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Sources of Corporate Profits in India: Business Dynamism or Advantages of Entrenchment?

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  • Michael Walton
  • Anusha Nath
  • Mr. Ashoka Mody

Abstract

Some see India’s corporate sector as the fundamental driver of recent and future prosperity. Others see it as a source of excessive market power, personal enrichment, and influence over the State, with an ultimately distorting influence. To inform this debate, this paper analyses the correlates of profitability of firms listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, covering a dynamic period-in terms of firm entry and growth-from the early 1990s to the late 2000s. Overall, the results do not provide support for the systematic exercise of market power via the product market. At least for this period, the story is more consistent with a competitive and dynamic business sector, despite the continued dominance of business houses and public sector firms in terms of sales and assets. Those with opposing views can, with justification, argue that our analysis does not cover influences, such as corporate governance and state-corporate relations, which may paint a less flattering picture of the corporate sector’s role. Those broader themes deserve further attention.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Walton & Anusha Nath & Mr. Ashoka Mody, 2011. "Sources of Corporate Profits in India: Business Dynamism or Advantages of Entrenchment?," IMF Working Papers 2011/008, International Monetary Fund.
  • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2011/008
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Indrani Chakraborty, 2013. "Economic reforms, business groups and changing pattern of distribution of profitability across corporate firms in India: a semi-parametric analysis," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7), pages 589-602, April.
    2. Pratap Bhanu Mehta & Michael Walton, 2014. "Ideas, interests and the politics of development change in India: capitalism, inclusion and the state," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-036-14, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    3. Kunal Sen & Sabyasachi Kar, 2014. "Boom and Bust? A Political Economy Reading of India's Growth Experience,1993-2013," IEG Working Papers 342, Institute of Economic Growth.
    4. Ujjayini Roy & Indrani Chakraborty, 2024. "Market concentration, promoter ownership and firm performance: evidence from Indian corporate firms," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 27-85, June.
    5. Aradhna Aggarwal & Takahiro Sato, 2015. "Identifying High Growth Firms in India: An Alternative Approach," Discussion Paper Series DP2015-14, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    6. Saibal Ghosh, 2016. "Billionaire Wealth, Firm Performance and Financial Crisis: An Empirical Analysis for India," South Asian Journal of Macroeconomics and Public Finance, , vol. 5(2), pages 133-156, December.
    7. Kunal Sen & Sabyasachi Kar & Jagadish Prasad Sahu, 2014. "The political economy of economic growth in India, 1993-2013," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-044-14, GDI, The University of Manchester.

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