Annex 2 respectively.

5. An Indian company taking on record in its books any transfer of its shares or convertible debenture by way of sale from a resident to a non-resident and a non-resident to a resident shall disclose in its balance sheet for the financial year, in which the transaction took place, the details of valuation of share or convertible debentures, the pricing methodology adopted for the same as well as the agency that has given/certified the valuation.


Ref: A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 4 July 15, 2014

Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) for resident individuals-Increase in the limit from USD 75,000 to USD 125,000

Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) for resident individuals-Increase in the limit from USD 75,000 to USD 125,000

It was decided vide A.P.(DIR Series) Circular No. 138 dated June 3, 2014, to increase the limit to USD 125,000 per financial year (April-March) from USD 75,000. Accordingly, AD Category –I banks have been allowed to remit up to USD 125,000 per financial year, under the Scheme, for any permitted current or capital account transaction or a combination of both. Further, it is clarified that the Scheme can now be used for acquisition of immovable property outside India.


All other terms and conditions shall remain unchanged.

Ref

A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.5 dated 17 July 2014

Switching Over to NIC 2008 from NIC 1987 for reporting FC-GPR / FC-TRS purpose- Reporting of FDI -

Foreign Direct Investment –

Reporting under FDI Scheme- Switching Over to NIC  2008 from NIC 1987 for reporting FC-GPR / FC-TRS purpose

Attention of Authorised Dealers Category-I (AD Category - I) banks is invited to the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations 2000, notified by the Reserve Bank vide Notification No.FEMA20/2000-RB, dated 3rd May 2000, as amended from time to time.

2. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India has, vide Press Note 4 (2014 Series) dated June 26, 2014 decided to switch over to the National Industrial Classification 2008 (NIC 2008) from the NIC 1987 version, for the purpose of classification of activities under the industrial classification system. In terms of Para 9 (1) B of Schedule I to the FEMA Notification No. 20 dated May 03, 2000 as amended from time to time, Indian companies are required to report the details of the issue of shares, convertible debentures, partly paid shares and warrants in form FC-GPR, to the Regional Office concerned, within 30 days of issue of shares / convertible debentures. In terms of Para 10 of the Schedule ibid, transfer of shares, convertible debentures, partly paid shares and warrants by way of sale from a person resident in India to a person resident outside India or vice versa, are required to be reported by the transferor/transferee resident in India to the AD Bank in form FCTRS, within 60 days from the date of receipt or payment of the amount of consideration. Indian companies are required to report the NIC Codes in the FCGPR and FCTRS forms as per the NIC 2008 version, henceforth.

3. It has also been decided to introduce a uniform State and District code list for reporting of details of foreign direct investment by Indian companies in Form FCGPR. The list can be accessed on the RBI website (www.rbi.org.in → FEMA – State and District Code List).


Ref -A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 6 (RBI/2014-15/133) dated 18 July 2014