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Deregulation, Misallocation, and Size: Evidence from India

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  • Laura Alfaro
  • Anusha Chari

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of the deregulation of compulsory industrial licensing in India on firm-size dynamics and the reallocation of resources within industries over time. Following deregulation, we find that the extent of resource misallocation declines and a considerable thickening of the left-hand tail of the firm-size distribution suggesting a significant increase in the number of small firms. However, the dominance and growth of large incumbents remains unchallenged. Quantile regressions reveal that the distributional effects of deregulation on firm size are significantly non-linear. The size distribution we observe--namely, a large number of small firms and a small number of large firms--can be characterized as the "missing middle" in Indian manufacturing and suggests that small firms may continue to face constraints in their attempts to grow.

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  • Laura Alfaro & Anusha Chari, 2012. "Deregulation, Misallocation, and Size: Evidence from India," NBER Working Papers 18650, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18650
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    Cited by:

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    2. Puneet Prakash Kaur & Ravi Kiran, 2024. "Examining the Role of Market Concentration in Enhancing Total Factor Productivity: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Agri-based and Hi-Technology Sectors," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 2525-2548, March.
    3. Chetan Ghate & Gerhard Glomm & Jialu Liu Streeter, 2016. "Sectoral Infrastructure Investments in an Unbalanced Growing Economy: The Case of Potential Growth in India," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 33(2), pages 144-166, September.
    4. Shenoy, Ajay, 2017. "Market failures and misallocation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 65-80.
    5. K. V. Ramaswamy, 2021. "Do Size-dependent Tax Incentives Discourage Plant Size Expansion? Evidence from Panel Data in Indian Manufacturing," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 15(4), pages 395-417, November.
    6. Wang, Wenya & Yang, Ei, 2023. "Multi-product firms and misallocation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    7. Helen Wei Hu & Lin Cui & Preet S Aulakh, 2019. "State capitalism and performance persistence of business group-affiliated firms: A comparative study of China and India," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(2), pages 193-222, March.
    8. Ling-Yun He & Xiao-Feng Qi, 2021. "Resource Misallocation and Energy-Related Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Singh, Nirvikar, 2018. "Financial Inclusion: Concepts, Issues and Policies for India," Santa Cruz Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt98p5m37s, Department of Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    10. Ching-Fu Chang & Cherng-Shiun Lin, 2017. "The Role of Human Capital in Manufacturing Plant Growth: Evidence from Taiwan," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 554-584, October.
    11. Leslie A. Martin & Shanthi Nataraj & Ann E. Harrison, 2017. "In with the Big, Out with the Small: Removing Small-Scale Reservations in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(2), pages 354-386, February.
    12. Cheng, Hua & Ding, Siying & Liu, Yongzheng, 2024. "The effectiveness of entry deregulation: Novel evidence from removing minimum capital requirements," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    13. Sunandan Ghosh & Vinoj Abraham, 2021. "The Case of the ‘Missing Middle’ in the Indian Manufacturing Sector: A Firm Level Analysis," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 19(1), pages 161-179, March.
    14. Jiangteng Zhou, 2023. "The impacts of highways on firm size distribution: Evidence from China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 482-506, June.
    15. Ghani,Syed Ejaz & Kerr,William Robert & Segura,Alex, 2015. "Informal tradables and the employment growth of Indian manufacturing," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7206, The World Bank.
    16. Wu, Yan & Heerink, Nico & Yu, Linhui, 2020. "Real estate boom and resource misallocation in manufacturing industries: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    17. Laura Alfaro, 2017. "Gains from Foreign Direct Investment: Macro and Micro Approaches," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 30(Supplemen), pages 2-15.
    18. Andrew E. Hansen-Addy & Davide M. Parrilli & Ishmael Tingbani, 2024. "The impact of trade facilitation on African SMEs’ performance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 105-131, January.
    19. K.V. Ramaswamy, 2016. "Size dependent tax incentives, threshold effects and horizontal subcontracting in Indian manufacturing: Evidence from factory and firm-level panel data sets," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2016-007, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    20. Sourafel Girma & Hibret Maemir, 2022. "Joint effects of exporting and outward FDI on firm‐level capital investment in India," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 606-624, February.
    21. Qingjie Zhou & Dongyao Yu & Feng Xu & Jiamin Sun, 2022. "The Impact of Institutional Friction Cost on Economic Growth: Evidence from OECD Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    22. Bhattacharya, Mita & Inekwe, John Nkwoma & Sadorsky, Perry & Saha, Anjan, 2018. "Convergence of energy productivity across Indian states and territories," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 427-440.
    23. Colin A. Carter & Shon M. Ferguson, 2020. "State trading deregulation and prairie durum wheat production," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 68(1), pages 107-116, March.
    24. Aditya Bhattacharjea, 2022. "Industrial policy in India since independence," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 565-598, December.
    25. Hyunbae Chun & Hailey Hayeon Joo & Jisoo Kang & Soo Hyung Kim, 2023. "Protecting Small-Scale Enterprises: Evidence from the Korean Ready-Mixed Concrete Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 63(1), pages 73-95, August.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology

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