I&B sector sees FDI worth ₹1,766 cr in 9 months of '22

The information & broadcasting sector, including the print media, attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) worth ₹1,766 crore in the first nine months of the calendar year 2022, as per Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) data. The films and advertisement segment accounted for a lion's share of the total FDI in the sector.

The segment attracted ₹1,763 crore compared to FM radio broadcasting, which attracted ₹2 crore of foreign investments.

Media agency Dentsu Aegis Network India received an FDI equity inflow of ₹400 crore from Dentsu Pacific, UK under the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) automatic route.


Comparably, the FDI inflow in the sector stood at ₹1,773 crore in CY2021. The total FDI for the sector was ₹4,848 crore in CY2020 and ₹8,527 crore in CY2019.

In 2021, the films & advertisement segment had attracted ₹1,200 crore in FDI, while the number for the radio broadcasting segment stood at ₹573 crore. The films & advertising and radio broadcasting received FDI worth ₹598 crore and ₹4,250 crore, respectively in 2020. In 2019, the films & advertisement segment accounted for ₹6,423.6 crore in FDI while foreign investors put in ₹2,102.9 crore in radio broadcasting.

The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) is the nodal ministry for the formulation of FDI policies in the broadcasting, film, print and advertising sectors. FDI in both film and advertising sectors is permissible up to 100% on the automatic route without any other conditions. The FDI limit in print media and digital news has been capped at 26%. The FDI limit in TV news and FM radio has been kept at 49%. The FDI in cable, DTH, and entertainment broadcasting is 100%.

According to the FICCI-EY 2022 report, there were 118 deals in the media and entertainment sector worth ₹67,200 crore in 2021.

It added that most of the investments were made in digital media and gaming, with one marquee deal in TV. New media accounted for 86% of the deal volume in 2021.