Indian Electronics Industry Research Articles

Determinants of Export in Boom and Bust: Evidence from the Indian Electronics Industry

India’s exports of electronics products underwent two major phases after 2000–2001. A boom phase from 2000–2001 to 2008–2009, where growth of Indian electronic exports increased significantly, and a bust phase from 2009–2010 to 2019–2020, with drastic decline in its growth. This gives us an opportunity to estimate and compare the factors that help firms to sustain exports in different phases of export growth. Using firm-level panel data and instrumental variable Tobit (IVTobit) model, this study shows that during the boom period, firms’ spending on research and development (R&D), imported technology and raw materials explain their exports. Firms’ age and multinational enterprises (MNEs) affiliation are also important for export in this phase. In the bust period, along with firms’ age, import of technology and raw materials, domestic raw materials, size, advertisement expenses and production efficiency of firms have emerged as important factors in determining export. These finding suggests that larger firms with high technical efficiency manage to export even during the bust period. Moreover, to export during the bust period, firms need to spend on domestic raw material, import of technologies and promotion of their products rather than spending on R&D activities. JEL Codes: F440, L6, L63, F140, L250, C240, C260

Contouring of the regulatory governance framework in emerging economies: a novel multidimensional approach

PurposeGlobally, the governance has shifted from positivist to the regulatory-centric approach, necessitating accurate contouring of regulatory governance framework. The study proposes a novel approach to unravel the regulatory governance framework in the context of the Indian electronics industry – extendable to other sectors in India and other emerging economies.Design/methodology/approachThe research objective has been operationalized through document analysis and thematic analysis of semi-structured interview transcripts in three steps: (1) arrive at parameters of the regulatory governance framework, (2) identify instruments against each parameter and (3) characterize parameters in terms of dominant instruments and their underlying modalities. The authors have adopted a set of 6 Cs modalities (control, communications, competition, consensus, code and collaboration) and regulatory space theory to analyze existing modalities mix in the dominant instruments.FindingsIn summary, the study has (1) identified eight macro and twenty micro regulatory governance parameters, (2) mapped regulatory governance parameters with instruments and institutions (3) revealed the top two dominant modalities for each regulatory governance parameter.Practical implicationsThe existing modality characteristics of regulatory governance parameters can be used by manufacturers, investors and other stakeholders to make a realistic assessment of regulatory governance and reduce regulatory risk and regulatory burden.Originality/valueThe multidimensional use of parameters, instruments and modalities broadens the understanding of the existing regulatory governance framework and may assist the regulators in optimizing it to meet market requirements.

International best practices for e-waste take back and policy interventions for India

PurposeIndia generates around two million tonnes of e-waste every year, and it is increasing at a very high rate of 30%. However, due to inefficient handling of infrastructure and limited number of collection centres along with the absence of proper incentive structure for producer and recyclers, 95% of e-waste reaches to unorganized sector for disposal. Consumers are not aware of the need of proper e-waste disposal and in absence of proper motivation and they are not inclined towards recycling process. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the best practices of e-waste take adopted all over the world to implement effective policy interventions for e-waste management in India and other emerging economies.Design/methodology/approachThis paper has recommended preventive as well as curative policy interventions on the basis of best e-waste management practices of Germany, Italy and Japan; life cycle assessment of e-waste; and SWOT analysis of Indian electronic product industry.FindingsPreventive measures include a deposit refund scheme wherein a consumer will be responsible for depositing a refundable fees during the purchase of the product. The amount should be arrived at keeping in mind cost involved in handling e-waste and ensure some motivation for the consumers to give back used product. To ensure proper tracking of the product, Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags can be used which will be activated at the time of sale of product and remain so until product reaches some designated recycling space or recycler and consumer is returned back his deposit fee. Subsidy to the producers and recyclers can also be provided by the government to further incentivize the whole process. An example of mobile phones has been used to understand the proposed deposit fees and associated cost structure. Curative measures to reduce the generation of e-waste in long run for managing the discussed issue have also been proposed.Originality/valueThis study is an initiative for proposing and implementing best e-waste take back techniques in a developing economy like India by acquiring learnings from best/advanced economies in terms of e-waste take back.

