Key Developments/Investments

In the past few months, there have been quite a few investments in several sectors of the Indian economy. This has led to some major changes and developments in the country. Some of these major developments/investments are as follows:

Venture capital (VC) investments in India have already breached the billion dollar mark this year. There were 189 early-stage deals in the first nine months of 2014 worth US$ 1.09 billion, according to Ernst & Young (EY).

India's drugs and pharmaceuticals industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 per cent to reach a turnover of Rs 2.91 trillion (US$ 47.05 billion) by 2018. This growth is aided by the rapidly growing domestic market and the newly emerging export opportunities.

The output of eight core sector industries in India grew by 5.8 per cent in August 2014 as compared to 2.7 per cent in July 2014, on the back of good expansion in steel, coal, cement and electricity generation. The eight industries constitute 38 per cent of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

The total approximate earnings of Indian Railways during the period April 1-September 30, 2014 were Rs 73,403.67 crore (US$ 11.87 billion) compared to Rs 65,525.85 crore (US$ 10.59 billion) during the same period last year, which is an increase of about 12.02 per cent.

Private equity (PE) giant Surbana plans to invest around Rs 300 crore (US$ 48.51 million) in the food park promoted by Keventer Group in Bengal, making it the biggest FDI in the food processing sector in India.

Indian firms are expected to raise US$ 13-14 billion through global bonds in 2014 on the back of improved economic outlook and reforms to ease the raising of funds aboard, according to Moody's. The oil and gas, metals and mining, and telecommunications sector issued 67 per cent and 76 per cent of the foreign currency bonds from Indian non-financial companies in 2013 and 2014, respectively.