Economic Development and Foreign Direct Investment: How to Create Sustainable Development An Analysis of the Potential for Sustainable Development on the Indian Subcontinent

Abstract

Focusing critically on the effects of the conditions for foreign direct investment on sustainable growth in the recipient country, this paper analyzes the potential for investments in environmental innovations in India. The definition of sustainability applied in this paper incorporates economic development and investment which promotes environmentally and socially friendly production and innovation. As the Indian economy experienced strong growth in GDP in recent years, but is still lagging behind in providing the basic needs of clean water, clean air and proper waste management for households and companies, the necessity for sustainable development exists. From a methodological point of view this paper uses macroeconomic data to evaluate quantitatively the potentials and needs of Indian states. This results in a state ranking showing the potential for sustainable development in selected Indian states, based on economic and environmental indicators.

Key words: Sustainable development, Regional analysis, Foreign direct investment,  Environmental indicators, India.
JEL: R11, F23, O11, O57.