Browsing by Author "Bathia, Amit"

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    Beyond Official Channels: Informal Economic Structures and Cross-Border Exchange Patterns in India-China Border Regions
    (Economic Sciences, 2025) Vaishnav, Jaimine; Mohammed, Shoaib; Bathia, Amit; Balasubramanian, Jayashree; Dosani, Rahil; Grover, Pooja
    This study critically examines the informal economy in India–China cross-border trade through the Nathula Pass in Sikkim, using ethnographic and econometric methods. Grounded theory and mixed-method research—including 73 interviews, participant observation, and archival analysis—reveal how ancestral trader dominance, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and weak infrastructure obstruct the economic potential of the Nathula Trade Agreement (2006). Despite revisions in trade caps and commodity lists, restrictive policies, geo-climatic challenges, and militarization continue to limit trade. The research deconstructs security-centric narratives by foregrounding Sikkimese micro-entrepreneurs whose informal trade constitutes over 40% of daily revenue. Drawing from dependency theory, James C. Scott’s “moral economy,” and Foucault’s “biopolitics,” the study situates informal trade as both survivalist and entrepreneurial. Brokers from West Bengal and Bihar create additional rent-seeking layers, reflecting a complex broker-state structure. Recent Commerce Ministry data shows a steep post-2017 decline in formal trade, with informal markets expanding into electronics, garments, and traditional medicines. Yet poor infrastructure reduces throughput by 35%. The study urges policy shifts toward fiscal decentralization, participatory customs governance, and localized Trade Facilitation Councils. By treating informal trade as a vernacular economy, not deviance, India can turn its peripheries into geo-economic assets, balancing security with developmental peace and people-centered diplomacy.
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    Digital Privacy Laws – Evolution and Consumer Perceptions among online users in India
    (Journal of International Commercial Law and Technology, 2025-09-30) Bathia, Amit
    As India rapidly embraces digital technologies, concerns surrounding data privacy and the protection of personal information have become increasingly significant. This study explores the progress of digital privacy laws in India and assesses consumer perceptions and awareness among Indian online users regarding data protection. With the proliferation of internet usage, particularly through social media, digital banking, and mobile applications, individuals are frequently exposed to risks such as impersonation, phishing, romance scams, and data breaches. Notwithstanding the introduction of critical legislative frameworks—including the Information Technology Act (2000), its 2008 amendment, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023)—public understanding and engagement with these laws remain restricted. To evaluate user awareness, a structured online survey was conducted with 153 respondents from diverse demographic backgrounds. Findings reveal that over 70% of respondents lacked awareness of existing data privacy laws, frequently consented to terms without understanding, and showed uncertainty about their rights and remedies. The study also categorizes key types of cybercrimes prevalent in India and contextualizes them within the broader policy landscape. Challenges such as low digital literacy, complex consent mechanisms, limited outreach, and government surveillance concerns are also addressed. This paper contributes by tracing India’s legislative progress on data privacy, identifying user-level gaps, and offering actionable recommendations to enhance awareness, promote informed consent, and strengthen the digital ecosystem. It concludes by emphasizing the need for a multi-stakeholder approach involving government, industry, and civil society to create a privacy-aware and digitally resilient population. Future research directions are also proposed, focusing on mechanisms for improving transparency, regulatory adaptation, and consumer empowerment in the digital age.
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    Does Family Ownership Influence ESG Performance? Analyzing the Impact of Family Firms on ESG Ratings
    (Accountancy Business and the Public Interest, 2025) Bathia, Amit
    This study examines the relationship between family ownership and ESG performance, analyzing a dataset of Nifty 500 companies from 2022 to 2024 to understand how ownership structures influence ESG performance. Using a fixed effects regression model, the study reveals that family ownership negatively impacts overall ESG scores, with the strongest effects seen in governance, followed by social and environmental performance. While firm size positively influences ESG adoption and liquidity constraints may hinder sustainability investments, these financial factors do not fully account for the ESG performance gap between family and non-family firms. While family firms often emphasize long-term value creation and stakeholder relationships, they tend to underperform in ESG compared to non-family firms, with the most significant shortcomings observed in governance. The findings suggest that concentrated ownership, financial conservatism, and a reluctance to cede control contribute to weaker governance mechanisms, lower ESG disclosure, and limited adoption of sustainability initiatives.
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    Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Effectiveness in Multigenerational Workplace
    (LEX LOCALIS-JOURNAL OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT, 2025) Bathia, Amit
    This paper examines the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership effectiveness within multigenerational workplaces. Drawing on contemporary theoretical models of EI (ability, trait, and mixed approaches) and leadership frameworks (transformational, transactional and emergent leadership), the study synthesizes recent empirical and meta-analytic evidence to specify the mechanisms through which leaders’ emotional competencies influence communication, conflict resolution, team cohesion, and performance across generational cohorts (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z). The review highlights how differential values, communication preferences and work expectations across cohorts interact with leader emotional competencies to produce variable outcomes in follower engagement, job satisfaction and perceived leader effectiveness. Practical implications include targeted EI development, assessment choices that match organizational aims (ability-based vs. self-report), and tailored leadership development strategies that acknowledge generational preferences while reinforcing inclusive and adaptive leader behaviors. The paper concludes by proposing an integrated conceptual model that links leader EI dimensions to proximal leader behaviors and distal organizational outcomes in multigenerational contexts, and by identifying key avenues for empirical validation (longitudinal, multi-source measurement, and cross-cultural replication).
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    Empowering Marginalized Communities: Integrating Behavioral and Systemic Approaches through Self-Help Groups
    (Accountancy Business and the Public Interest, 2025) Bathia, Amit
    This research integrates the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Quintuple Helix framework to analyze the impact of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) on community development. The study explores how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control shape entrepreneurial intentions among SHG members, while examining the contributions of academia, government, industry, civil society, and the environment through the Quintuple Helix model. Mapping outcomes to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Community Capitals Framework (CCF), the research highlights SHG interventions' multifaceted contributions to sustainable development and grassroots entrepreneurship. The alignment of these central outcomes within the model underscores how behavioral changes (TPB), systemic support (QHM), and community resources (CCF) collectively drive sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems. consultant-led interventions effectively integrate these frameworks, fostering a holistic and sustainable approach to community development highlighting the importance of academic institutions in establishing these linkages. Recommendations include enhancing institutional collaborations, fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems, and promoting sustainable practices.
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    Risk, Regulation, and Reach: A Critical Analysis of Emerging Issues in the Indian Insurance Industry
    (International Insurance Law Review, 2025-09-16) Bathia, Amit
    The Indian insurance sector is undergoing profound transformation driven by technological advancement, regulatory reform, and evolving risk paradigms. This study, titled “Risk, Regulation, and Reach: A Critical Analysis of Emerging Issues in the Indian Insurance Industry,” explores the intersection of rising systemic and climate-related risks, regulatory modernization initiatives—such as digitization, consumer protection, and solvency norms—and efforts to expand insurance penetration across socio-economic strata. We critically examine how emerging risks challenge conventional actuarial frameworks, assess how regulatory bodies are adapting via innovation and tighter oversight, and analyze strategies for improving the reach of insurance products among underinsured populations. Drawing on recent datasets, regulatory releases, and academic studies, our findings reveal the need for dynamic regulatory frameworks balancing stability and innovation, and suggest policy interventions that can help the sector achieve inclusive resilience.