Budget 2021 Aims To Attract Foreign Investment Into Infra

In the last budget, for attracting foreign investment in the infrastructure sector, the government had granted 100% tax exemption, subject to certain conditions, to foreign Sovereign Wealth Funds and Pension Funds, on their income from investment in Indian infrastructure.

"We have noticed that few of such Funds are facing difficulties in meeting some of these conditions. In order to ensure that a large number of Funds invest in India, I propose to relax some of these conditions relating to prohibition on private funding, restriction on commercial activities, and direct investment in infrastructure. 164. In order to allow funding of infrastructure by issue of Zero Coupon Bonds, I propose to make notified Infrastructure Debt Funds eligible to raise funds by issuing tax efficient Zero Coupon Bond," Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman said, while delivering her Budget speech.