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Purpose: This paper aims to analyse how financial literacy (FL) is conceptualised and operationalised in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol. Thirty-six articles published between 2010 and 2020 were considered for analysis. The FL conceptualisation was examined based on knowledge, ability, skill, attitude and confidence elements. The FL operationalisation was analysed using the modified version of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 model for organising the domain for an assessment framework. Findings: The findings indicate that, despite offering operationalisation details of the FL, 13 out of 36 studies did not include a conceptual definition of FL. Of the 23 studies that mentioned a conceptual definition, 87% are primarily focused on the "knowledge" element and only 39% have combined knowledge, ability/skill and attitude elements in defining FL. As in the developed countries, the Indian studies also preferred investment/saving-related contents in their FL measures. The volume of content focusing on the financial landscape is meagre amongst the FL measures used in India and developed countries. The survey instruments of most studies have been designed in the individuals' context but have failed to measure the extent to which individuals apply the knowledge in performing their day-to-day financial transactions. Further, it was found that 20 out of 36 studies did not convert the FL level of their target groups into a single indicator or operational value. Originality/value: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that explores the FL's assessment practices in India. Further, this study offers new insights by comparing the contents of FL measures used in Indian studies with those used in developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the most critical socio-economic and environmental problems in India. Although India's per capita emission is very low compared to other developed nations, the economic impacts are very high as millions depend on climate sensitive sectors for instance, agriculture and forestry etc. Given the above context, this paper discusses the status of climate change, its economic impacts, especially for agriculture and forestry, climate change and financial gaps and other climate policy initiatives in India. In addition, this paper also discusses the four aspects such as climate change and macro-economic impacts, distributional aspects, social cost of carbon, and finally finance and technological aspects. There arises an urgent requirement to conduct a vulnerability assessment for reducing future poverty and inequality associate to climate change in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores the current state of Robo-advisory services in India. This paper further highlights the problems experienced by the service providers in disseminating the innovative business model among the Indians. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative approach to investigate the industry experts by conducting semi-structured interviews. The data collected were transcripted and further analyzed using the content analysis technique. Finally, the authors utilized categorization and coding techniques to frame broad study themes. Findings: The study findings reveal that the three pillars of Robo-advisory are ease and convenience, the time factor and transparency in operations. Robo-advisory services are still at a nascent stage in India. Furthermore, keeping the sentiments of Indians in mind, FinTech companies could combine automated Robo-advisory with a human touch of a wealth manager for optimal advisory services. Research limitations/implications: Since the present study is qualitative, the authors cannot generalize the study results. Future research can focus on empirically proving the constructs of the study using quantitative methods. Practical implications: Robo-advisors have a well-established market in developed nations but are still nascent in developing countries like India. The current focus of service providers and regulatory authorities must be to increase awareness among investors by educating the investors and building trust. Originality/value: The present study is the first to qualitatively synthesize the challenges faced by the FinTech service providers in the Indian market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The policy and practice link in conducting the disciplinary proceedings is pertinent. The primary goal of this manuscript is to contrast India's approach to government employee discipline with that of eight other advanced nations. The gap between policy and practice in disciplinary proceedings involving accused employees is critically examined in the paper. Nonetheless, the main focus of this research is to investigate how unjust proceedings have affected society. With the help of real-time forensics, this article evaluates the gap between the employee suspension policy and practice. The forensics divulges the abuse of power in the disciplinary process sufficient to compel this article to critically highlight the adverse impacts of the detrimental practice on society. Informed personal interviews with the stakeholders (N = 34) reveal that the employee suspension practice deviates from the policy. Employee suspension evolved as a "state-sanctioned oppression", a "cruel joke to unemployment", and a "safe instrument to screen the offence of the powerful". The two significant findings of the study are, firstly, faulty disciplinary practice increasing social injustice, unemployment and resultant youth violence, and secondly, usage of suspension as an instrument to suppress or screen the traces of offence. Relying on the definitions provided in the verdicts of Indian courts, the manuscript calls for a revisit to the practice in the context of misconduct, malpractice, and victimization. We choose research areas that have not received much attention and create an agenda for the future to decrease the discrepancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on the relationship between financial resource availability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has presented contrasting theoretical arguments and evidence. While the relationship has been theorized to be positive in developed countries, it has been argued to be negative in emerging economies due to institutional differences. However, prior theorization in the context of emerging economies has failed to consider the possibility of a non-monotonic relationship between financial resources and CSR. Although due to the high costs of obtaining external finance in emerging economies, firms may choose to prioritize capital retention over engaging in CSR activities when financial resource availability is low, this behavior is likely to change beyond a point when the level of available financial resources has crossed a reasonable threshold. In this paper, we develop this perspective and predict a U-shaped relationship between financial resource availability and CSR in emerging economies. We test and find support for this prediction on a sample of the top 500 listed firms in India. Further, we also predict and find that three dominant ownership structures (i.e., family ownership, business group affiliation, and state ownership) differentially condition this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-filing is one of the e-government facilities that have been embraced by various developed countries, where the public has to release their obligation to the government through online tax filing. E-filing of taxes has been adopted by many countries and India is no exception. One protruding type of e-government is the introduction of the e-filing system for income tax. Through this system, taxpayers are able to submit their tax returns electronically to the tax authorities. However the success of such systems depends on citizen's satisfaction and intention to re-use the e-filing system. This paper attempts to analyze the factors that influence individual assesee in adopting electronic tax-filing services. A survey has been used to collect primary data and questionnaire approach was used in final analysis. This