ajay.karanjia95@gmail.com

Mobile payment systems have brought a revolutionary change in the way financial transactions are carried out in urban India. The introduction of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), digital wallets, and mobile banking applications has enabled consumers to perform transactions quickly, safely, and conveniently without the use of physical cash. Bengaluru City, recognized as the Silicon Valley of India, has a highly educated, technologically aware, and digitally connected population, making it an ideal location to study consumer adoption of mobile payment systems. This study focuses on identifying the major factors that influence consumers in Bengaluru to adopt mobile payment applications. Using a descriptive research design, primary data were collected from 300 respondents through structured questionnaires. The findings of the study indicate that perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, security perception, and social influence are the major determinants of mobile payment adoption. While mobile payments offer numerous benefits such as speed, convenience, and transaction records, concerns regarding fraud, network issues, and digital illiteracy among older people still exist. The study provides suggestions to improve awareness, security, and trust in mobile payment systems to ensure inclusive digital financial participation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in Human Resource Management (HRM), particularly in the Information Technology (IT) sector where human capital is a key competitive advantage. Chennai, being one of India’s major IT hubs, has witnessed increased adoption of AI-based HR practices to improve efficiency, accuracy, and strategic decision-making. This study examines the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in HR practices of IT companies in Chennai, focusing on recruitment and selection, performance management, training and development, employee engagement, and HR analytics. Primary data were collected from HR professionals and employees using a structured questionnaire. The study analyses employee perceptions, organizational readiness, and challenges associated with AI adoption. The findings reveal that AI significantly enhances HR efficiency and effectiveness, while data privacy, ethical concerns, and resistance to change remain major challenges.

Masstige marketing has emerged as a compelling response to the growing desire for prestige among consumers who seek premium experiences at accessible prices. As the global middle class expands and consumption aspirations intensify, masstige brands have increasingly blurred the boundaries between luxury and mass markets. Although academic interest in masstige marketing has grown steadily over the past decade, existing research remains scattered, making it difficult to understand how the field has evolved as a whole. This study addresses this gap by providing a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of masstige marketing research published between 2014 and 2025. Drawing on 203 peer-reviewed journal articles retrieved from the Dimensions.ai database and analysed using VOSviewer, the study maps publication trends, influential authors, collaboration networks, and dominant research themes. The findings reveal a sharp rise in scholarly attention after 2020, driven by a small group of highly influential researchers and increasing international collaboration across developed and emerging economies. The results also demonstrate the interdisciplinary reach of masstige research, with marketing and tourism emerging as particularly impactful domains. By offering a structured overview of the intellectual landscape of masstige marketing, this study enhances clarity in the field and provides a meaningful foundation for future research and theory development.

The study analyses 14 different variables of firm-specific financial indicators, regulatory and liquidity measures, and macroeconomic determinants that influence the share price of Indian public sector banks. Using the data from 2016 to 2025 by employing balanced panel data of fixed-effects and random-effect models. The Hausman test confirms the appropriateness of the fixed-effect model. The results indicate that BVPS and SIZE have a strong positive impact on share price, whereas Bank age shows a negative association. However, monetary policy variables have a significant influence on valuation, while EPS, NIM, CAR, and other macroeconomic variables are found to be insignificant. The finding offers important implications for regulators and policymakers to enhance market confidence and long-term valuation of Indian public sector banks.

In the present business environment, retention of talent is a significant challenge for organisations. Organisations, now have to differentiate themselves from their competitors through employer branding initiatives. Organisations are becoming cognizant towards employer branding as it helps in attracting, motivating and retaining the best talent in the market. Employer branding is a HR-marketing strategy which communicates the goodwill or reputation of the organisation to employees and other stakeholders. It reflects the employment experience of the organisation and provides its employees the ‘wow’ factor. It is becoming essential for organisations to make their organisation unique and develop it as a ‘great place to work’ in the minds of its employees. Among the various dimensions of employer branding, communication has emerged as a critical factor influencing employee perceptions and organisational attractiveness. This study examines IT employees’ perceptions of communication as a construct of employer branding and analyses the relationship between employees’ demographic profiles and their perceptions of diversity. Primary data were collected from 600 employees working in the top 20 IT companies ranked by NASSCOM using a structured questionnaire. Judgement sampling was adopted, and statistical tools such as percentage analysis, t-tests, and ANOVA were employed for data analysis.

