The Union Finance Ministry this week will consider 26 FDI proposals, six of which are related with pharmaceutical sector, an official familiar with the developments said.

The meeting, which will be headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram, is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 13.

The pharmaceutical-related FDI proposals include that of Mumbai-based Sanofi-Synthelabo India and Tamil Nadu-based SIDD Life Sciences.

The list of other FDI proposals that will be considered during the meeting includes that of Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited, Muthoot Finance Limited (Kerala), Euronet Services India Limited and Asia Net Communication Limited.

The upcoming meeting will be Foreign Investment Promotion Board's (FIPB's) 189th meeting to consider the FDI proposals. Proposals of Pipavav Defence and Punj Lloyd had also been considered by the FIPB, but the Board had deferred its decision on these proposals.

India has allowed foreign direct investment in most of the sectors via through automatic route, but FIPB's approval is necessary in certain sensitive sectors.

In the first nine months of this fiscal, India received maximum foreign direct investment from Mauritius, followed by Japan, Singapore and the Netherlands.