The Indian Government won a second Parliament vote yesterday on allowing foreign supermarkets into the country, paving the way for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to press ahead with more reforms, including freeing up a cash-strapped insurance sector.

While the upper house vote was symbolic, the Government’s victory was a boost for its push to implement a controversial economic reform agenda seen as crucial to reviving growth and reducing a bloated fiscal deficit. The Government had already won a vote on retail reform in the lower house two days earlier.

The policy will allow global retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc to set up shop in the country’s $450 billion ($347.8 billion) retail sector, and is aimed at drawing more overseas investment and taming inflation.

Although both votes were non-binding, defeat would have piled pressure on Singh to roll back the measure.

“Overall, it is a positive development. More than anything else, I think it reaffirms the political will to start reforms,” said Saugata Bhattacharya, an economist with Axis Bank in Mumbai.

Once again, Singh’s fragile coalition Government yesterday relied on the outside support of two parties based in the state of Uttar Pradesh, underscoring the extent to which it is at the mercy of powerful regional groups to push through legislation. In the shrinking window before a general election due in just over a year, Singh’s minority Government wants to push reforms such as allowing more foreign investment in its insurance and pension sectors and simplifying tax laws.

But these are likely to run into a wall of opposition from rival parties that say such market-friendly reforms will come at the expense of domestic businesses.

Singh’s Congress Party has 10 days left before the end of the currentParliament session to try to pass legislation. The Government also aims to pass a Bill that paves the way for the Reserve Bank of India to issue new banking licences, as well as increase its regulatory powers over Indian banks.

India’s economy is set to grow at its slowest pace in a decade in this fiscal year, and the Government’s overspending on subsidies on fuel and food has prompted global ratings agencies to warn of a downgrade.