The life insurance sector is essential for providing people and families financial stability, especially during emergencies. The industry is frequently chastised for moral failings, including opaque policy language, dishonest advertising tactics, and a lack of initiatives to inform customers of their rights and obligations. In addition to eroding consumer confidence, these problems pose serious obstacles to fair access and well-informed decision-making. With an emphasis on significant areas where standards are not met, this study critically analyzes the ethical flaws in the life insurance sector, challenges in bridging the ethical gap, point out structural problems, and uses real-world examples to emphasize the difficulties that consumers encounter. This study used both the primary and secondary data with the sample size of 360 respondents. Percentage analysis, ANOVA and t-test were used for analyzing the data.

The current competitive and technological driven environment is challenging to a greater extent for the organizations irrespective of sectors and it becomes imperative to enhance the level of engagement of employees at work as it contributes to better organizational performance. Research evidence shows that the employees who are engaged, not only exhibit better productivity but also improved retention with more customer-focused that subsequently contributes positively to innovation and improved performance. Recently, Psychological Capital (PsyCap) is viewed as key drivers for employee engagement. Employees with higher psychological capacities are found to have better engagement and exhibits significant positive influence on workplace outcomes and performance level. Since the banking sector is considered to be the backbone of the economy, employees with banking knowledge and competencies alone are no more sufficient to gain a competitive advantage and providing a environment of developing psychological resources is crucial for increased engagement and performance. Thus, a thorough understanding of the associations between PsyCap and employee engagement among bank employees is needed as the recent technological developments and modern trends in the banking sector necessitate the banks to foster employee engagement which is of top priority to gain competitive advantage

This study investigates consumer satisfaction levels with packaged drinking water brands in Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu. The research examines various factors influencing consumer preferences including water quality, price, availability, brand image, and packaging. A structured questionnaire was administered to 384 consumers across urban and rural areas of Sivagangai District using stratified random sampling. The study employs descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis to identify key determinants of consumer satisfaction. Findings reveal that water quality and taste are the primary factors influencing consumer satisfaction, followed by price and brand reputation. The research provides insights for water companies to enhance their market positioning and for policymakers to understand consumer needs in the packaged water industry.

The rapid rise of neobanks has reshaped banking systems in several advanced economies by lowering access barriers, reducing costs, and extending formal financial services to previously excluded populations. This study examines the United Kingdom as a benchmark case to analyse how neobanks addressed long-standing accessibility challenges related to branch dependence, onboarding delays, and cash access constraints, and how these interventions translated into measurable financial inclusion outcomes over time. Using a purely secondary-data–based comparative research design, the paper draws on evidence from the World Bank Global Findex, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Bank of England, the Reserve Bank of India, and multilateral institutions. The analysis demonstrates that the UK’s neobanking transition unfolded over nearly a decade, supported by regulatory innovations, shared ATM networks, and mobile-first account access, leading to a marked decline in unbanked adults and a shift in consumer banking behaviour. The paper then contrasts this experience with India’s state-led digital financial inclusion model, highlighting similarities, divergences, and projected timelines for neobank-led transformation. By situating neobanks within broader inclusion architectures, the study contributes to comparative banking and financial inclusion literature and offers policy-relevant insights for emerging economies

The growing emphasis on sustainable and responsible business practices has transformed corporate reporting frameworks worldwide, particularly in emerging economies. In India, the introduction of the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) represents a significant regulatory shift toward standardized Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosures. This paper presents a conceptual examination of the ESG framework embedded within BRSR and explores its potential influence on firm performance in the Indian corporate context. Drawing on existing sustainability, governance, and firm performance literature, the study synthesizes key ESG dimensions such as environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance accountability and discusses their relevance for long-term value creation. The analysis suggests that while environmental and social initiatives contribute to operational efficiency, stakeholder trust, and reputational capital, governance mechanisms play a critical enabling role in translating ESG practices into performance outcomes. The paper further argues that the effectiveness of BRSR depends on the depth of ESG integration rather than mere compliance-driven disclosures. As a conceptual study, this research does not involve empirical testing; instead, it provides a structured foundation for future empirical investigations using firm-level BRSR data. The study contributes to the emerging literature on mandatory sustainability reporting in developing economies and offers insights for corporate managers, investors, and policymakers seeking to strengthen responsible business practices in India.