Internationalisation of the Indian telecommunication industry (1947–2004): A firm-level perspective

Abstract

While the importance of the telecom revolution in India has been recognised, little attention has been paid to the diverse international influences at the firm level. This article addresses this gap by developing a firm-level framework, drawing on the resource-based view, institution-based view and the knowledge-based view of the firm, and by drawing on data related to the various foreign firms’ entry strategies during the pre-liberalisation period (1980–1991) and the liberalisation period (1991–). The article demonstrates that the two periods required foreign firms to have different capabilities to enter the Indian telecom industry. The article also sheds light on the international knowledge-transfer process in the Indian telecommunications industry with a specific focus on the differences between different foreign-country firms.