Investment in intangible assets: an analysis of industries in India

In today's competitive era, intangible assets are considered as strategic assets for companies. This paper aims to analyse the investment in intangible assets in India. A sample of 16 Indian industries representing the Indian economy has been evaluated for a period of 12 years from 2001-2012. The results show that 'electricity generation and distribution' and 'machinery and equipment' industries have the highest compounded annual growth rate (CAGR), while 'rubber and plastic product' and 'textile' industries have the lowest CAGR. Results of sectoral analysis demonstrate that the 'service sector' is more intangible intensive than the 'manufacturing sector'. The results of least squares dummy variable (LSDV) regression show that the differences in the level of investment in intangibles across industries and sectors are significant. The paper provides insight to the managers to deploy financial resources in intangible assets prudently.