FDI VS FII

FDI vs FII


Both FDI and FII is related to investment in a foreign country. FDI or Foreign Direct Investment is an investment that a parent company makes in a foreign country. On the contrary, FII or Foreign Institutional Investor is an investment made by an investor in the markets of a foreign nation.



In FII, the companies only need to get registered in the stock exchange to make investments. But FDI is quite different from it as they invest in a foreign nation.

The Foreign Institutional Investor is also known as hot money as the investors have the liberty to sell it and take it back. But in Foreign Direct Investment, this is not possible. In simple words, FII can enter the stock market easily and also withdraw from it easily. But FDI cannot enter and exit that easily. This difference is what makes nations to choose FDI’s more than then FIIs.

FDI is more preferred to the FII as they are considered to be the most beneficial kind of foreign investment for the whole economy.

Foreign Direct Investment only targets a specific enterprise. It aims to increase the enterprises capacity or productivity or change its management control. In an FDI, the capital inflow is translated into additional production. The FII investment flows only into the secondary market. It helps in increasing capital availability in general rather than enhancing the capital of a specific enterprise.

The Foreign Direct Investment is considered to be more stable than Foreign Institutional Investor. FDI not only brings in capital but also helps in good governance practises and better management skills and even technology transfer. Though the Foreign Institutional Investor helps in promoting good governance and improving accounting, it does not come out with any other benefits of the FDI.

While the FDI flows into the primary market, the FII flows into secondary market. While FIIs are short-term investments, the FDI’s are long term.

Summary

1. FDI is an investment that a parent company makes in a foreign country. On the contrary, FII is an investment made by an investor in the markets of a foreign nation.

2. FII can enter the stock market easily and also withdraw from it easily. But FDI cannot enter and exit that easily.

3. Foreign Direct Investment targets a specific enterprise. The FII increasing capital availability in general.

4. The Foreign Direct Investment is considered to be more stable than Foreign Institutional Investor



Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into the primary market whereas foreign institutional investment (FII) flows into the secondary market, that is, into the stock market.



All other differences flow from this primary difference. FDI is perceived to be more beneficial because it increases production, brings in more and better products and services besides increasing the employment opportunities and revenue for the Government by way of taxes. FII, on the other hand, is perceived to be inferior to FDI because it only widens and deepens the stock exchanges and provides a better price discovery process for the scrips.



Besides, FII is a fair-weather friend and can desert the nation which is what is happening in India right now, thereby puling down not only our share prices but also wrecking havoc with the Indian rupee because when FIIs sell in a big way and leave India they take back the dollars they had brought in.

 
Author is management student with Somaya Insitute of Management
She can be reached at apeksha40@gmail.com