For the first time on August 17 this year, Astro-Physicists, Scientist for the first time detected the collision of two neutron stars, which happened at a distance of 130million light years from the earth. They also found that the collision also produced gravitational waves, light with an abundance of precious metal like Gold, platinum. The most astounding galactic activity divulged on 16th October, after much research and analysis. Where the precious metals went? Have we received the dust of those precious metals? If received, how much? These questions may seem to be much weird and irrelevant to our discussion
Let’s assume that the collision of those neutron stars is like allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and its impact on a prevailing economy. Which has some immediate effect and some might be detected in the remote past. After the acceptance of Globalisation and subsequent Economic Liberalisation, Every developing country believed that FDI is like “a cosmic scale atom Smasher of energies for beyond humans ever will be capable to build”( what scientist described the Neutron stars collision) which can bring loads of fortunes to their economy. Yes, of course, since its implementation the FDIs proving as boosters to the economy of the developing and third world countries. All are much pleased with its short-term gains, but like the neutron stars collision many of the issues yet to be experienced. Some of them experienced but remain without explanation.
Now, come precisely to our topic. I have studied many researched articles and papers on FDI, 80% of them equivocal on certain pros and cons. For the last two decades, since the implementation of FDI in India, the protests and criticisms on FDI remain almost limited to the Political debates. There are research works, but most of them lack inductive reasoning or authentic micro-level case studies on the FDI and its impact on the economy.
Indian Government in 1966 and 1985 tried to allow FDI but it failed. In the late 1990s, during PV Narshima Rao(PMO)-Dr. Manmohan Singh(FM) severely debt-ridden India allowed FDI under the structural economic reform process. In 2006, under Dr Manmohan Singh(PMO) and P. Chidambaram(FM) further liberalised the FDI inflow through an automatic process, which doesn't need Government Permission but a compliance to Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In 2013, India government made almost all the sectors open to the FDIs. In the Last two years, Under the Modi Government, it gets much enhancement with high voltage publicity on the name of “Make in India”. The Economic doldrums which arise after the Demonetisation and GST, Modi Government jumped quickly with a data sheet to prove that these reformations increased the FDI inflows. But In 2015, the India overtook China and US as the top destination for FDI.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defines FDI as to take control of owning 10% or more of the business. Businesses that make foreign direct investment are often called as Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) or Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). An MNE may make a direct investment by creating a new foreign enterprise, which called Greenfield investment or by the acquisition of a foreign firm, either called an acquisition of or Brownfield investment.
Since its implementation, Indian Government insisting on the Technological Transformation/up-gradation, Employment Generation, easing Demand-Supply chain, Revenue Generation besides there is a belief that FDI can be a tremendous source of External Capital which can lead economic development.
Now come to the statistical figures, Research works like Sirari and Bohra (2011) on FDI & growth of service sector in India pointed out the growth of service sector to GDP is directly proportional to FDI. I’m here to point out some casual relationship between gloomy economic issues directly linked to FDI. For it, I’m taking three sectors Innovation, Agriculture, and Micro and small Industries especially cottage industries in India.
Mr. Mukharjee In his research paper quoting Coughlin, Terza and Aromdee (1989, United States) said that the number of potential sites, state per capita income, manufacturing density within a state, better transportation infrastructure, higher unemployment rates and higher expenditures to attract FDI were positively linked to FDI flows. On the other hand, higher wages and higher tax rates had a negative impact on FDI flows.
However, In the Chinese context, based on panel data covering 98 hinterland cities of China for the years 1999 to 2005, Luo et al (2008) found that well-established factors such as natural resources and low labour costs were not important in determining FDI flows to China’s hinterland. Instead, policy incentives and industrial agglomerates were the most important determining factors for FDI flows.
There is no fixed rule which can attract FDI. It depends upon the variety of economic and Political situation of the invested countries. However, two things are noticeable from the above observations, firstly, the Investors have more decisive role than the government of the invested countries, and secondly, the major attraction for the FDI is low input cost both of Material and Human resources for production and Market. It can be explicitly concluded that the Invested country is always at the receiving end.
