In line with the amendment in the Foreign Exchange Management Act 2015, Outward Investments Rules have been framed by the Government of India in consultation with the Reserve Bank. Presently, the overseas investment by a person resident in India is governed by the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Any Foreign Security) Regulations, 2004 and the Foreign Exchange Management (Acquisition and Transfer of Immovable Property Outside India) Regulations, 2015.

The Government of India in consultation with the Reserve Bank undertook a comprehensive exercise to simplify these regulations. Draft Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Rules and draft Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Regulations were also put in the public domain for consultations. Extant regulations pertaining to Overseas Investments and Acquisition and Transfer of Immovable Property Outside India have been subsumed within these rules and regulations.

In view of the evolving needs of businesses in India, in an increasingly integrated global market, there is need of Indian corporates to be part of global value chain. The revised regulatory framework for overseas investment provides for simplification of the existing framework for overseas investment and has been aligned with the current business and economic dynamics. Clarity on Overseas Direct Investment and Overseas Portfolio Investment has been brought in and various overseas investment related transactions that were earlier under approval route are now under automatic route, significantly enhancing "Ease of Doing Business".

Overseas Investment Rules and Regulations, 2022 can be accessed at:

Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Rules, 2022

Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Regulations, 2022

Overseas investment rules streamline approvals and shift many transactions to automatic route, enhancing ease of doing business. The Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Rules and Regulations, 2022, prepared in consultation with the Reserve Bank, subsume prior outward investment and immovable property abroad regulations, clarify Overseas Direct Investment and Overseas Portfolio Investment, and move various previously approval-route transactions to the automatic route to simplify compliance and enhance ease of doing business.