Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'India’s Foreign Trade'

This dissertation addresses specific issues on domestic and foreign trade in India. The three chapters of the dissertation are summarized as follows. In the first chapter, we analyze the existence of regional wage differences across Indian states, and how domestic trade affects those premiums. We follow a two-step estimation process used in the literature on Labor Economics. Our empirical results show that higher level of domestic imports tends to reduce the state premiums, and higher domestic exports increase those premiums, which is consistent with a specific factor Ricardo-Viner model. Thus, promoting domestic trade by with states specializing in certain industries may lead to higher welfare within the country. In addition, we find, state premiums depend negatively on state-level amenities measured by per-capita power availability, and does not depend on the richness of the State measured by per-capita Net State Domestic Product. In the second chapter, we look at the pattern and determinants of inter-state manufacturing trade in India. In the paper, we use information on 12 manufacturing industries categorized under 5 sectors from 2005 to 2013 with two-year intervals in between. We find that a 1\% decrease in income ratio between importing state net state domestic product and exporting state net domestic product has significantly varying effects on trade flows across the different sectors. For coal and minerals, the effect is 36.8%, for chemical it is 105%, for metals it is 31.5% and for cement, it is 36.8%. In all these case a decrease in income ratio increases exports. For machinery, a 1% decrease in income ratio lead to approximately 9.3% reduction in trade. This suggests that machineries which are capital goods are more imported by richer states, whereas the other goods which can be classified as intermediate inputs are more imported by poorer states. We also find that infrastructure promotes trade and on average infrastructure reduces the effect of contiguity by around 28.6% and promotes trade even between non-contiguous states. Therefore, infrastructure in the form of roadways, highways, and railways must be built and maintained to promote facilitate trade in India. In chapter three, we compare the effects of tariffs and non-tariff barriers on Indian exports. We use Indian HS-96 four-digit industry level export data from COMTRADE and tariff data from TRAINS database for the study. The overall result suggests that input tariffs have the largest effect on exports, followed by final tariff and foreign tariffs. A 1% reduction in input tariff leads to around 8.6% increase in exports. A similar reduction in final tariffs and foreign tariffs lead to 3.6% and 2.8% increase, respectively in exports. Thus, we conclude that the supply side effect of exports dominates the demand side effects. From a policy perspective, if countries try to improve trade balance by imposing high tariffs, it may lead to a negative effect on exports through the input tariff effects.

During the past three decades policy makers from a number of developing countries have undertaken outward-oriented economic reforms with the objective of stimulating global capabilities and allowing domestic firms to catch up with the technological frontier. In the case of India, one of the most important features of such economic reforms has been the promotion of exports and outward foreign direct investments (FDI). Using a rich set of econometric methodologies, we examine the forces underlying Indian firms’ global strategies in the form of exporting and investing abroad and the impact of such decisions upon their future performance. Our analysis covers the years from 1999 to 2007, a period of gradual internationalization of Indian firms in response to ongoing trade and FDI liberalization. We contrast the strategies followed by manufacturing and service firms and pay particular attention to the role of technological and financial factors in shaping firms’ globalization processes. The first chapter of this thesis starts with an analysis of the individual and complementary effects of exporting and investing abroad in stimulating the development of firms’ in-house technological capabilities. We find that outward FDI substitutes the rate of technology investments at home, a result that is consistent with the notion of technology-seeking Indian multinationals investing abroad with the purpose of acquiring foreign technology. In contrast, we uncover evidence of technology-enhancing effects from exporting amongst Indian multinationals, indicating that exporting has been an important channel through which Indian multinational expansion has encouraged greater domestic economic activity. Finally, we fail to find evidence that exporting non multinational firms always invest more in technology than non-exporting ones. Rather, the nature of this association varies according to the sector under consideration and the type of technology. In the second chapter we analyze the process of productivity growth in Indian firms. We examine the individual and complementary roles of technology investments and international activities in stimulating innovation and technological convergence, two potential sources of firms’ productivity growth. Our findings indicate that technological convergence has been an important source of productivity growth in India, with service firms converging faster to the technological frontier than manufacturing companies. We also find that exporting boosts the rate of innovation of Indian multinationals, whereas their overseas investments speed up their rate of technological convergence. In the case of non-multinational companies, exporting stimulates productivity growth by accelerating their rate of technological transfer. There are also positive complementary effects between international activities and technology investments in stimulating firms’ productivity growth either through innovation and/or through technological transfer. Finally, in the third chapter we evaluate the role of external finance for service exports. In contrast to some findings for the manufacturing sector, we find that external finance is not a significant determinant of Indian service firms’ exporting activity.  .