Analysis of Barriers of Sustainable Supply Chain Management in Electronics Industry: An Interpretive Structural Modelling Approach

In the past, industries were solely concerned with the financial aspects of a company's operations. In order to address the social and environmental impact of their supply chain, many organisations are implementing sustainability principles in their operations. Their supply chain is an example of this. There will be some obstacles to overcome in the process of transforming to a sustainable supply chain. It is necessary to eliminate or mitigate these risks. It is critical to understand and research these obstacles in order to successfully manage them. Stumbling blocks in a specific context The purpose of this research is to identify and analyse the most significant obstacles to long-term sustainability. In the case of the Indian electronics industry, this is how it is implemented. Eleven experts' opinions and a review of the literature were obtained. Identification and classification of barriers into categories of policy, human resource, and technology are carried out. The hierarchical structure and interrelationship among these barriers is established using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methodology.

A model for managing returns in a circular economy context: A case study from the Indian electronics industry

The notion of a circular economy (CE) has recently gained significant attention, both in research and practice, due to increasing sustainability concerns and legislative requirements. Despite extensive research having been undertaken in this area, there is a paucity of research in developing decision-making models, which may consider life-cycle span of product returns while selecting an appropriate reprocessing option for value reclamation in CE. In this research, we have contributed to the CE literature in three ways. Firstly, we have developed a comprehensive decision-making model that makes a trade-off between different recovery alternatives while considering a wide range of significant criteria to determine the most optimal recovery option. Secondly, we propose a two-phase mathematical model combining the Interval 2-Tuple Linguistic (ITL) model and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to overcome issues related to uncertainty and incomplete information in decision-making. Thirdly, it is one of the first studies to investigate and compare the implementation of product recovery in CE for short life cycle (SLC) vs. long life cycle (LLC) electronic returns. We validate the industrial applicability of the proposed model using real-world data collected from the Indian electronics industry. Our results provide managerial insights, including a focus on repair strategy for SLC returns and on remanufacturing strategy for LLC returns for efficient and effective product recovery in CE.

Analysis of enablers of sustainable supply chain management in electronics industries: The Indian context

Globalization has led organizations to think beyond economic benefit goals and move towards sustainable supply chains to address their business's societal and environmental concerns. An increasing number of companies are now committing to the cause of sustainability in their supply chain due to external pressures and foreseeing the rewards sustainable supply chains can deliver. The process of changing to a sustainable supply chain is complex, and certain enablers assist in achieving this effectively. This research aims to study the factors that act as enablers of sustainability in the electronics industries. Among these enablers, some have high causing influence while others exhibit high effecting influence. In this study, seventeen important enablers affecting the sustainability of the electronics supply chain in the Indian context have been identified from literature review and experts' opinions. The research helps in finding the causal and the effect enablers for implementing sustainable supply chain management. The interrelationship among these enablers is analyzed using a combination of Grey-DEMATEL methodology, and a diagraph depicting the causal relationship between enablers is established. Further, these enablers are ranked based on their degree of prominence. Results indicate that Government policies & legislations are the primary causal factor for sustainability, followed by culture related factors and Top Management commitment. The policy category enablers are seen to have a major causal effect on other enablers. The factor Health & safety standards have the highest net effect value. Top management commitment is the enabler demonstrating the highest correlation with other factors. Sensitivity analysis is performed to check the robustness of the results. The originality of this study stems from deriving a framework by identifying the enablers and their relationship for the implementation of a sustainable supply chain in the Indian electronics industry. The findings can help organizations to build a strategy and promptly evaluate the enablers to implement sustainability in their supply chains. The paper concludes by giving managerial implications of this research with possibilities of further research directions.