paper deals with the primary data collection method through questionnaire of primary data filled stabilized and analyzed to use SPSS. The overall results of the study point out that tax payer are enthusiastic as regards new technology. By paying overt attention to intended tax users' technology inclination may assist the tax authority in formulating strategy to accelerate the acceptance of e-filing system more easily among the people in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of Interprofessional Education (IPE) into the health sciences curriculum has been recommended over the past several decades to prepare healthcare professionals for future collaborative practice. However, due to the disparity in the adoption of IPE, this literature review attempted to examine the development of IPE and its implementation in global and Indian contexts. IPE has evolved from being fragmented and isolated initiatives to entering into the mainstream of professional education. In terms of IPE implementation, the global scan revealed that IPE was implemented in several countries to varying degrees; however, developing countries lagged behind developed countries in implementing and sustaining IPE. Scarce evidence was found regarding the implementation of IPE in India. The literature review elaborates on the transformation of health professions education from the traditional system to IPE and discusses the gap in the adoption and implementation of IPE in developing countries, including India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The websites present essential healthcare information to patients, from disease symptoms, admission, and discharge to post-care. The present study proposed the CRRAV Model (Credibility, Reliability, Readability, Acceptability, and Validity) for website quality contents of Hospitals, developed from the Expectation Disconfirmation Model, Web QIM, Web Qual Serruni Lucci Model, and Minerva Model. The study also aims to assess the internet information on heart disease and compare and evaluate the quality of HCOs in developed countries like the USA and developing countries like India. The DISCERN instrument, HONcode, and WRAPIN can improve the patient's standard of information and satisfaction and remove the growing skepticism about the website on quality issues. The websites containing heart disease information with HONcode certification and WRAPIN were only four out of 65 in the USA. Out of all the evaluated websites, only a small number meet the criteria of DISCERN instrument and are accredited by HONcode. Besides this, government agencies have no regulation, supervision, or control in USA and India. There are no single quality criteria and international agreement for quality assessment of healthcare websites, except HONcode and WRAPIN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Productivity rise as a source of growth has high potential to uplift millions out of poverty. Mitigating the productivity gap can play vital role in helping developing countries to offset with developed countries. In this regard, present study attempts to scrutinize the relationship and significance of various determinants of total factor productivity (TFP) in India for the period 1990-1991 to 2019-2020. To this end, autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing approach has been utilized. The results pinpoint that trade openness and unemployment have a positive impact on total factor productivity. On the other hand, inflation has a negative but insignificant relationship with total factor productivity, both in the short and long run. The results imply that exports need to be diversified, and import of capital goods should be encouraged to enhance TFP in the long run. Further, foreign-owned business entities need to be encouraged to hire domestic workers, which would result in enhanced TFP in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:Global Financial liberalizationhas increased the integration of the stock market worldwide. The conditional volatility of the financial market is an important factor responsible for the stock market return and reaping the benefits of diversification for investors. The purpose of the paper is to estimates the interdependence of volatility of stock indices of countries like India, China, USA, and Japan. Design/Methodology:GARCH model has been used to find the co-movement and volatility transmission among the stock markets. Daily closing prices of NIFTY (India), SENSEX (India), NIKKEI (Japan), NASDAQ (U.S.) and, SHANGHAI (China) over the period from January 2008 to December 2019S has beenusedinthestudy. Findings: The result indicates that ARCH and GARCH effect is significant among Nifty, SENSEX and NASDAQ but not significant for SHANGHAI and NIKKEI stock indices. Research Implication:The volatility interactions between Nifty and NASDAQ are more prominent as compared to other stock indices considered. The US market act as an leading indicator for the Indian stock market. Practical Implication: The research can aid the investors in forming a diversification strategy. The comovement of stock indices can aid in developing an optimum portfolio that maximizes return and reduces risk. The policymakers can also benefit from the study in establishing a lead-lag relationship of the transmission among stock indices. Investors and researcher also have a keen interest to study the interdependence of the financial market are suggested to study the movements of NASDAQ before making investment decision for Nifty. Originality / Value: The study adds to the body of literatureby exploring the financial integration among various indices. The research also discusses lead-lag relationship of selected stock market specifically post subprime crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mortality risks of children undergoing various cardiac surgeries for congenital heart disease (CHD) in India are not well defined. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the inhospital mortality of various common CHD surgeries reported in India and compared it to representative data from established Western databases. Methods and Results: We searched four bibliographic databases for studies published in India over the last 25 years. In total, 135 studies met the inclusion criteria and included 30,587 patients aged from 1 day to 65 years. The pooled mortality rate of 43 Indian studies reporting multiple CHD surgical outcomes is 5.63% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.26-7.16; I² = 93.9%), whereas the Western data showed a pooled mortality rate of 2.65% (P value for comparison <0.0001). The pooled mortality risk for ventricular septal defect closure and tetralogy of Fallot repair in Indian studies was 2.87% (95% CI: 0.76-5.91; I² = 62.4%) and 4.61% (95% CI: 2.0-8.02; I² = 87.4%), respectively. The estimated mortality risk was higher than the Western databases for all subcategories studied except for surgeries in the grown-ups with CHD population and coarctation repair. Conclusions: The estimated mortality risks are higher among Indian patients undergoing cardiac surgery for CHD as compared to Western data. We need prospective multicentric data to document whether the observed excess mortality exists after adjusting for various high-risk features and comorbidities in Indian patients. We need systemic measures to improve the outcomes of CHD surgeries in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are important healthcare professionals and key members of team. The purpose of this research is to identify the roles and responsibilities of CHWs in developed and developing countries who provide healthcare assistance to pregnant and lactating women. Methods: For this particular study, a comparison was conducted between CHWs role in seven developed countries, seven South Asian developing countries, and India, with special emphasis on improving maternal health status. Results: CHW programs are essential in communities, institutional health programs, and outreach delivery systems. Without active community involvement, CHWs cannot reach their full potential. Developed countries have frameworks for CHWs, such as the Swasthya Shebika Program, Village Health Worker Cadret, Lady Health Worker Programme, and Accredited Social Health Activist program. CHWs are well-paid in developed nations and work with marginalized groups to spread health messages. However, up to 60% of community health workers in low- and lower-middle-income countries do not receive remuneration. Conclusion: Health systems must support CHWs in choosing technical interventions and providing necessary training, supervision, and logistical support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the relationship of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting with the financial performance of firms using various market and accounting-based parameters in a developing economy, India. