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Project Cash Outflows – Parent Perspective

The first step in NPV is identifying "How much money leaves our pocket?".


1. Components of Initial Outflow

  1. Equity Investment: Cash sent from India to Vietnam to start the company.
  2. Loan Guarantees: Sometimes Parent guarantees a loan, which reduces its own borrowing capacity.
  3. Working Capital: Initial inventory and cash required to run operations.

2. What to Include vs Exclude?

Include (Relevant)

  • Initial Equity Injection: The actual cash sent.
  • Opportunity Cost: If we use an old machine in Vietnam, its resale value in India is an Opportunity Cost (Outflow).
  • Working Capital: Money tied up in inventory.
VS

Exclude (Irrelevant)

  • Sunk Costs: Money already spent on Market Research last year. (It is gone regardless of decision).
  • Allocated Overheads: CEO's salary (He gets paid anyway).

3. Exam Notes: Writing the Answer

Question: "Explain the components of Project Cash Outflows." (5 Marks)

Answering Strategy:

  1. Definition: Initial Investment.
  2. List: Equity, Debt, Working Capital.
  3. Concept: Mention "Sunk Cost Fallacy" (Do not include past expenses).

Summary

  • Accuracy: Under-estimating outflow is the #1 reason for project failure.
  • Currency: Outflows happen in Home Currency (Equity) and Foreign Currency (Local borrowing).

Quiz Time! 🎯

Test Your Knowledge

Question 1 of 4

1. Sunk Costs (e.g., past market research) should be:

Included in Cash Outflow
Excluded / Ignored
Added to Inflow
Depreciated