India eases some investment norms for China

FE Team | Published: March 12, 2026 00:25:51

NEW DELHI, Mar 11 (Reuters): India approved easing restrictions on Chinese investments in select sectors on Tuesday, in a major step by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rebuild ties with Beijing and end six years of friction.
Below is a timeline of events since a deadly border clash between the two nuclear-armed Asian nations jolted commercial and diplomatic ties in 2020.
April, 2020 - India introduces heightened scrutiny for all investments from nations it shares a land border with, including China. New Delhi says the move is to curb opportunistic takeovers of Indian companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
June, 2020 - India bans 59 mostly Chinese apps, opens new tab, including TikTok, WeChat, and UC Browser, citing national security concerns.
July, 2022 - China's Great Wall Motor shelves plans, opens new tab to invest $1 billion in India after failing to obtain regulatory approvals, becoming one of the biggest casualties of New Delhi's increased scrutiny of investments from Beijing.
July, 2023 - India rejects a $1 billion investment proposal by Chinese automaker BYD amid continued security concerns.
October, 2024 - India and China reach a deal, opens new tab on patrolling their disputed frontier to end a four-year military stand-off.
July, 2025 - India's top government think tank, NITI Aayog, proposes allowing Chinese companies to take up to a 24 per cent stake in Indian firms without security clearance, aiming to reduce delays caused by the post-2020 scrutiny regime.
August, 2025 - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits China for the first time in over seven years, in a further sign of a diplomatic thaw with Beijing as tensions with the United States rise. October, 2025 - India and China to resume direct flights after a five-year freeze.
December, 2025 - India frees up business visas for Chinese professionals to end technician scarcity at factory floors that cost output worth billions of dollars over the years.