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses content analysis to develop a CSR reporting index for the Indian firms listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The two-step system generalized methods of moments has been used for the estimation of the panel data. Findings: The results from the study suggest that the CSR reporting-based activities of the firms may impact the financial performance of the firms, but at the same time, the need of the hour is to create awareness among the investors and market players so that they realize the relevance of CSR reporting, which can further improve other dimensions of financial performance as well. Research limitations/implications: The study relies on Tobin's Q and return on assets while measuring financial performance, though there are various other parameters that can be used to gauge the performance. The outcomes of this study have practical implications for the practitioners as well as policymakers, incentivizing them to integrate CSR aspects into their decision-making frameworks. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first Indian study to develop a unique index for CSR reporting and linking it with financial performance. This study shall assist the researchers in broadening the scope of CSR studies in India and can be used to draw a systematic comparison with developed nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to develop a holistic understanding of the state of implementation of the Basel III regulation in India. It offers essential insights related to its impact on the macroeconomy, non-performing assets, capital flows and modifications required for the Indian banking sector. Another central aspect of this study is the identification of challenges faced by bankers in implementing Basel III in India. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted with the help of a well-structured close-ended questionnaire. It was based on six themes identified after a comprehensive review of the literature. Seven experts validated the construction of the questionnaire. A total of 18 responses (42.8%) were received. Findings: The findings substantiate the importance of Basel III regulations. Although high costs and roadblocks are involved in its implementation, yet, the benefits are notable. Banking experts sense the necessity to modify the Tier 1 ratio, risk-weights and ratings. It is felt that credit ratings will impact the capital and investment flows received by India. Research limitations/implications: The number of responses limits the ability to conduct several statistical tests. Practical implications: The findings support the industry's view that Basel III focuses more on industrialized countries and that many emerging countries lack the technology and infrastructure to implement it. Originality/value: Since the implementation of Basel, the norm is a continuous process; the findings provide vital insights to regulators and academicians focusing on the Indian banking sector about its current state to aid in developing a future roadmap. This paper delivers important values as follows: a holistic view of banking experts on Basel III in India, required modifications, its impact and future scope of research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper seeks to study the evolving policy paradigm of Indian outward foreign Investment, especially from the year 2000 till the present. Indian overseas investment has gone through a multitude of overhauls since the liberalization and globalization era of the 1990s.. The study, while highlighting the changing sectoral and geographical composition of Indian OFDI from 2000-2021, underpins the pivotal role played by the Indian Government in fostering gradual but steady policy reforms for calibrating the suitable ecosystem for overseas investment by Indian MNCs. The paper’s findings suggest that developed nations are preferred over developing ones owing to the desire of acquiring strategic assets while the service sector grabs the larger share over the manufacturing sector with respect to cross-border OFDI deals from India. The research suggests further liberalization of services like communication, education and personal services to augment the contribution of the service sector in India's OFDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the discussion in favor of simplicity of legal rules and against complex regulation is rooted in economically developed countries with strong state capacity. With economic development and state capacity comes the presumption that complex rules will be enforced. Therefore, analysis focuses on the administrative and error costs, and the unintended consequences of complex rules that are enforced. This paper argues that the Epsteinian insight is even more relevant to the developing world where countries often lack enough state capacity to even take on simple governance tasks. Developing countries often have less than 20 percent of the state capacity of developed countries. However, this does not mean they limit the regulatory structure to a fifth of the tasks. Under-enforcement or non-enforcement of complex rules imposes different costs and unintended consequences on society. Using examples from India, this paper highlights problems of enforcement swamping, deadweight loss, and corruption arising from the under-enforcement of complex rules. To avoid these problems, the paper concludes that a fortiori less developed countries should favor simple rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the specific reasons why developed countries could easily start implementing innovative alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. electric vehicles or EVs) while the implementation in developing countries looks so far-fetched, with respect to infrastructure and downstream activities, and suggest the steps that can be taken to effectively address these issues. Design/methodology/approach: This research undertakes case study – Tesla (USA), Mahindra and Mahindra (India) and Tata Motors to bring out the problems being faced by manufacturers from developing countries vis-a-vis the developed countries. The consumers' side has been adequately represented though an in-depth survey. An analysis is also carried out as to how Tesla has accrued competitive leverage by innovating and vertical integration of up as well as downstream systems. Findings: EV infrastructure remains grossly inadequate in developing countries like India. Two key areas that remain significantly unexplored are the installation of charging stations at parking lots and at the housing clusters and lack of competitive leverage in the services, processes and other downstream systems due to limited research and development capabilities. The performance metrics of domestic EVs lag those of conventional vehicles as well as foreign competitors like Tesla. Range anxiety is ranked as number one in the major concerns among the potential mass buyers of electric vehicles in India. Originality/value: The value of the paper lies in an in-depth analysis of the relationship between horizontal and vertical perspectives as well as the impact of the product eco-system innovation on both the upstream as well as downstream nodes in the supply chain. Whereas the consumer attitudes and perspectives on e-mobility are inferred from a survey, the impact analysis matrix is used for analyzing the competitive leverage of Tesla through several features in the upstream, downstream and servitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to test a model