MNE Affiliation, Firm Size and Exports Revisited: A Study of Information Technology Firms in India

In this study we argue that the export performance of affiliates of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in developing countries is determined differently from that of licensees of foreign firms or of domestic firms. Our empirical results for the information technology sector in India show that exports of MNE affiliates are greater when they have larger foreign equity stakes that bring more tacit knowledge transfer and complementary FDI advantages and when they import more explicit technology from the purchase of licences. Standard export determinants such as firm size and capital intensity do not matter for MNE affiliates, but they do for licensees and domestic firms.