Economic Development

India: A new dawn for Japanese companies?

April 15, 2015

Asia

April 15, 2015

Asia
David Line

Partner

David was a managing editor for The Economist Group's thought leadership division in Asia. He has been writing about Asian economics, politics and finance for over 14 years. He has led numerous major research projects in the region, focusing on financial services, including most recently a series of papers on free-trade agreements in the region, several studies on the internationalisation of the renminbi, and the landmark Bank of America Merrill Lynch CFO Outlook Asia series. Among other things he is the author of a major study of middle-market companies in Japan and a chapter on the long-term future of the financial services industry in a 2015 Nikkei book charting global megatrends to 2050.

David was formerly Associate Director in Tokyo of The Economist Corporate Network, a membership-based advisory service for senior executives, and a reporter for the EIU's breaking news service, ViewsWire. He holds Masters degrees in Global Finance from NYU Stern School of Business/Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, in Japanese Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London), and in Modern History from Oxford University.

The difficulty of doing business in India—dealing with its complex bureaucracy and regulations, numerous jurisdictions, and inadequate infrastructure, among other irritations—has put off many foreign investors. However, the crushing victory in the 2014 general election of Narendra Modi, the reformist and pro-business former chief minister of Gujarat state, was seen as heralding a new dawn. Where are the opportunities and what challenges remain for Japanese companies that are eager to invest?

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As the second-most-populous country in the world and one of the largest and fastest-growing economies in Asia, India has always offered much to internationally minded Japanese firms. The success of companies like Suzuki and Honda, which formed partnerships with Indian firms so successful their products came to dominate their respective markets, is evidence of this potential. Yet these successes are notable because they have been comparatively rare; it is fair to say that the potential of the overall bilateral trade and investment relationship has been largely—so far—unrealised. India ranks only 20th as a destination for Japanese exports, for instance, and accounts for just 1.5% of Japan’s foreign direct investment. Fewer Japanese businesses operate in India than in Thailand.

The difficulty of doing business in India—dealing with its complex bureaucracy and regulations, numerous jurisdictions, and inadequate infrastructure, among other irritations—has put off many foreign investors. However, the crushing victory in the 2014 general election of Narendra Modi, the reformist and pro-business former chief minister of Gujarat state, was seen as heralding a new dawn. Mr Modi, it was hoped, would usher in investor-friendly reforms and a new focus on infrastructure that would ease the path of foreign investment and fast-track economic growth. Japanese companies should be well-placed to benefit. This paper examines where the opportunities are and what challenges remain for those companies eager to seize them.

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