in which the effect of strategic information technology (IT)-business alignment capability (hereafter referred to as "strategic alignment") on organizational performance is examined via the mediating role of organizational agility [studied as operational adjustment agility (OAA) and market capitalizing agility (MCA)] along with the moderating influence of environmental uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach: The research uses survey data accumulated from 220 managers (IT and bank managers) working in the regional rural banks of Odisha, India. A structural equation modelling approach is used to investigate the strategic alignment-performance relationship. Findings: The findings demonstrate the positive effect of strategic alignment on agility (studied as OAA and MCA). This paper finds the positive effects of strategic alignment and both OAA and MCA on organizational performance. The moderation analysis reveals that in an uncertain environment, strategic alignment has more impact on MCA than OAA. However, the test of mediation exhibits OAA as a more significant mediator promoting the strategic alignment-performance linkage, than MCA. This was further validated from the moderated-mediation analysis. Originality/value: Although previous research studies (mostly conducted in the context of developed countries) have reported about the positive strategic alignment-agility-performance linkages, yet the literature is silent regarding the influence of external contingent factors on these relationships from a rural banking perspective in a developing country setting (such as India). The research extends the strategic alignment-agility-performance theories and provides empirical support for these unique associations in the context of rural banking in India and thereby, greatly contributes to the existing strategic alignment literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the subsequent investment success of EMNCs after their strategic asset-seeking foreign direct investments (FDIs), while internationalization trajectories of multinational corporations from emerging economies (EMNCs) have been extensively studied, Post-internationalization investment success of EMNCs is defined as extensive technological knowledge access and transfer for knowledge combination. This paper focuses on EMNC explicit knowledge access and transfer. Design/methodology/approach: This study analyzes US patents granted between 2000 and 2014 to leading innovation-oriented EMNCs from China and India as well as to their key competitors from mature industrialized countries (MMNCs). Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test is used to compare the explicit technological knowledge access and transfer patterns of EMNCs and MMNCs. With MMNCs as the benchmark, the comparison allows to imply the patterns and extent of technological knowledge access and transfer of EMNCs. Findings: While subsidiary reverse knowledge transfer is largely missing, EMNCs adopt a parent-centric approach in which the parent directly accesses and transfers explicit knowledge from the external environment of host locations. In doing so, EMNCs at least partially achieve the knowledge access and transfer goals of strategic asset-seeking FDIs. Originality/value: This study contributes to an in-depth understanding of EMNCs by empirically testing key predictions in extant EMNC literature, namely, the strategic asset-seeking in host locations and the systematic integration of accessed knowledge and resources with home country activities. This study also pioneers the use of the US patent and citation data to empirically study EMNCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focused on the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry in India. The BPO is a service industry. It is contributing to a great extent to the Indian economy, as per the Indian Brand and Equity Foundation. The major research question is how and why the BPO industry has emerged in India, a developing country. A descriptive research analysis has been conducted in this research paper. It is found that the Indian workforce is laborious, efficient, and proficient in speaking English to manage businesses around the world. So it is easier to attract the BPO industry to India. It is also observed that the workforce in India is available at a cheaper cost in comparison to other developed countries in the world. So it provides cost advantages to those companies who want to outsource them. The other reason may be the liberalisation of government policies in India for investment by companies around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the perceptions of stakeholders as regards the practices of Indian companies vis-à-vis climate change seeking underpinnings from stakeholder theory and collecting data using a structured questionnaire. Design/methodology/approach: This paper used a descriptive analytical research design based on the data collected from a diverse sample of stakeholders of Indian companies through a cross-sectional, self-administered online survey questionnaire. Findings: The study attaching significance to the stakeholders' perception as a useful tool underscores that Indian companies have started to engage in preventive measures to minimize the externalities of climate crisis taking cognizance of the stakeholders' interests amidst their increased awareness, also underlining that their perceptions substantially determine climate strategy proactivity (CSP) in their quest of competitive advantage beyond regulatory compliances. The study finds that incessant growth in the stakeholder awareness has not left companies to remain reluctant from analyzing effects and adopting suitable strategies in India also which, as a fast growing developing country, has witnessed immense growth in the post-liberalization era. Research limitations/implications: This study would help decision-makers in businesses, policymakers, practitioners and standard-setters by providing further insights on the relevance of stakeholders' perspectives in CSP in the developing countries. Stakeholders' perceptions though representing varied categories hint that the actions beyond regulatory compliances need to be in focus in future studies. Originality/value: The paper elaborates the significance of CSP in developing countries to eliminate the impact of inadequacies that previous studies undertook primarily in developed countries have failed in contextualizing these issues of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic growth convergence between advanced nations and the rest of the world has been found to reduce global income inequality. However, less is known about convergence within nations, especially in developing economies with substantial regional heterogeneities. Using the neoclassical framework, this study tests for farm income convergence in India, where agriculture employs over 200 million workers. Household farm income is estimated in 599 districts using three pan‐India situation assessment surveys (2003, 2013, and 2019). The conditional convergence model—augmented to capture spatial spillovers—shows farm incomes are converging across Indian districts but at slower rates in recent years and among farmers in the left‐tail of the income distribution. Irrigation infrastructure, crop diversification, and distance to the urban market explain farm income growth, and hence, spatial income disparities. Returns to these factors are high for middle‐income farmers than for the rich or poor. Spatial spillovers, likely from technological change, captured in residuals also had a positive impact on farm incomes. Results remain unchanged when farm income was replaced by its value added. Connecting the poorest to the markets, strengthening infrastructure and promoting diversification for the middle‐income groups, and nudging high‐income farmers toward value chains could help equitable economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic wastes in recent years have become a menace owing to population pressure and high demand of various plastic products in daily use. A study was conducted in Aizawl city of northeast India for a period of 3 years to quantify various types of plastic wastes. Our study