Internationalization of R&D in China and India: Conventional wisdom versus reality

In spite of a growing trend of foreign research and development (R&D) investment in China and India, academic research in this field has not kept pace. To what extent are opportunities and challenges of managing R&D different in these countries from those in the West? By drawing on academic literature as well as press articles on this topic, we compare and contrast what the conventional wisdom suggests and what the realities are in China and India. We suggest that multinational corporations (MNCs) should not forget the conventional wisdom of managing their innovative R&D policies but should also learn from the unique challenges and capabilities in China and India.