UNCTAD Trade and Development Report 2026: India gets 5.7% of greenfield FDI
Why in the news
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in its Trade and Development Report 2026, found that India captured 5.7% of worldwide greenfield investment over 2020-25, more than twice the share of China.
Key facts
- India’s share: 5.7% of global greenfield investment in 2020-25, ahead of Malaysia (4%), Indonesia (3.8%) and China (2.8%).
- Strategic sectors: their portion of greenfield investment grew from 16% in 2020 to 44% in 2025.
- AI infrastructure and related technologies formed the biggest slice at 12.4% of a total of $845.7 billion.
- Semiconductor value chain got 8.1% and energy-transition technologies and services 7.8%.
- Europe (28.4%) and North America (28%) remained the main destinations of strategic-sector investment.
- Developing Asia received 26.5% of investment flowing to developing economies.
| Economy | Share of global greenfield investment, 2020-25 |
|---|---|
| India | 5.7% |
| Malaysia | 4% |
| Indonesia | 3.8% |
| China | 2.8% |
About greenfield investment
Greenfield investment is a form of foreign direct investment in which a company builds a brand-new operation in another country, unlike mergers and acquisitions, which involve buying existing assets. The report notes that countries of the Global South, especially least-developed countries, face difficulties in drawing strategic-sector investment.
Exam angle
- Report-publisher pairing: Trade and Development Report is brought out by UNCTAD.
- Remember India 5.7% versus China 2.8% for 2020-25.
- Know the difference between greenfield and brownfield (M&A) investment.
- AI infrastructure was the largest strategic segment at 12.4%.