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Do social policies foster innovation? Evidence from India's CSR regulation

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  • Gangopadhyay, Shubhashis
  • Homroy, Swarnodeep

Abstract

We examine the effect of social policies on corporate innovation using India's mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) regulation. This regulation mandates firms with pre-tax profits above a certain threshold to spend 2 % of the profits on CSR. We demonstrate a significant bunching of companies just below the profit threshold post-regulation compared to the pre-regulation period. Firms close to the profit threshold manipulate their earnings to avoid compliance by increasing their R&D expenses. We show that, on average, firms that increase R&D expenses to avoid the regulation apply for one more patent and announce two new products. The increase in R&D expenses and patenting is concentrated in firms with a prior history of innovation. Our results suggest that social policies can generate indirect incentives for innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Gangopadhyay, Shubhashis & Homroy, Swarnodeep, 2023. "Do social policies foster innovation? Evidence from India's CSR regulation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:52:y:2023:i:1:s0048733322001755
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2022.104654
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation; Patents; R&D; CSR;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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