The aim of this thesis is to introduce business environment in India to the Czech businessmen and to the public. The thesis shall answer the questions like what are opportunities and threats of the Indian business environment, how culture influences business negotiations with Indian counterparties and if India is the perspective country for the Czech exporters and investors.

The first chapter describes the structure of the Indian economy, the basic macroeconomic measures, the characteristics of the individual sectors and the comparative advantages and disadvantages. The second chapter analyses the development of the world trade, the development and the structure of the foreign trade of the EU and India and the bilateral trade between the EU and India. The third chapter describes the development of the foreign trade policies of the EU and India, the tariff and non-tariff obstacles of the foreign trade. The fourth chapter describes the areas of the economic and non-economic cooperation between the EU and India, trade in services and foreign investments.

The thesis addresses the role of national oil companies and their overseas engagement in the foreign policy decision-making process of states. Over the past 40 years, national oil companies have gained importance in the international oil industry and currently control around 90 per cent of the global oil reserves. A number of political and economic factors – depleting domestic reserves, economic growth – have resulted in an increasing expansion of Asian national oil companies to Africa. Through the use of two Asian national oil companies – Malaysia's Petronas and India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) – and their overseas engagement in Sudan and South Sudan as case studies, the thesis assesses three aspects: factors and motives that influence the relationship between government institutions and Petronas and ONGC, the connection between this domestic relationship and the overseas engagement of both companies, and the implications of the overseas engagement of Petronas and ONGC in both Sudans for the foreign policy decision-making process of Malaysia and India. This set of questions is analysed through a comparative case study design that is supported by in-depth interviews and based on Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), proposing a four-level theoretical framework. This thesis thus seeks to demonstrate how FPA can help assess the connection between the domestic decision-making process and the international engagement of the companies. In doing so, it not only argues that process and engagement are in fact connected, but also critically addresses conventional assumptions about the overseas engagement of national oil companies. Furthermore, this thesis questions the idea that government institutions and national oil companies act in a coherent and coordinated manner when operating abroad.

As a resource based economy international engagement plays a critical role for the growth and development of New Zealand. One of the most notable trends over the past 15 years has been the rise of some of the largest markets around the world, that have led to a rapid and substantial increase in international trade and investment flows. The liberalisation and consequently the rise of emerging markets has today changed the economic geography for the business world, with companies entering these markets with the hope of getting superior returns arising from rapid economic growth and related market opportunities. Amongst other emerging markets, the economic resurgence of the Indian market in the recent years has been widely noticed and in many senses has influenced and changed the structure and operations of businesses around the world. The prospects offered by India have allowed firms to substantially expand their activities beyond their domestic borders and access new growth opportunities generating significant productive growth. The benefits that markets like India today generate are likely to be particularly significance for New Zealand, given the small size of the domestic market. Indeed, increasing New Zealand’s exporting and international investing activity is vital to raising New Zealand’s growth rate. The rapid rise and deregulation of the Indian market has seen a rise in the number of New Zealand businesses keen to tap into the vast prospects across different sectors over the recent years. Nevertheless, New Zealand businesses have not been participating to nearly the same extent as most businesses from other small developed countries currently operating in the Indian market. Reasons for this limited interaction are unclear and not well documented in the current literature that examines the economic activities amongst the two markets. Given the importance of international engagement New Zealand businesses cannot afford to isolate themselves from the opportunities provided by the Indian market. Considering this, the main aim of this research is to focus on the opportunities that India provides and the benefits that New Zealand businesses stand to gain from those. On identifying, this may help devise actions that might lead to substantially increased levels of international investments by New Zealand firms, given the challenges of entering the Indian base from a small remote country. Drawing on insights gained from existing literature and case studies of companies operating in India, the research will identify appropriate strategies and policies that might help New Zealand businesses to succeed and better direct operations in India.

The content of this diploma thesis is a comparison of China and India, not only from an economic point of view, since the mid 1990's. Both countries are compared from the perspective of their specifics (geographical, political, cultural and human resources), macroeconomic indicators and economic sectors of each country. Savings, investments, foreign trade, FDI, infrastructure and membership in international organizations or corporations are all characterized throughout the paper. Prospective future developments, opportunities for foreign investments and cooperation between countries, as well as the present status of China and India in the world, are also briefly characterized in this thesis.

