印度政府欲禁止烟草业中的外商直接投资

    印度工商部发出了一份内阁通知，力求禁止卷烟生产方面的外商直接投资。

    根据该通知，所有的主要部长们都同意禁止卷烟生产方面的外商直接投资。禁止外商在卷烟制造方面的直接投资，将会影响该国现有外国公司的未来投资计划，但是对现有的印度投资事件不会产生影响。

    内阁通知还提议，禁止外国公司的连锁经营场所，生产用于国内消费的卷烟。它还提议允许外商在经济特区进行产品用于出口的直接投资。

    如果内阁批准这项提议，这将会影响到日本烟草国际（JTI），把其在日烟国际印度公司中的股份通过投资1亿美元从50%提高到75%的计划。同样地，英美烟草想把其股份从31.8%提高到51%。

    目前，三大全球公司——英美烟草、日本烟草国际公司和奥驰亚集团——在印度进行巨额投资。

    禁止卷烟生产方面的外商直接投资的举措，最初是由内阁于2009年1月23日发出的通知中提起的。经济事务内阁委员会（CCEA）延迟了此提议，并决定进一步开展部门间的磋商。部门间的协商现在已经结束了，商务部再次把此通知提交给经济事务内阁委员会要求批准。

    Government may ban FDI in tobacco

    TJI

    10 Mar 2010.

    The commerce and industry ministry issued a cabinet note that seeks to ban foreign direct investment (FDI) in cigarette manufacturing.

    According to the note, all the major ministries have given their approvals to ban FDI in cigarette manufacturing. A ban on FDI in manufacturing of cigarettes will affect existing foreign player' future investment plans in the country, but not existing investments in Indian ventures.

    The cabinet note also proposed to prohibit franchise operations for foreign companies to manufacture cigarettes for domestic consumption. It has proposed to allow FDI in special economic zones (SEZs) for exports.

    If the cabinet approves the proposal, it will affect the plan of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) to increase its stake in JTI India from 50 to 75 per cent through an investment of USD 100 million. Similarly, BAT wants to increase its stake in ITC from 31.8 to 51 per cent.

    At present, three major global players - BAT, JTI and the Altria Group - have large investments in India.

    The move to ban FDI in cigarette manufacturing was initiated through a cabinet note dated 23 January 2009. The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) deferred the proposal and decided for further inter-ministerial consultation. As the inter-ministerial consultation is now over, the commerce department has moved the note to CCEA again for approval.