found that a present plastic consumption of 13.06 g/capita/day although low when compared to developed countries continues; the generation will be doubled after a decade as the population is projected to double specially due to migration from rural areas. The plastic waste was contributed more by the high-income group of the population with a correlation factor of r = 0.97. Among the total plastic waste, packaging plastics contributed maximum with an average of 52.56% and carry bags among the packaging contribute maximum with 32.55% in the three sectors, namely, residential, commercial, and dumping sites. The result leads to a maximum contribution by the LDPE polymer with 27.46% among seven categories of polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews the literature on accounting conservatism and its different dimensions. In literature, accounting conservatism is classified into two classes, namely, conditional accounting conservatism and unconditional accounting conservatism. Accounting conservatism plays an important role in shaping the corporate governance of any firm. It also interacts with other dimensions like board structure and ownership structure to decide the firm level of corporate governance. Board structure and accounting conservatism act as a substitute to each other. Accounting conservatism literature mainly focuses on advanced or developed nations, while research on emerging nations needs more attention. As there are institutional differences between advanced and emerging nations, the results generated from advanced nations cannot be generalized for the emerging nations. There are many unattended research gaps in the context of emerging nations like India, where ownership structure is concentrated and business group affiliation is a rule rather than exception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bank branching plays a significant role in a wide range of economic activities. Existing studies on determinants of bank branching activities largely focus on developed countries; studies devoted to developing countries are scant. The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of bank branching activities in one of the largest developing country India. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employ a unique longitudinal data to study the determinants of bank branch location in India. These data are collected at the state level covering 25 Indian states for the period 2006–2017. The authors employ Poisson regression that are better suited for modeling counted dependent variable. Findings: First, region and bank specific factors such as size of population and bank deposits influence location of bank branches. Second, the relationship between these factors and branch locations is heterogeneous across different types of banks and across states with different business environments. Practical implications: First, from the view of banks, considering the factors of branch location are crucial in order to set out branching strategy. Irrespective of policy measures aimed at promoting financial inclusion in India, the authors show that banks consider economic activities in the region in locating their branches. Second, from the view of policy makers and regulators, such branching strategy could potentially contribute to financial exclusion. As a result, population in the less developed regions may be excluded from accessing financial services. Hence, policy makers and regulators should take into this account when formulating policies aimed at promoting financial inclusion. Originality/value: First, while existing studies largely focus on developed countries, studies devoted to developing countries are scant. To the best of our knowledge, the authors have not come across any study that investigates the determinants of bank branch location in India, so the authors reasonably believe that this study is a first-of-its-kind. Second, the study provides a new perspective concerning how regional and bank specific factors influence banks of different ownership in locating branches. Third, while traditional regression used to be a method of choice among early studies, the authors employ Poisson regression that is better suited for modeling counted dependent variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we empirically test the antecedents and consequences of sustainable manufacturing practices across emerging as well as developed countries such as India, China and OECD. We use data from the sixth edition of International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test our conjectures. Our findings suggest that while customer willingness to pay has a significant impact on sustainable manufacturing practices everywhere, stakeholder pressure is able to influence their adoption in OECD and India, but not in China. We also find that firms that are high on sustainable manufacturing practices not only reap sustainability benefits, but also derive cost reduction and quality improvement in many contexts. However, this relationship between sustainability efforts and operational performance is mediated through sustainability performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence of new technologies, the potential of cyberspace is immense; however, the growing number of cyber-attacks on states' critical infrastructure has highlighted the need for cyber security. Although it is challenging to achieve foolproof security, states can maximise safety in the cyber domain through cyber partnerships with technologically advanced countries. This study finds that India is maximising its cyber security while enhancing its offensive cyber capabilities by concluding agreements with most cybersecure states. Furthermore, India's cyber capabilities are more focused on Pakistan due to longstanding tensions between the two countries. On the other hand, Pakistan lacks focus on cyber security and has yet to take sufficient measures. Pakistan can maximise its cyber security through technological advancements and taking advantage of friendly countries' expertise in the cyber security domain. Cyber security partnerships will strengthen Pakistan against threats emerging from state and non-state actors. Following a qualitative exploratory research design, this study provides a detailed understanding of India's growing cyber security partnership and cyber posture, besides highlighting Pakistan's approach towards cyber security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives a review of energy scenario in India and other countries. Today’s demand of the world is to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, during the production of electricity. Henceforth over the world, the production of electrical power is changing by introducing abundantly available renewable energy sources like sun and wind. But, because of the intermittent nature of sustainable power sources, the electrical power network faces many problems, during the transmission and distribution of electricity. For resolving these issues, Electrical Energy Storage (EES) is acknowledged as supporting technology. This paper discusses about the world electrical energy scenario with top renowned developed countries in power generation and consumption. Contribution of traditional power sources changed after the introduction of renewable energy sources like sun and wind. Worldwide Agencies are formed like International Energy Agency (IEA), The Central Intelligence Agency, (CIS) etc. The main aim of these agencies is to provide reliable, affordable and clean energy. This paper will discuss about the regulatory authority and government policies/incentives taken by different countries. At the end of this paper, author focuses on obstacles in implementation, development and benefits of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyse the state-wise impact of literacy rates on the financial literacy rates in India. The OECD defines financial education as, "the process by which financial consumers/investors improve their understanding of financial products, concepts and risks and, through information, instruction and/or objective advice, develop the skills and confidence to become more aware of financial risks and opportunities, to make informed