Des années 1960 jusqu’à la fin de la guerre froide, voire au-delà, l’influence voire la prépondérance de la France sur les territoires francophones d’Afrique noire est presque totale. Cependant, en ce XXIème siècle naissant, la compétition mondiale dans la recherche de nouveaux débouchés et de la sécurisation de l’approvisionnement énergétique amène inexorablement les grandes puissances à entrer en ‘‘conflit d’intérêts’’ par la pénétration réciproque des « arrière-cours ». Ceci est particulièrement vrai pour la France qui voit des pays tels que les Etats-Unis, la Chine, l’Inde, le Brésil, la Turquie, les pays du Golfe, etc., faire une entrée fracassante dans une région géographique qu’elle considère depuis longtemps comme sa « chasse gardée » compte tenu des liens historique, linguistique et politique. Ces nouveaux défis et enjeux pour la politique africaine de la France se mesurent désormais, à l’aune des transformations à l’œuvre sur la scène internationale avec la mondialisation et l’émergence de nouvelles puissances du Sud. Les défis et les enjeux sont importants pour l’action extérieure de la France et sa place dans le monde, compte tenu de la concurrence féroce des nouveaux acteurs et des changements des sociétés africaines en cours. Néanmoins elle possède encore des atouts économiques, diplomatiques et stratégiques susceptibles de lui permettre d’élaborer, grâce à l’espace culturel francophone, un projet original, ambitieux et porteur d’espoir. Pour ce faire, il faudra répondre aux deux interrogations suivantes : Comment réformer cette politique traditionnelle basée sur des relations étroites et privilégiées avec les dirigeants africains sans toutefois compromettre les avantages comparatifs de la France sur place? Quelle stratégie politique mettre en œuvre pour identifier les véritables intérêts communs des Français et des Africains francophones, en tenant compte des opportunités et des menaces, et les développer dans un partenariat mutuellement bénéfique ?
From 1960s to the end of the cold war, even beyond, the influence even the supremacy of France in the French-speaking territories in Sub-Saharan Africa is almost total. However, in this 21st century, the world competition in the research of new markets and the security of the energy supply leads inexorably the great powers to enter in “conflict of interests” by the mutual penetration of the “back-yards”. This is particularly true for France which has countries such as the United States, China, India, Brazil, Turkey, the Gulf Arab States, etc., to make a dramatic entrance in a geographical area where she judged it for a long time as her “exclusive domain” considering the historical, linguistic and political links. These new challenges and issues for the African policy of France are measured from now on, in the light of the transformations at work in the world with the globalization and the emergence of new powers of the South. The challenges and the issues are important for the external action of France and its place in the World, considering the fierce competition between new stakeholders and the ongoing African society changes. Nevertheless it still has economic, diplomatic and strategic assets which enable him to elaborate, thanks to the francophone cultural center, an original project, ambitious and promising. With this aim in mind, it will be necessary to answer to the two following questions: How to reform this traditional policy based on close and privileged relationships with African leaders without compromising, however, the comparative advantages of France on the spot? Which political strategy has to be implemented in order to identify the real common interests of the French and the French-speaking Africans, by taking into account the opportunities and threats, and to develop them in a mutually beneficial partnership?

There is a complex set of variables influencing a country's potential for economic growth. One of these is investment, and in order to attract foreign capital flows a country needs, amongst other things sound macro-economic policies and solid financial institutions. Solid financial institutions must be coupled with an attention on integration of a country's financial markets. Through the building of these institutions and a focus on integrating its financial markets a country is likely to become more attractive in the eyes of the investors. The reason for this being important is that investment carries with it promises of economic growth and the subsequent social upliftment. Therefore, closer cooperation between the IBSA members is likely to offer great opportunities for India, Brazil and South Africa. It has been highlighted that a closer integration of their financial markets might lead to them also becoming competitors in the quest for the attention from the investors of the North. However, the loss in terms of competition is likely to be outweighed by the benefits found in not having to face unilateralism as separate entities. New Regionalism stresses the importance of regionalisation as a counter measure to the harmful effect of globalisation for the marginalised countries of the world, and the topic of investment aptly illustrate this point. Furthermore, a closer collaboration between the IBSA members as well as a continuous focus on further integrating their financial markets into the world economy could offer great benefits. Moreover, the trickledown effect could also broaden the scope of these benefits to include other emerging markets. Because of this, investment is, amongst other very important sub-sectors of focus in terms of IBSA cooperation, one of the most important one - both in terms of benefits for the individual countries, but also due to what a successful cooperation could come to mean for the developing world in general. The next chapter, the conclusion, will draw together the various discussion of this thesis in order to highlight the arguments put forward and to suggest ways forward for the IBSA coalition, as well as possible fields of further study
Political Science
M.A. (International Politics)

