Corporate Strategy and Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries Such as India
Introduction to Foreign Direct Investment
Foreign direct investment (FDI), in its simplest term, is when a company from one country makes an investment into building a facility in another country, or when investments are made in order to acquire a certain stake in enterprises operating outside the economy and country of the investor. FDI plays an extraordinary role for firms wanting to operate and compete in a global business. It can provide a firm with new markets to penetrate, cheaper production facilities, access to new technologies, skills, and financing. For a host country or the foreign firm receiving the investment, it can provide many opportunities that are necessary for economic growth and development. FDI can also come in many different forms, such as direct acquisition of a foreign firm, setting up a facility in a foreign country, or investing in joint ventures and/or strategic alliances with local and foreign firms (Kim & Kim, 2006). In the past decade, due to a dramatic change in the way businesses are conducted, combined with loosening of governments’ regulations on foreign investments, FDI has increased dramatically on a global scale.
When companies make decisions regarding FDI, this process require the efficient allocation of funds to investment opportunities, which often require large amounts of money that will hopefully bring greater returns to its investors. With foreign investments being far riskier than domestic investments, the effective and efficient use of funds is critical for the future performance of a multinational company. Multinational companies that engage in FDI provide a range of potential benefits that extend to the actual investors as well as the host country that is receiving the investment which are quite apparent. An example within many of these advantages include, increased profits for the industry or the firm due to lower costs of resources abroad, and increase in jobs provided in the host country. However, despite the
Foreign direct investment (FDI), in its simplest term, is when a company from one country makes an investment into building a facility in another country, or when investments are made in order to acquire a certain stake in enterprises operating outside the economy and country of the investor. FDI plays an extraordinary role for firms wanting to operate and compete in a global business. It can provide a firm with new markets to penetrate, cheaper production facilities, access to new technologies, skills, and financing. For a host country or the foreign firm receiving the investment, it can provide many opportunities that are necessary for economic growth and development. FDI can also come in many different forms, such as direct acquisition of a foreign firm, setting up a facility in a foreign country, or investing in joint ventures and/or strategic alliances with local and foreign firms (Kim & Kim, 2006). In the past decade, due to a dramatic change in the way businesses are conducted, combined with loosening of governments’ regulations on foreign investments, FDI has increased dramatically on a global scale.
When companies make decisions regarding FDI, this process require the efficient allocation of funds to investment opportunities, which often require large amounts of money that will hopefully bring greater returns to its investors. With foreign investments being far riskier than domestic investments, the effective and efficient use of funds is critical for the future performance of a multinational company. Multinational companies that engage in FDI provide a range of potential benefits that extend to the actual investors as well as the host country that is receiving the investment which are quite apparent. An example within many of these advantages include, increased profits for the industry or the firm due to lower costs of resources abroad, and increase in jobs provided in the host country. However, despite the