choices, to know where to go for help, and to take other effective actions to improve their financial well-being." Financial literacy has been gaining popularity more rapidly than ever in the recent past, amid both developing and developed countries alike. The objective of this paper is to the relationship between literacy rates on the financial literacy rates in India. The methodology employed is a statistical analysis of secondary data collected. The findings show that there exists a positive relationship between literacy levels and financial literacy levels. It is not a particularly strong relationship, though statistically significant. The paper concludes with recommendations and suggestions that could help improve financial literacy rates in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade affects CO2 emissions by redistributing production activities to places where the emission intensities are different from the place of consumption. This study focuses on the net emission change as the result of the narrowing gap in emission intensities between the exporter and importer. Here we show that the relocation of production activities from the global North (developed countries) to the global South (developing countries) in the early 2000s leads to an increase in global emissions due to the higher emission intensities in China and India. The related net emissions are about one-third of the total emissions embodied in the South-North trade. However, the narrowing emission intensities between South-North and the changing trade patterns results in declining net emissions in trade in the past decade. The convergence of emission intensities in the global South alleviates concerns that increasing South-South trade would lead to increased carbon leakage and carbon emissions. The mitigation opportunity to green the supply chain lies in sectors such as electricity, mineral products and chemical products, but calls for a universal assessment of emission intensities and concerted effort. International trade redistributes production activities to regions with varying emission intensities. This study finds that the convergence of emission intensities between the global South - North and changes in trade patterns have resulted in declining net emissions in trade in the past decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer detection is a crucial topic in the healthcare sector. Breast cancer is a major reason for the increased mortality rate in recent years among women, specifically in developed and underdeveloped countries around the world. The incidence rate is less in India than in developed countries, but awareness must be increased. This paper focuses on an efficient deep learning-based diagnosis and classification technique to detect breast cancer from mammograms. The model includes preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction, and classification. At the initial level, Laplacian filtering is applied to identify the portions of edges in mammogram images that are highly sensitive to noise. Subsequently, segmentation is done using modified adaptively regularized kernel-based fuzzy C means (ARKFCM). Feature extraction is accomplished using the morphological, texture, and moment invariants. The corresponding feature values are provided as inputs to a deep neural network (DNN) model that classifies the normal and abnormal portions in the mammogram images. The performance of the proposed model is validated with the Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) database. The efficiency of the proposed classifier is experimentally proved by comparing the various classifiers with respect to their statistical performances. On an applied database, the proposed model offered a maximum classification with the highest accuracy level of 99.13%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement is a basic requirement of today's society and is the only thing that humans consume more volume than water, but cement manufacturing is the most energy- and emission-intensive process. Hence, the cement industry is currently under pressure to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions. Climate change mitigation strategies implemented in the industry leads to GHGs reduction, climate risks, pollutants, and another adverse impact on the environment. In order to implement climate change mitigation strategies in the cement industry, a careful analysis of barriers that hinder the emission reduction must be taken. However, most existing research on the barriers to mitigation measures is focused on developed countries. Among the most important emerging economies, India, the second-largest producer and consumer of cement, faces challenges to implement emission reduction measures. To bridge this gap, this paper identifies and evaluates the barriers and solutions to overcome these barriers in the context of India. This study employs a three-phase methodology based on fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to identify barriers and solutions to overcome these barriers to climate change mitigation strategies adoption in Indian cement industry. Fuzzy AHP is employed to prioritize these barriers, and to rank solutions of these barriers, Fuzzy TOPSIS is employed. Ten Indian cement manufacturing industry is taken to illustrate the proposed three-phase methodology. Finally, the result of the analysis offers an effective decision support tool to the Indian cement industry to eliminate and overcome barriers to mitigation strategies adoption and build their green image in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization is the process of international integration arising from interchange of the world’s views, products, ideas and other aspects of the culture. Ayurveda has holistic approach towards health and diseases, lifestyle, using medications, diet and their fewer side effect .Globalization helps to propagate Ayurveda worldwide with the help of health tourism. India is emerging as a great destination for health tourism because it has several factors like excellent medical treatment at low cost, easy accessibility, picturesque locations for excellent holidays etc. Health tourism is not only beneficial for the foreigners but our country can also be benefitted financially. It will also help to spread the importance of Ayurveda worldwide. The physician can extend a helping hand in globalization of Ayurveda by being in their own motherland. Patients from industrialized nations seek health tourism because of high quality treatment at low cost. Panchakarma is one of the specialty of Kayachikitsa presents unique approach of Ayurveda with shodhana procedures of the body. Panchakarma provides promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilative aspect. There has been phenomenal increase in the demand for Panchakarma. Sharad ritu is the time for Pitta prakopa. The pitta which was accumulated in Varsha ritu gets provoked by ushna guna during this season. If proper care is not taken during this time, it will cause Pittaja vikara. Virechana is the method of purification, conducted in Sharad ritu for preventing and controlling pitta prakopa as a part of Ritukalina shodhana. In this current paper, we would like to discuss different aspects of health tourism with special reference to Sharadiya Virechana, which will contribute to propagate Ayurveda globally [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several developing countries have become world leaders in the field of renewable energy, of which China, but also Brazil and India stand out. This research paper focuses on the positions they occupy in the world rankings of hydro, wind, solar and bio energy capacities, as compared to the developed countries. At the same time, the investigation points to specific catalysts or, on the contrary, deterrents of the "green revolution" in the developing world. Hydropower is the most important form of renewable energy in all the three countries included in this evaluation. It is underscored that China is the first one in each of the four world rankings, taking into account the total installed capacity of renewable energy: hydro, wind, solar and bio. It is also the largest investor in renewable energy capacity