This thesis investigates the implications of implementing TRIPS in India for access to medicines drawing on three major factors: (i) the TRIPS agreement, (ii) the global pharmaceutical industry and (iii) the development of Indian pharmaceutical industry and the level of access to medicines in India. In doing so, the thesis examines the requirements of the TRIPS agreement and analyses the costs and benefits of its implementation, especially from a developing country view point. The fairness test shows that TRIPS prematurely forces developing countries to adopt protection standards, which a number of developed countries themselves did not adopt until they had achieved a certain level of economic development

É consensual que um dos drivers do crescimento nacional seja pela via da internacionalização, trocas comerciais e IDE. Contudo e apesar de aceite a relevância e até a prioridade do eixo estratégico de crescimento por via da internacionalização, constata-se, por vezes, que a eficácia do processo de internacionalização das empresas nacionais, é manifestamente insuficiente. Importará por isso investigar as razões explicativas e sobretudo identificar uma proposta de ação que, de alguma forma, melhore a intervenção dos Stakeholders ao nível do ambiente de negócios e com isso, melhore a performance de Portugal no seu processo de internacionalização. Para o efeito foi utilizado o caso da relação Portugal – Índia em termos de trocas comerciais e IDE. Após a aplicação de inquérito por questionário e entrevista semiestruturada bem como feito pesquisa documental suportada em investigações mais recentes, concluiu-se pela influência das dimensões e respetivas variáveis de contexto no processo de internacionalização das empresas nacionais. Razão porque é proposto um Plano de Ação que, de alguma forma, melhore a intervenção dos Stakeholders ao nível do ambiente de negócios da internacionalização e com isso, melhore a performance de Portugal no seu processo de internacionalização.
From an economic point of view, there is consensus that the national growth driver has to be done through the internationalization, either by trade or by the FDI. However, and despite accepted relevance and priority of the strategic area for growth through internationalization, at times we find that the country's internationalization process towards some markets, is clearly insufficient. It is therefore necessary to investigate the explanatory reasons and above all identify and propose an action plan which in some way, can improve the involvement of Stakeholders to the business environment level and thereby improve the performance of Portugal in its internationalization process. With this purpose it was used the case of the relationship between Portugal - India in terms of trade and FDI exchanges. The application of the questionnaire survey, the interview survey and recent investigation, allowed us to conclude that there is an influence of the dimensions context variables in the internationalization process of the Portuguese companies. Thus, an Action Plan is proposed, which, in some way, can improve the involvement of Stakeholders at the level of the international business environment and thereby improve the performance of Portugal`s internationalization process.

Emerging markets such as India have witnessed waves of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. This historical analysis, which consists of two parts, tests central tenets of resource dependence theory. The first part entails an analysis of the transition in public policy governing corporations between 1991 and 2005. The second part tests hypotheses derived from resource dependence theory relating to a firm’s decision to acquire. The analysis explores the factors that explain why firms engage in mergers and acquisitions by examining three specific policy periods (i.e., 1991-1996, 1997-2001 and 2002-2005). The findings from the historical analysis suggest that firms did not merely react to the conditions (i.e., constraints on capital) in their environment by undertaking merger and acquisition activity, but attempted to alter them as resource dependence theory suggests. Findings from the event history logit model also support resource dependence theory. Overall, the study shows that merger and acquisition activity increased during a period of intense deregulation (i.e., 1991-2005) brought about by the adoption of neo-liberal reforms, change to the multilayer subsidiary form, deregulation of the banking and financial sectors’ and reforms in foreign direct investment and equity markets. During this period of uncertainty, firms controlling more resources in terms of earnings, efficiency and number of subsidiaries were more likely to undertake acquisition activity as they have leverage in organization-environment relationships. The effect of number of subsidiaries on acquisition activity was the most consistent across policy periods’. This dissertation is organized in the following manner: Following the introductory chapter, Chapter II is a historical examination of the three policy periods and includes an analysis of the effect of the political-legal environment on mergers and acquisitions between 1991 and 2005. Chapter III reviews the propositions of resource dependence theory that pertain to organizational change and presents research hypotheses related to mergers and acquisitions. Chapter IV describes the data, measurement and methodology employed in the quantitative analysis. Chapter V presents the findings from the quantitative analysis and discusses the results. The concluding chapter (Chapter VI) includes a presentation of the theoretical findings and discussion of the limitations and scope of the study.