Why in the news
UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2026 showed India moving up the global FDI table in 2025. A push in advanced manufacturing and Alphabet’s record $14.5 billion greenfield data centre announcement helped the surge.
Key facts
- India: 11th rank, up from 13th in 2024.
- Inflows: $38.89 billion, a 44% jump.
- Driver: advanced manufacturing plus Alphabet’s $14.5 billion greenfield data centre plan.
- Global picture: developing economies +2%, developing Asia +3%, US -2%; China fell from $116.24 billion to $104.66 billion.
| Measure | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|
| Inward, $ bn | 44.8 | 49.4 | 28.1 | 27.1 | 38.9 |
| Destination rank | 8th | 8th | 16th | 13th | 11th |
| Outward, $ bn | 17.3 | 14.6 | 13.9 | 24.3 | 35.7 |
| Home-economy rank | 25th | 23rd | 23rd | 20th | 18th |
| Economy | Position in 2025 | Inward flow, $ bn |
|---|
| United States | 1st | 277, a 2% fall |
| China | 4th | 104.66 |
| India | 11th | 38.89, a 44% rise |
Terms to know
- FDI: a foreign investor owning at least a tenth of a firm’s equity, showing long-term interest.
- Greenfield: a new project built from scratch; brownfield: buying or expanding an existing facility.
- Inward vs outward FDI: money coming into India versus Indian firms investing abroad.
- GVC: cross-border production networks.
About UNCTAD
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; permanent UN body since 1964; HQ Geneva; 195 members.
- Secretary-General: Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica), in office since 2021.
- Rebranded as UN Trade and Development in 2024.
- Other flagship publications besides the annual World Investment Report (running since 1991): the Trade and Development, Digital Economy and Technology and Innovation reports.
Exam angle
- Publisher of WIR: UNCTAD, not the World Bank.
- India’s ranks to recall: 13th (2024) and 11th (2025).
- Alphabet’s data centre figure: $14.5 billion greenfield.