PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the factors which are crucial in determining the extent of financial inclusion in geographically remote areas. The study also aims to provide suggestive measures for banks to tap unexplored markets.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were collected via structured questionnaire from 411 households from the states of Assam and Meghalaya in north‐east India. Factors significantly contributing to inclusion were identified using a logistic regression model.FindingsLevel of financial inclusion in north‐east India remains very low. Income, financial information from various channels and awareness of self help groups (SHGs), and education are influential factors leading to inclusion. Nearness to post office banks increases the likelihood of inclusion. Factors like area terrain and receipt of government benefit individually do not facilitate inclusion. However, recipients of government benefits in plain areas show increased level of inclusion.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was restricted to north‐east India, which limits the generalizability of the findings.Practical implicationsBanks and policy makers should work in close co‐ordination to spread financial information as those efforts are seen to directly impact inclusion, thereby providing new business opportunities to banks.Originality/valueUsing primary data, this study explores the potential predictors of financial inclusion in geographically remote areas. The study is unique in capturing the conditional relationships among variables which are bound to exist in real life scenarios. The findings of the paper are valuable for banks and policy makers.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the sustainability of micro finance institutions (MFIs) in a holistic manner. The idea is to create an index of sustainability for MFIs which includes financial and outreach aspects of sustainability. Further, it also discerns the factors which contribute to high (low) sustainability scores of MFIs. Design/methodology/approach – Data on Indian MFIs was collected from Microfinance Information Exchange database. Using the technique of order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), an Index of sustainability is built by aggregating multiple indicators (operational self-sufficiency ratio, the average loan balance per borrower and the number of active borrowers) to arrive at composite sustainability score of MFIs. Contributory factors of sustainability were identified using a multiple regression model. Findings – The sustainability score for MFIs ranges from a maximum score of 0.80 to a minimum of 0.26. Gross loan portfolio, No. of borrower per staff member, portfolio at risk>30 days and return on assets, are significant contributors to sustainability scores of Indian MFIs. Practical implications – The index of sustainability is a useful tool to rank the MFIs on a multi-dimensional construct of sustainability. The study also helps to unravel factors that significantly contribute to sustainability of Indian MFIs. Originality/value – This study is novel in its attempt to measure sustainability in a holistic fashion by focussing not just on the financial performance of the MFI but also on outreach dimensions. It is also unique in its approach to adopt a multi criteria decision-making technique of TOPSIS to measure sustainability of Indian MFIs.

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The paper aims at identifying impact of corporate governance variables i.e. board structure (board size, board independence, board activity and board busyness) and ownership structure (foreign promoters holding, institutional shareholding and CEO duality) on financial disclosures made by the Indian firms. Using cross sectional data of 325 listed firms for the financial year 2009-10, we compute financial disclosure score (using 171 checklist points) based on disclosure requirements of accounting standards. We find average disclosure score of 73%, maximum and minimum being 100% and 46% respectively. Our finding support agency theory in terms of monitoring role of board since board size is found to be significant however we do not find any influence of board independence on the disclosures. The study also supports resource dependency theory in terms of outside directorship which might provide exposure to different corporate environment, brings diverse perspectives and knowledge to the directors and this in turn leads to improved disclosures. We also support the notion that having foreign promoter shareholding improves disclosures

Purpose Environmental claims in advertising (green ads) provide competitive advantage to firms. This study aims to understand what kinds of environmental claims advertisers make in a developing nation like India. Further, implications for policymakers and advertisers are discussed. Design/methodology/approach A content analysis of 279 green print advertisements was conducted using a comprehensive list of claim categories identified from the advertising literature. These categories included advertiser profile; ad promotions – type, sector, appeal; claim – nature, type, focus, validity, emphasis; executional elements – illustration setting, presenter, format/structure and environmental issue, identified from past studies and practitioner interviews. Findings The findings suggest that majority of the advertisers using green ads are manufacturers. Consumer durables, real estate and power sector together constitute one-third of the total green ads. Further, most of the green ads are aimed at influencing consumer behaviour. Though most of the ads contain strong emphasis on environmental attributes, they are ambiguous. A large proportion of claims are credence in nature and lack product identification through environmental certifications. This study also identifies areas of concern including interpretation of the term green, use of multiple certifications, greenwashing and advertisers showing environmental responsiveness through event-based green advertising. Policy recommendations are made based on green advertising regulations governing them across developed and other developing countries. Research limitations/implications The content analysis of the green advertisements in this study was limited to newspaper advertisements within the print media. Future studies may use advertisements from different media types, such as the internet ads and television commercials, to examine the effect of media type on the nature of green advertisements. It would also be interesting to examine the role of regulations as a moderator, influencing the claims made in green advertisements. Practical implications The findings of this study provide a comprehensive overview of the nature of green advertisements in India. Marketers may use these insights to design effective green advertising strategies. Originality/value Most of the extant literature has examined environmental claims in the context of developed nations, where regulations are well established. Very few studies have examined this issue in the context of developing countries. In addition, most of the previous studies have focused on specific issues like greenwashing, appeals and execution elements. The present study contributes to green advertising by examining environmental claims in case of a developing nation like India using a comprehensive list of claim categories. This study also identifies areas of concern and suggests recommendations for policymakers and advertisers.