Profitability determinants of infrastructure public private partnerships (PPPs): empirical evidence from Indian data

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the variables having an impact on profitability of public private partnerships (PPPs) in India using a balanced panel data of 171 unlisted PPPs from different infrastructure sectors such as road, power generation, real estate and ports. Design/methodology/approach Estimations were done using Arellano–Bond dynamic panel data estimation and seemingly unrelated regression models on a balanced panel data of 855 firm-years for 171 unlisted PPPs in India. To further test the estimation robustness, panel-corrected standard errors model was used. Findings The study findings indicate that in firm-specific factors, leverage, size, non-debt tax shield, growth and risk have significant positive impact on PPPs’ profitability, whereas in macroeconomic factors, only inflation has significant positive relationship. Although the relationship of all determinants is in sync with various theories and approaches, but these are not significant. Using the robustness test, the results are found to be robust and consistent with resource-based view and strategy-structure-performance approaches. Practical implications As PPPs are gaining prominence in the development of infrastructural resources, their profitability is of significant importance to drive private investments in infrastructure development, the identification of factors which determine profitability is critical for researchers, practitioners, policymakers and fund providers such as equity investors and debt providers. Originality/value The empirical literature on profitability determinants is focused on various sectors including small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) and micro firms, but to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study, in both developed and developing economies, to empirically investigate the determinants of profitability for PPPs.