German auto major Volkswagen subsidiary Skoda Auto Ltd has been allowed to bring in Rs 235.20 crore to set up a wholly-owned passenger car manufacturing facility in the country. Skoda was planning to invest in Aurangabad to set up a greenfield plant.The company has been given several presentation by state government to invest in the state but the company has made any announced on the proposed plant site yet. The proposals, approved by industry minister Murasoli Maran,also included Rs 180 crore global depository receipts issue of Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), an official statement said here today.

The roadshows for the GDR issue of GAIL to sell 180 million shares of the government has already been opened. Other proposals cleared by the government included those of Wiltron Weavers to bring in Rs 244 crore to set up a carpet manufacturing facility and international seaports to invest Rs 351 crore to set up a facility in India for development and upgradation of ports and ports related services. Orchid Chemicals and Petrochemicals' proposal to bring in Rs 175 crore as foreign investment was also cleared.

The foreign partner would hold 38.05 per cent stake in the pharma company.Goodlass Nerolac Paints' proposal to increase the stake of foreign partner Kansai from 35.96 per cent to 64.52 per cent was also cleared by the government. Kansai would bring in Rs 109.28 crore to pick up the stake of Tata group company Forbes Gokak in Goodlass Nerolac. The largest foreigninvestment proposal cleared was that of an NRI group Sun and Sound Systems for setting up a facility for security systems in the country. Sun and Sound would invest Rs 425 crore to take 85 per cent stake in the venture.

Freight and parcel service major TNT Express Worldwide has been allowed to increase its stake in the Indian venture from 51 per cent to 100 per cent by investing an additional Rs 5.75 crore, while Caparo group has been permitted to set up an wholly-owned subsidiary in India for consultancy service in infrastructure.

Swraj Paul-owned Caparo group would bring Rs 20 crore as foreign investment for the project. The proposal of Hotline Wittis Electronics Ltd to takeover the 25 per cent stake of Indian partner Hotline in the joint venture was also cleared. Hotline Wittis would become a 100 per cent foreign owned company after the acquisition.