Title: Internationalisation of Bangalore SMEs: what determines their mode of entry and speed of entry?

Authors: M.H. Bala Subrahmanya

Addresses: Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore – 560012, India

Abstract: This paper traces the objectives, sources, modes of entry as well as speed of entry of Bangalore-based SMEs into the international market (through exports) based on primary data gathered from 85 SMEs in the engineering industry. Firm level factors and drivers (business expansion, global market opportunities and customer needs) have led them to seek export market information from their own (MNC) customers, the internet search and visits to international exhibitions, and they chose one of the four modes of entry: MNC support, e-commerce, trade exhibitions and direct entry though a majority preferred MNCs' help to enter the export market. This paper throws light on two important research questions: 1) what are the distinguishing features of Bangalore SMEs which adopted the MNC route for their maiden entry to the international market; 2) what factors determined the time taken by the Bangalore SMEs for their maiden entry to the international market?

Keywords: SMEs; internationalisation; MNCs; entry; speed; Bangalore; India.

DOI: 10.1504/JIBED.2017.088712

Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 2017 Vol.10 No.4, pp.379 - 405

Received: 29 Aug 2016
Accepted: 01 Sep 2016
Published online: 15 Dec 2017 *

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