India today presents the business opportunity of a lifetime for anyone interested in investing in India's 'Tourism Infrastructure'.The country has 90 million domestic tourists and 2 million foreign tourists who earned for India US$ 2,300 million last year alone. Figures that will increase as the liberalization of the economy permeates deeper. Opportunities abound in the traditional tourism related areas and in novel exciting fields. From the setting up of hotels, motels, wary-side amenities, heritage hotels and restaurants. To the setting up of golf courses, amusement parks, adventure and water sport complexes, arial ropeways, cruises, domestic airports and more.
The Central Government has declared the "Hotel and Tourism-related Industry" eligible for the automatic approval of foreign technological agreements and for 51% foreign equity holdings, subject to certain norms. NRIs (non-resident Indians) are allowed to hold upto 100% equity. These approvals are given by the reserve Bank of India, Bombay. More that 51% equity is allowed on a case-by-case basis subject to a clearence by Foreign Investment Promotion Bank. Additionally, the Tourism Finance Corporation of India and the State Finance Corporations will extend loan facilities.