Can R&amp;D investment reduce the impact of <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 on firm performance?—Evidence from India

Abstract

This study examines whether investing in R&D reduces the impact of exogenous shocks like the COVID-19 on stock market performance and accounting performance of manufacturing firms in India. For the sample of listed manufacturing firms, the paper finds that the firms engaged in R&D activities had lower negative cumulative abnormal return than those firms that did not invest in R&D in the pre-pandemic period using multiple event windows. The result suggests that R&D investments can lower value erosion for the shareholders during a severe crisis period. Further, using a difference-in-difference fixed effects model, the study finds that manufacturing firms engaged in R&D activities in the pre-pandemic period exhibited higher return on sales and growth of total income during the pandemic quarter vis-à-vis the non-R&D firms. The favorable accounting performance indicates the possibility of firm-level R&D being associated with the firm's ability to adjust its functioning during a crisis, thereby reducing the effect of the crisis. Finally, the study documents that government intervention to reduce the spread of the virus had a differential impact on firms based on their industry of operation. The findings have implications for investors, corporate managers, and policymakers in India.