Quick answerRBI has permitted 100% FDI under automatic route in petroleum marketing, oil exploration, and pipelines, and in domestic airlines for NRIs (49% for others), effective July 29, 2005.
What changed
The government liberalised FDI limits in petroleum product marketing, oil exploration (small/medium fields), and petroleum product pipelines to 100% under automatic route. In domestic airlines, FDI up to 100% is allowed for NRIs and up to 49% for others, with a ban on equity participation by foreign airlines.
What it means for you
Banks can now process higher FDI inflows in these sectors without prior RBI approval, reducing compliance burden. Lenders financing these sectors may see increased foreign investment, boosting project viability and credit demand. However, the ban on foreign airline equity in domestic airlines limits certain deal structures.
What you must do
Update internal FDI processing guidelines to reflect 100% automatic route for petroleum marketing, exploration, and pipelines.
Ensure NRI clients in domestic airlines can invest up to 100% under automatic route, while others are capped at 49%.
Verify that no direct or indirect equity participation by foreign airlines is involved in domestic airline investments.
Communicate these changes to your trade finance and forex advisory teams for customer guidance.
Who it affects
Authorised Dealer banks handling FDI remittances, Corporate clients in petroleum and airline sectors, NRI investors seeking automatic route investments
Regulatory timeline
Stated effective dateeffective July 29, 2005
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 20:17 IST
Superseded by — FDI Policy Circular 2020 (28 October 2020)
Status change: superseded09 Jul 2026, 04:03 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
What is the FDI limit for domestic airlines under this circular?
NRIs can invest up to 100% under automatic route, while other investors are capped at 49%. Foreign airlines cannot hold any equity, directly or indirectly.
Does this circular require prior RBI approval for these investments?
No, the investments are under the automatic route, so banks can process them without prior RBI approval, subject to sectoral policies.
Which petroleum activities are covered under 100% FDI?
Petroleum product marketing, oil exploration in small and medium fields, and petroleum product pipelines are covered.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-06/83
AP (DIR Series) Circular No. 04
July 29, 2005
To
All Banks Authorised to Deal in Foreign Exchange
Madam / Sir,
Foreign Direct Investment
in Petroleum Sector and Air Transport Services
Attention of Authorised Dealer
(AD) banks is invited to the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue
of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations, 2000 notified vide
Notification No. FEMA 20 /2000 - RB dated May 3, 2000, as amended from time
to time.
2. The foreign direct investment
(FDI) limit in the Petroleum sector and Air Transport Services (Domestic Airlines)
under the Automatic Route, has been further liberalised by Government of India.
Accordingly, FDI upto 100 per cent has been permitted under the Automatic Route
in Petroleum Product Marketing, Oil Exploration in both small and medium sized
fields and Petroleum Product Pipelines. In Air Transport Services (Domestic
Airlines) sector, FDI upto 100 per cent has been permitted under the Automatic
Route by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and upto 49 per cent by others. However,
no direct or indirect equity participation by foreign airlines would be allowed.
3. Foreign Exchange Management
(Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) (Amendment)
Regulations, 2005, Notification No. FEMA 130/2005-RB dated March
17, 2005 has been notified by Government vide G.S.R. No.201(E) dated April
01, 2005 (copy enclosed).
4. Authorised Dealer banks
may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their constituents
and customers concerned.
5. The direction contained
in this circular has been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign
Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) and is without prejudice to permissions
/ approvals, if any, required under any other law.
Yours faithfully
(Vinay Baijal)
Chief General Manager
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
(FOREIGN EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT)
CENTRAL OFFICE
MUMBAI 400 001
Notification No.FEMA.130/2005-RB
dated March 17, 2005
Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer
or issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) (Amendment)
Regulations, 2005
In exercise of the powers conferred
by clause (b) of sub-section (3) of Section 6 and Section 47 of the Foreign
Exchange Management Act,1999 (42 of 1999) and in partial modification of its
Notification No FEMA 20/2000-RB dated 3rd May 2000, the Reserve Bank of India
makes the following amendments in the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer
or issue of Security by a Person. Resident outside India) Regulations,2000 as
amended from time to time, namely:
Short Title & Commencement:-
(i) These Regulations may be called
the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or issue of Security by a Person Resident
outside India) (Amendment) Regulations, 2005
(ii) They shall come into force from the date of
their publication in the official gazette.
Amendment of the Regulations:-
In the Foreign Exchange Management
(Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations,
2000,
a) in Annexure A to Schedule 1,in para (A),
(i) Item No.1 shall be deleted
and the existing items 2 to12 may be renumbered as 1 to 11
(ii) in existing item No.2
the following may be added, namely:
'Natural Gas/LNG Pipelines'
b) in the table shown in Annexure
B to Schedule1,
(i) existing item No.5 shall
be renumbered as item No. 5(i) and (ii) the following sub-items shall
be inserted under the headings Sector, Investment Cap, Description of
Activity / Items / Conditions respectively, namely:
(ii) Petroleum Product Marketing
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/83 · issued 29 Jul 2005. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Test yourself
Quick self-check built only from the facts already on this page — tap a question to reveal the answer.
Q1. In one line, what does this circular do?
RBI has permitted 100% FDI under automatic route in petroleum marketing, oil exploration, and pipelines, and in domestic airlines for NRIs (49% for others), effective July 29, 2005.
Q2. Who does this circular apply to?
Authorised Dealer banks handling FDI remittances, Corporate clients in petroleum and airline sectors, NRI investors seeking automatic route investments
Q3. What is the first thing you should do about it?
Update internal FDI processing guidelines to reflect 100% automatic route for petroleum marketing, exploration, and pipelines.
Update internal FDI processing guidelines to reflect 100% automatic route for petroleum marketing, exploration, and pipelines.
Ensure NRI clients in domestic airlines can invest up to 100% under automatic route, while others are capped at 49%.
Verify that no direct or indirect equity participation by foreign airlines is involved in domestic airline investments.
Communicate these changes to your trade finance and forex advisory teams for customer guidance.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (Authorised Dealer banks handling FDI remittances, Corporate clients in petroleum and airline sectors, NRI investors seeking automatic route investments), your first concrete step on “FDI Liberalised in Petroleum & Domestic Airlines” is: “Update internal FDI processing guidelines to reflect 100% automatic route for petroleum marketing, exploration, and pipelines.” (RBI issued this 29 Jul 2005).
Circular: RBI/2005-06/83 -- FDI Liberalised in Petroleum & Domestic Airlines
Issued: 29 Jul 2005
Action required: Update internal FDI processing guidelines to reflect 100% automatic route for petroleum marketing, exploration, and pipelines.
Action required: Ensure NRI clients in domestic airlines can invest up to 100% under automatic route, while others are capped at 49%.
Action required: Verify that no direct or indirect equity participation by foreign airlines is involved in domestic airline investments.
Action required: Communicate these changes to your trade finance and forex advisory teams for customer guidance.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
AI-drafted · AI fact-check pending · under the editorial review of our expert review panel · decoded & published by BankPulse · 21 Jun 2026, 08:38 IST
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2399&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert review panel. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; never reproduces RBI text verbatim.
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