Master Circular on Foreign Investment in India (2008)
No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-2009/15 · issued 01 Jul 2008 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI consolidated all FEMA rules on foreign investment, immovable property acquisition, branch/liaison office setup, and partnership investments into one Master Circular for Category-I AD banks. It replaces earlier circulars and will be updated annually.
What changed
RBI issued Master Circular No. 02/2008-09 on July 1, 2008, compiling all existing instructions on foreign investment in India under FEMA. It covers acquisition of immovable property, establishment of branch/liaison offices, and investment in partnership firms or proprietary concerns. This circular consolidates prior AP (DIR Series) circulars and FEMA notifications, and will be withdrawn on July 1, 2009, replaced by an updated version.
What it means for you
Banks get a single reference document for foreign investment compliance, reducing the need to track multiple circulars. It clarifies that foreign investment rules are governed by FEMA Section 6 and related notifications. The annual replacement cycle ensures instructions stay current, but banks must monitor updates to avoid using outdated guidelines.
Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.
What banks were required to do at the time
Review the Master Circular to ensure your bank's foreign investment processing aligns with consolidated FEMA rules.
Update internal compliance checklists for immovable property acquisitions, branch/liaison office setups, and partnership investments by foreign entities.
Prepare to replace this circular with the 2009 update by July 1, 2009, and track subsequent annual revisions.
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What areas does this Master Circular cover?
It covers foreign investment in India, acquisition of immovable property, establishment of branch/liaison offices, and investment in partnership firms or proprietary concerns, all under FEMA.
How long is this circular valid?
It is valid until July 1, 2009, after which it will be replaced by an updated Master Circular on the same subject.
Does this circular replace all previous instructions?
Yes, it consolidates existing instructions from AP (DIR Series) circulars and FEMA notifications, serving as the single reference until the next update.
📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2008-2009/15
Master Circular No. 02/2008-09
July 1, 2008
To,
All Category - I Authorised Dealer banks
Madam / Sir,
Master Circular on Foreign Investment in India
Foreign investment in India is governed by sub-section (3) of Section 6 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 read with Notification No. FEMA 20/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 , as amended from time to time. The regulatory framework and instructions issued by the Reserve Bank of India have been compiled in this Master Circular. In addition to the above, this Master Circular also covers the following areas:
(i) Acquisition of immovable property which is regulated in terms of Section 6(3) (i) of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 read with Notification No. FEMA 21/ 2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 ;
(ii) Establishment of Branch/Liaison Office in India, which is regulated in terms of Section 6(6) of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 read with Notification No. FEMA 22/ 2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 ;
(iii) Investment in capital of partnership firms or proprietary concern which is regulated i n terms of Section 2(h) of Section 47 of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, read with Notification No. FEMA 24/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 .
2. This Master Circular consolidates the existing instructions issued by the Reserve Bank of India through A. P. (DIR Series) Circulars and Notifications under FEMA, in respect of the above areas. The list of underlying circulars/notifications is furnished in Appendix.
3. This Master Circular will stand withdrawn on July 1, 2009 and be replaced by an updated Master Circular on the subject on that date.
Yours faithfully,
(Salim Gangadharan)
Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-2009/15 · issued 01 Jul 2008. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=4312&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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