Revisiting the interest rate-investment nexus in India: fresh perspective from non-parametric analysis

Purpose - It is generally believed that business spending on capital expenditure tends to decrease as interest rates rise, and vice versa, this is not always the case. The previous literature produces inconclusive results vis-à-vis the interest rate and investment nexus. This study analyzes the responsiveness of investment to changes in high and low levels of interest rates in India through a quantile-based, non-parametric method utilizing annual data from 1980 to 2022. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses Quantile-on-quantile (QQ) technique proposed by Sim and Zhou (2015) to examine the impact of interest rate quantiles on quantiles of investment. In addition, long-term association and the direction of causality are estimated through the Choet al.(2015) test of quantile cointegration and the Jeonget al.(2012) Granger causality in quantile (GCQ) test, respectively. Findings - The empirical evidence validates that the linkage between investments and interest rate is not consistently negative and varies from quantile to quantile. The study finds a negative impact at median quantiles and a positive impact at extreme higher quantiles. Conversely, the impact at lower quantiles is negligible, which is also observed from quantile cointegration, indicating the presence of a statistically significant association above the median quantiles. Additionally, the study finds one interesting finding that there exists unidirectional causality from investment to interest rates in India rather than other way around. Research limitations/implications - The study provides significant implications for policymakers as it suggests that during extreme economic conditions, the effectiveness of traditional monetary policy tools to boost capital formation is restricted. Policymakers may consider alternative measures to stimulate investment during these time periods. The study additionally posits that the neoclassical theory of investment may not be readily applicable in emerging economies in its unaltered state, mostly due to the lack of well-developed financial markets. Originality/value - There is a limited literature available on non-linear linkage between interest rates and investment. The present study adds to the existing knowledge by investigating how investment responds differently to fluctuations in interest rates, while incorporating the complete distribution of both the variables.