Foreign direct investment (FDI) refers to long term participation by country A into country B. It usually involves participation in management, joint-venture, transfer of technology and expertise.
The foreign direct investor may acquire the voting power of an enterprise in an economy through any of the following methods:

* by incorporating a wholly owned subsidiary or company * through a merger of an enterprise * by * participating in an equity joint venture with another investor or enterprise

Danone group is a company that deeply believes in all this methods of investment.

Let’s get closer.

Groupe Danone, known as Dannon in the United States, is a French food-products multinational corporation based in Paris. It claims world leadership in fresh dairy products marketed under the corporate name, and also in bottled water. In 2007 it swapped its world number 2 position as producer of cereals and biscuits.

Danone owns many water brands worldwide. In Asia, it has acquired Yili, Aqua (Indonesia) and Robust (92%) and has a 51% holding in China's Wahaha Joint Venture Company, giving it a total market share of 20% and making it the leading vendor of packaged water in Asia.

Danone has adopted a strategy of growth through joint ventures, particularly in fast-growing emerging markets, because it lacked the management depth and size to grow quickly. In its markets, Danone has built an attractive portfolio in emerging markets over the past 10 years which represents 30% of its sales.

Danone has continued to pursue this strategy and has recently signed joint ventures with companies such as Al Safi in Saudi Arabia (2001), Yakult in India (2005) and Vietnam (2006), Alquería in Colombia (2007), and Mengniu in China (2006).

France telecom…

France Télécom S.A. is the main telecommunications company in France, the third-largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It currently employs about 180,000 people (half outside of