Financing the internationalisation of Indian MNEs

Abstract

In the wake of increasing outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) from India, their financing in the form of intra-company loans and equity is an interesting area of research. This paper examines the determinants of OFDI financing by Indian parent firm to its affiliates abroad. Using disaggregated analysis of 66 countries where Indian parent firms have invested over the period of March 2009 to March 2014, the paper analyses the impact of economic, political, legal and financial environment including stock market development on the financing decision of Indian parent firms. By applying random effects probit model, we find that the financial and legal environment have a significant bearing on their financing decision. This paper is first of its kind to explore the relatively unexplored link between host country’s characteristics on the nature of funds invested by parent firm in its foreign affiliate. By focusing on parent debt, we move into the realm of internal capital market of the parent firm investing abroad. The results indicate that parent debt is provided to foreign affiliates as a measure to contain risks posed by legal environment and political instability in host country. This contributes to the brighter side of internal capital market. Lesser parent debt provided in response to high tax regime and exchange depreciation in the host country highpoints to the dark side of internal capital market. The paper in a way also contributes to the scant literature on supply-side macroeconomic determinants of capital structure in a multinational setting.

Keywords:

• Multinational Enterprises
• outward foreign direct investment
• financing decision
• India
• parent company
• parent debt
• probit
• random effects

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Vanita Tripathi Associate Professor, Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, is the recipient of Best Business Academic of the Year Award (Gold Medal) 2012 and prestigious Prof. ManuBhai M Shah Award (Gold Medal) for best research paper. She holds the distinction of being double Gold Medalist of University of Delhi in B.Com (Hons.) and M.Com & is also M.Phil topper. An alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce, she has more than 17 years of teaching and research experience in the area of investment management. She has published four books and eighty one research papers in reputed international and national journals including Annals of Financial economics. Her areas of interest include market efficiency, socially responsible investing, green investing, corporate finance, asset pricing, financial econometrics, financial derivatives and mutual funds.

Sonal Thukral has been teaching for six years at the Department of Commerce in Shri Ram College of Commerce (rated as a No. 1. academic institution in India in Commerce and Economics by India Today-Nielsen Survey, 2016). She is also pursuing her Doctoral studies from Department of Commerce, University of Delhi.