Economic Growth, Domestic Investment, Real Exchange Rate and Trade Openness in India: A multi-cointegration analysis

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between economic growth, gross domestic investment, real exchange rate and trade openness in Indian Economy using the Johansen –Juselius cointegration test and VEC Granger causality test. The results suggest that there exists a long-run relationship among the variables. All the estimated coefficients of the long-run equation have the correct positive signs and significant at least at the 5 per cent level. Specifically, in the long run, a 1% increase in Gross Domestic Investment (GDI) increases 0.066% in economic growth. Similarly, a 1% increase in trade openness leads to 0.082% increase in economic growth and a 1% increase in real exchange rate leads to 0.26% increase in economic growth. Thus, in the long run, Gross Domestic Investment (GDI), trade openness and real exchange rate have positively impact on economic growth. The results from the VEC Granger causality test suggest that in the short run only economic growth has short run impact on Gross Domestic Investment (GDI). The other variables have no short run impact on each other. Thus, there is a unidirectional causality from economic growth to GDI, but there is no feedback effect.