worldwide. Brazil ranks second as regards hydropower and bioenergy capacities, while India ranks fourth in wind and bioenergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global health diplomacy has gained significant importance and undoubtedly remained high on the agendas of many nations, regional and global platforms amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many countries have realized the importance of the health sector and the value of a healthy workforce. However, there is little control on issues related to trade that impact on human health due to the dominance of profit-oriented business lobbies. A balance, however, needs to be struck between economic profits and a healthy global population. This paper aimed to highlight the importance of building capacity in global health diplomacy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic so that health personnel may effectively negotiate on the multisectoral stage to secure the resources they need. The recent proposal to waive off certain provisions of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO) presents an important opportunity for all governments to unite and stand up for public health, global solidarity, and equitable access at the international level so that both developed and developing nations may enjoy improved health outcomes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is increasingly being recognised that changes in the gut microbiome have either a causative or associative relationship with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, most of this research has been carried out in a small number of developed countries with high CRC incidence. It is unknown if lower incidence countries such as India have similar microbial associations. Having previously established protocols to facilitate microbiome research in regions with developing research infrastructure, we have now collected and sequenced microbial samples from a larger cohort study of 46 Indian CRC patients and 43 healthy volunteers. When comparing to previous global collections, these samples resemble other Asian samples, with relatively high levels of Prevotella. Predicting cancer status between cohorts shows good concordance. When compared to a previous collection of Indian CRC patients, there was similar concordance, despite different sequencing technologies between cohorts. These results show that there does seem to be a global CRC microbiome, and that some inference between studies is reasonable. However, we also demonstrate that there is definite regional variation, with more similarities between location-matched comparisons. This emphasises the importance of developing protocols and advancing infrastructure to allow as many countries as possible to contribute to microbiome studies of their own populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how institutional varieties at the subnational (state) level influence firm‐level innovation in an emerging economy—India. Knowledge of how institutional varieties influence firm‐level innovation is derived principally from country‐level studies involving multiple developed countries. Research on emerging economies is sparse and tends to follow country‐level approaches involving multiple countries. Research involving a single emerging economy where there are substantial institutional varieties between regions is thin. The institutional varieties of some emerging countries are so striking that they can be viewed as several countries within a country, for example, India, China. This study contributes to the innovation literature on the role of institutional varieties on firm‐level innovation by focusing on a different level of analysis—a single, emerging economy with substantial institutional varieties across the different states of India. Innovation in emerging economies is a topic of increasing academic interest. A multilevel study involving regional‐ and firm‐level factors is employed. Firm‐level data are from the World Bank Enterprise Survey and regional‐level data are from statistical agencies in India. The results confirm that institutional varieties have major impacts on firm‐level innovation. The research, policy, and managerial implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Recent papers on target capital structure show that debt ratio seems to vary widely in space and time, implying that the functional specifications of target debt ratios are of little empirical use. Further, target behavior cannot be adjudged correctly using debt ratios, as they could revert due to mechanical reasons. The purpose of this paper is to develop an alternative testing strategy to test the target capital structure. Design/methodology/approach: The authors make use of a major "shock" to the debt ratios as an event and think of a subsequent reversion as a movement toward a mean or target debt ratio. By doing this, the authors no longer need to identify target debt ratios as a function of firm-specific variables or any other rigid functional form. Findings: Similar to the broad empirical evidence in developed economies, there is no perceptible and systematic mean reversion by Indian firms. However, unlike developed countries, proportionate usage of debt to finance firms' marginal financing deficits is extensive; equity is used rather sparingly. Research limitations/implications: The trade-off theory could be convincingly refuted at least for the emerging market of India. The paper here stimulated further research on finding reasons for specific financing behavior of emerging market firms. Practical implications: The results show that the firms' financing choices are not only depending on their own firm's specific variables but also on the financial markets in which they operate. Originality/value: This study attempts to assess mean reversion in debt ratios in a unique but reassuring manner. The results are confirmed by extensive calibration of the testing strategy using simulated data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the power to change the economy and lives. This paper highlights how AI can transform Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India. It explores the competencies which an organization can gain by linking its socially responsible activities with AI. Unlike developed countries, AI is in a very nascent stage in India. On the other hand, it is mandatory for the organization to undertake CSR initiatives in India. Results reveal that organizations can be more efficient in their business operations if they incorporate AI technology with CSR. The amalgamation of AI and CSR can work wonders for an organization to be sustainable in India. This study tries to conceptualise AI into CSR through a theoretical model which needs further feasibility testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the determinants of stated individual support towards environmental action. The analysis is realized by means of an original Partial Least Squares Path model of Environmental Awareness-Social Capital-Action and it is based on survey data provided in the fifth wave of the World Values Survey (2005–2009) regarding 34.612 individuals from 42 different countries. Besides the global estimates obtained on the whole set of countries, the paper proposes a subsample analysis for developed and developing countries, as well as country analyses for four major economies: China, India, Germany and the United States. We find that environmental awareness and trust in not-for-profit organizations are important determinants of individual action in support of environmentally friendly policies. In general, trust in science and technology does not crowd-out individual support towards the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer awareness is the key to early detection and better health-seeking behaviour. Cancer is quite common in both developing as well as developed countries, but awareness is yet poor among the general population. Poor awareness may lead to poor uptake of screening modalities and delay in diagnosis. One factor that has been consistently shown to be associated with late diagnosis and treatment is a delay in seeking help for cancer-like symptoms. This paper reviews the literature on cancer