Japanese production networks in India: spatial distribution, agglomeration and industry effects

Abstract: This paper examines the determinants of subnational location choice of Japanese multinational enterprises (JMNEs) in India to investigate whether or not conventional investment behaviour as ‘foot-loose’ and one-off investments has given way to an agglomeration logic as Japanese foreign direct investment has intensified. Using geographic information system analysis of investment project numbers, we find that Japanese MNE behaviour in India is evolving, with complementing but complex subnational interactions of economic, institutional and infrastructure factors serving as strong determinants of location choice consistently across key phases of India’s liberalization. We argue that Japanese investment decisions in India have followed a self-reinforcing dynamic whereby prior investments indeed attract further investment.