PurposeThe repercussions of the “Covid-19 pandemic” have been felt across all the global economies. Therefore, this study evaluates its consequences on the performance of Indian-listed SMEs across the manufacturing, service, and pharmaceutical sectors in terms of financial performance, solvency position, and market performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study selects 100 Indian SMEs that trade their shares on the BSESME exchange. The selected SMEs are divided into three sectors: manufacturing (56), service (35), and pharmaceutical (9). Total revenue, operating profit, net profit ratio, current ratio and market capitalization serve as Performance parameters. These performance indicators are analysed for the periods before the pandemic (2019–20) and during the pandemic (2020–21) using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.FindingsThe performance of Indian SMEs has been notably affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. The analysis reveals that the financial performance, solvency, and market performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector drastically dropped during the pandemic period. Additionally, the analysis demonstrates that the performance of SMEs in the service industry has not been considerably impacted. In contrast, the pharmaceutical industry witnessed a significant improvement in its financial and market performance, but faced a substantial fall in its solvency position over the pandemic period.Practical implicationsThis study offers insightful practical implications for policymakers, decision-makers, investors and other stakeholders in the SME context.Originality/valueThis study makes a pioneering attempt to add new insights to the existing body of literature. It presents a sector-by-sector analysis of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Indian SME. This empirical inquiry in the setting of Indian SMEs has not been attempted in the earlier literature.

PurposeFinancial inclusion is a prerequisite for inclusive development. In 2014, the Indian Government introduced the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) with a similar objective. The study aims to analyse the effectiveness of banks in the implementation of financial inclusion policy, i.e. PMJDY.Design/methodology/approachTo evaluate the effectiveness of Indian banks, the study used the data over a seven-year period, from 2014–2015 to 2020–2021. Data are analysed by using the data envelopment analysis technique.FindingsThe study discovered that public sector banks performed better than private sector banks (PVBs) in terms of boosting financial inclusion under the PMJDY scheme. In terms of implementing the PMJDY programme, the State Bank of India rated first.Practical implicationsResults recommended that policymakers set goals for banks. In order to encourage consumers to utilise their accounts, banks ought to introduce supplementary financial products and implement incentive programs.Originality/valueThe study is the first of its kind to measure the performance of Indian banks in the implementation of the PMJDY scheme.

PurposeThis paper aims to develop and validate a comprehensive scale for measuring consumer perceptions towards social commerce (S-Commerce). With the growing prominence of social media platforms in electronic commerce (e-commerce), understanding consumer perceptions and attitudes is essential for businesses and researchers alike.Design/methodology/approachThe scale development process involved an extensive literature review and expert assessments to construct a robust measurement tool. Subsequently, the scale was administered to a diverse sample of respondents, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess its reliability and validity.FindingsThe results confirm the scale’s internal consistency and discriminant validity, contributing to making it a valuable instrument for capturing consumer perceptions towards S-commerce. Eight factors were explored using exploratory factor analysis, namely, “satisfaction and advocacy of S-commerce,” “usability and enjoyment of S-commerce,” “trust and familiarity in S-commerce,” “trust in S-commerce policies,” “familiarity with S-commerce platforms,” “financial trust and security in S-commerce,” “price and rating influence on S-commerce shopping” and “perceived value and social expectations in S-commerce.”Practical implicationsThis research contributes to understanding S-commerce from a consumer perspective, aiding businesses in tailoring their strategies and enhancing the academic discourse on this evolving e-commerce phenomenon.Originality/valueThis study primarily develops a comprehensive scale to measure consumer perceptions of S-commerce sites, contributing to a deeper understanding of the factors driving consumer perceptions in this evolving digital landscape.

PurposeThis study tries to explain the customer adoption of smartwatches by considering the perceived benefits and perceived costs. Through this study, the authors aim to determine the factors affecting behavioural intentions towards smartwatches.Design/methodology/approachThe authors applied the survey method to collect data to validate the conceptual model related to the research objectives. The authors collected 310 responses using a structured questionnaire; after data cleaning, 270 responses were used for data analysis. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed using Smart PLS to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results established creepiness, privacy concerns, perceived expectancy and performance effort expectancy as factors affecting behavioural intentions related to customer adoption of smartwatches.Originality/valueThis study has incorporated the concept of creepiness into the factors inhibiting factors affecting behavioural intentions in the context of smartwatches.