SDG Investor Map by Invest India

Why in news?

•  UNDP and Invest India have launched the SDG Investor Map for India, laying out 18 Investment Opportunities Areas (IOAs) in six critical SDG enabling sectors, that can help India push the needle forward on Sustainable Development.

About Investor Map:

• It lays out 18 Investment Opportunities Areas (IOAs) in six critical SDG enabling sectors, that can help India push the needle forward on Sustainable Development.
• Of the 18 IOAs identified, 10 are already mature investable areas that have seen robust Private Equity and Venture Capital activity, and feature companies that have been able to unlock scale and demonstrate profitability.
• The remaining eight IOAs are emerging opportunities, which have seen traction from early-stage investors.
• The map has also identified eight White Spaces, which have seen investor interest and have the potential to grow into IOAs within a 5-6-year horizon. However, these require further policy support and private sector participation to mature into commercially attractive IOAs.
• Notable IOAs include ‘Online Supplementary Education for K12’ (Education), ‘Tech-Enabled Remote Care Services’ (Healthcare), ‘Digital Platforms to service input/output needs of farmers to enable easy access to markets’ (Agriculture) and ‘Access to credit by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Low-Income Groups especially through digital platforms for Income Generating Purposes’ (Financial Services).

About Invest India:

• Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India.
• It acts as the first point of reference for investors in India.
• Invest India is set up as a joint venture company between the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry (35% equity), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) (51% equity), and State Governments of India (0.5% each).
• Thus, essentially, Invest India is a private company (FICCI owns 51% of shares.)
• It provides sector-specific and state-specific information to a foreign investor, assists in expediting regulatory approvals, and offers hand-holding services.

Objectives of Invest India:

• Transforming the country’s investment climate by simplifying the business environment for investors.
• Hand-holding investors through their investment lifecycle from pre-investment to after-care.
• To provide multiple forms of support such as market entry strategies, industry analysis etc.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) :
1.India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) is an investment promotion agency under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
2.While Invest India is a private company, IBEF is fully funded by Union Government.
Which among the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only 
(b)2 only 
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question