awareness among the general population and attitude towards screening modalities. The poor awareness level among the Indian population shows the need for health education and sensitisation regarding cancer and its different aspects. This will be helpful in the successful implementation of health programmes related to cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With considerable attention paid to the motives and process of idiosyncratic internationalization trajectory of multinationals from emerging economies (EMNCs), little is known on whether, and if so how, new competitive advantages of EMNCs are created and accumulated over time. MNC and EMNC literature agrees on the importance of external and internal knowledge linkages in technological competence creation. By building upon this framework, this paper aims to evaluate EMNCs' external and internal knowledge flow patterns by benchmarking their counterparts from mature industrialized countries (MMNCs). Design/methodology/approach: This study analyzes US patents granted between 2000 and 2014 to leading innovation-oriented EMNCs from China and India, and their matched MMNCs. Being the first to use the US patent and citation data in studying leading innovation-oriented EMNCs, the authors use a descriptive statistical method. Findings: The findings offer empirical insights of the scale, scope and quality of EMNC technological competence creation. Moreover, in contrast to existing EMNC literature, it is found that EMNC parents have been the most important center of EMNC technological knowledge generation. The matched group comparisons of external and internal knowledge flows further reveal detailed similarities and differences of competence creation between EMNCs and MMNCs, and among EMNCs. Originality/value: This study represents one of the first attempts to investigate the post-internationalization technological competence creation of EMNCs by using a novel data source. This study sets the foundation to deepen the understanding of EMNC technological competence creation. The findings suggest interesting propositions and offer important implications for future researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste management is creating serious environmental issues for both developing and developed countries. Proper waste management solutions should be adopted to meet technological feasibility, and it should be financially and environmentally sustainable as well as socially and legally acceptable. Developing countries like India have introduced new policy frameworks for the proper management of municipal solid waste resources along with waste-to-energy recovery and material recycling. This paper gives a deep insight into municipal waste management systems and examines the energy and environmental policy issues to identify weak points in selection criteria for suitable technology. India is facing serious issues in the management of municipal solid waste and is trying to introduce better management solutions. From a technical perspective, both gasification and anaerobic digestion seem to be attractive when compared to traditional management approaches, but the economic feasibility of these technologies needs to be verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the export baskets of developing economies have undergone a structural shift away from traditional exports towards more technology-intensive exports. The case of India, in particular, is important as the performance of Indian exports in terms of their productivity is now at par with that of developed countries. Since trade integration has significant implications for output comovements, we analyse whether this phenomenon of a structural shift in India's intra-industry trade composition has had any impact on its business cycle synchronisation with its developing and developed trade partners. Using a panel threshold regression model, our estimates reveal that intra-industry trade in technology leads to a convergence in business cycle of India with only its developing country trade partners. Further, when the GDP per capita of the partner country is greater than the threshold estimate, we find a negative relationship between technology-intensive trade and output comovements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic recession has caused enormous disturbances in many industrialized countries. The massive disruption of the supply chain of production is affecting manufacturing companies operating in and around India. Particularly the medium-sized bus body building works have been reduced, due to its compound anomalies. The integrated view of the production facility priorities is not an easy task. Since it is difficult for available labour to conduct an entire project, the completion of a production process is delayed. But still, the dilemma remains as to how production managers can correctly interpret the priorities of the facility. Indeed, this is a problem missing from the previous study. Fortunately, in the current competitive environment, it is essentially needed. This study has been used Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) approach for predicting production facility priorities. The experimental results confirm the suitability of the model for predicting priorities. A real-world problem is taken into account in making use of the model output. In this sense, this total solution facilitates production managers in assessing and enhancing the production facilities. The findings emphasize the priority of "equipment effectiveness, labour scheduling and communication" in order to strengthen the post-pandemic production facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates the factors affecting corporate cash holdings for a sample of 598 Indian Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) for nine years (2011–2020). Design/methodology/approach: The system generalized method of moments (GMM) approach is used to examine the determinants of cash holdings in the Indian MSME context. Findings: The article shows liquidity, cash flow, leverage, firm size, probability of financial distress and cash flow volatility significant in explaining cash holding decisions for MSMEs in India. No evidence of firm age and growth opportunities as determinants of cash holdings in Indian MSMEs has been found. In addition, strong evidence of cash flow volatility, cash flow and liquidity in differentiating the cash holding decisions in the service and manufacturing industry has been documented. Originality/value: While earlier research has addressed this problem in developed nations, this is the first study that fulfills the need to investigate the variables that influence MSMEs' cash holding decisions in a developing economy like India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient-centric digital infrastructure can potentially enhance the efficiency of healthcare systems. However, even in developed nations, evidence suggests low adoption rates for such infrastructure and lack of support from clinicians is considered as one of the most critical hindering factors. In this study, we examine physicians' perceptions of the proposed large-scale information technology initiative in India that aims to transform the health sector and provide universal health coverage to all residents of India. We employed the information ecology lens to understand the broader changes in the healthcare system that could result from the initiative. We use focus group discussion and in-depth interviews to comprehend the perceptions of doctors about the initiative. Drawing upon Foucault's conceptualization of power, we find that physicians, the key stakeholders in this initiative, are skeptical about the changes in the locus of power in the new ecosystem. Specifically, they perceive that knowledge power has shifted from a historical "expert knowledge power" to power related to "data management." The physicians believe that changes are expected to manifest through monitoring, controlling, and managing the data rather than providing knowledge-based services. We present recommendations to engage physicians' perspectives in implementing large-scale patient-centric digital infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]