When we come to our own country, the FDI inflows to it dominated by the Automatic Route and followed by the Reinvested Earnings and acquisition of shares. FDI through Government approval route is gradually declining year on year basis (RBI, Atri Mukherjee).
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| Fig-1 |
In the initial years, the FDI was dominated by the retail sector, but later it is shifted to the Service sector. In 2014-15 the FDI inflows to service sector were INR27,369 Cr, in 2015-16 it increased to INR 45,415 Cr and during 2016-17 (March 31) it is INR58, 214 Cr. Between 2000 and 2017 total FDI inflows is INR316,568 Cr, which is highest among any other investment. This is followed by Computer Software & Hardware, Construction Development and Built-up Infrastructure, telecommunication, Automobile Industry and Drugs & Pharmaceuticals.
But the India’s International Trade (Export and Import) largely dominated by Mineral fuels, Mineral oils (35% of the total imported Goods and 20% of Exported goods) followed by pearls, precious and semi-precious stones (11% & 12% ) and the top destination for export is USA and UAE, which is around 27% of the total exports. While the top two Importers to India are China and UAE, both contributed 22% of the total imports. It shows that in India, the sectors which attract highest FDI are not helping much in the international trade rather targeting domestic market. Now I place an example how the government is totally zilch on the Innovation and technological up-gradation of Indigenous products. The Lather and Lather products accounted almost 21% of the total exports but the FDI inflow to it is negligible i.e. .02%.
As said by the FDI fact sheet (till 2017, March 31), Government of India, since 2000 the Maharashtra (with some varies) was the topmost destination of FDI inflows with 31% of total inflows to India, followed by Punjab/Haryana (New Delhi 20%) , Tamil Nadu(7%), Karnataka(7%), Gujarat(5%) and Andhra Pradesh(4%). It is conspicuous that the economically advanced states receive Lion’s Share of FDI inflows.
Nunnenkamp and Stracke (2007) found a significant positive correlation of FDI with per capita income, population density, per capita bank deposits, telephone density, level of education and per capita net value added in manufacturing in India.
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| Fig-2 |
When we are talking about the employment and income growth, the Per capita FDI inflows has no direct link or an overlapping link to the per capita NSDP or Annual wages per worker. Andaman & Nicobar Island has 0% per capita FDI inflow during 2010-11 but the Per capita NSDP 76,883INR and annual wages per worker is 65,831INR, but during the same period Andhra Pradesh received 679INR per capita FDI inflow but the per capita NSDP is much below than A&N i.e. 62, 912INR and annual wages per worker is 61,007INR. Similarly, Goa Received highest per capita FDI inflows and its per capita NSDP is 1, 68,572 INR and annual wages per worker is 1, 26,788 INR. Although Jharkhand got 0% per capita FDI inflow and its annual wages per worker is much higher than that of Goa i.e. 1, 49,847 INR.
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| Fig-3 |
Now come to the Agriculture and Allied sector. The FDI inflows to it are below .58%. The total foreign investment is on fertilizers are .17%, Agriculture machinery (.11%), Food processing industries 2.27% (but most of the food processing industries dominated by meat and seafood). There are a thousand varieties of indigenous seeds and farm animals breeds but very few got patented. Now the foreign investment on Genetic Modified seeds is being encouraged by the Government. Some research works on Madhya Pradesh accused the forceful implementation of GM farming to the growing Farmers' suicide incident (Fig-2). At some point, the most developed States, which also attracts a major portion of FDI is unavoidably linked with Farmer deaths. (Fig-3)
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| Fig-4 |
The incoherent government policy on the Agriculture already weakened the Farmer's economy. Now to make FDI more attractive to Foreign Investor's government putting unreasonable pressure on the land to create a conducive environment.
The investment procedures and double taxation avoidance treaties are the major cause of tax heavens. But the government has paid little interest to eradicate the menace. Even Last year, at several occasions Modi Government reiterated to bring reformations in the Mauritius Route (Fig-4) in FDI but no authentic steps have been taken so far. Rather the FDI has found a new route i.e. Singapore to avoid taxation in India. In the next article, we will discuss on the dark side of this international investment routes.
