The Impact of Urbanization Induced Foreign Direct Investment in Emerging India

Abstract

Globalization accompanied with internationalization enhanced urbanization across the globe. Cities and towns became the central point for economic activities, most of them fueled by the inward flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) especially in the emerging economies. Globalization initiated urbanization in most of the emerging economies. As an outcome of globalization directly and with urbanization indirectly it resulted in the growth of inward foreign direct investment across the globe. This chapter makes an attempt to identify the influence of urbanization upon inward FDI and economic growth for emerging India. To study this phenomenon, data for a period of twenty years were taken from 1990- 2010. Multiple regression analysis was used. Results of the study are significant and indicate that, urbanization is playing an important role in enhancing the inflow of FDI into India in the study period. 66.9% of the changes in the dependent variable that is inward FDI is explained jointly by urbanization and economic growth, which shows that cities and towns are becoming an integral part in receiving FDI. This chapter also add some insight into the changing consumption and lifestyles of urbanites effected due to FDI.