Analysis of barriers of sustainable supply chain management in electronics industry: An interpretive structural modelling approach

In the past, industries were concentrating only on the economic aspects of a business. Many organizations are now addressing the social and environment impact of their supply chain for which they are adopting sustainability in their supply chain. The process of transformation to a sustainable supply chain will encounter some barriers which need to be eliminated or mitigated. To successfully manage these obstacles, it is crucial to know and study these barriers in specific context. This research aims to identify and analyse major barriers hampering sustainability implementation in the case of electronics industry in India. Through literature review and experts’ opinion eleven barriers are identified and classified into categories of Policy, Human resource and Technology. The hierarchical structure and interrelationship among these barriers is established using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methodology. A major finding in this research is that lack of awareness on benefits of sustainability, lack of regulations and enforcement of environment standards and lack of commitment from top management are significant barriers in implementation of a sustainable supply chain. The driving and driven powers of these barriers and their interdependence is determined. Using MICMAC analysis, five barriers were recognized to be the driver variables, three barriers as dependent variables and three as linkage variables. The barrier lack of performance metrics/evaluation standards on sustainability is having strong dependence power and least driving power implying that it is highly influenced by other variables. It is found that most of the barriers in the policy category are independent with high driving and influencing power. The research draws attention to formulate targeted policies at both government and organizational level in the electronics industry for successful implementation of sustainable supply chain management. The modeling gives an insight to organizations in confronting barriers and to manage their resources in an efficient and effective way while making their supply chains sustainable. The paper concludes with findings and future scope of research being discussed. • Identified key barriers of sustainable supply chain in Indian electronics industry. • The barriers are classified into categories of Policy, Human resource and Technology. • Interpretive Structural Modeling is employed for identifying the interrelationship among the barriers. • MICMAC analysis has been carried out to classify barriers of sustainability into four types, viz., autonomous, dependent, linkage and independent. • Lack of awareness of benefits of sustainability is root causal barrier affecting sustainability operations. • Most of the barriers in policy category are independent with high driving and influencing power.

An analysis of barriers affecting implementation of sustainable supply chain management in electronics industry: a Grey-DEMATEL approach

PurposeWorld over organizations are focusing on sustainable goals, where along with economic success their role in protecting the planet and people are becoming important. Whilst transforming the supply chain into a sustainable one, there would be some barriers which might hinder this process. This paper aims to study these barriers in the context of the electronics industry so that organizations can better implement sustainable supply chain programs.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, barriers affecting sustainability implementation in the electronics supply chain are shortlisted from literature review and experts’ opinion. Using the combined methodology of Grey DEMATEL, the causal factors, the effect factors and degree of prominence of barriers is found out. The overall relationship among barriers is established by a diagraph. Sensitivity analysis is performed to check the robustness of the results.FindingsIt is found that lack of regulation and guidance from authorities is the primary causal barrier affecting operations of sustainable supply chain management. There are five barriers which fall in the influenced group and among them, complexity in measuring and monitoring sustainability practices has the largest net effect value on the implementation of a sustainable supply chain. The barrier having the highest correlation with other barriers is the high cost for disposal of hazardous wastes. The implications of these findings on managers and academicians is explored in the study.Research limitations/implicationsIn this research, the number of barriers shortlisted is limited to 11 in the context of the electronics supply chain. More factors could be added in future research based on the industry being studied.Originality/valueThe research analyses 11 barriers under categories of policy, technology, financial and human resources in the Indian electronics industry by evaluating the cause and effect group of barriers. These results can guide policymakers of the electronic sector and industry for mitigating barriers during the implementation of sustainable programs.

Muting the Dragon's Ringtone: A case for the transition of the Indian Electronics Industry from China to Vietnam

Muting the Dragon's Ringtone: A case for the transition of the Indian Electronics Industry from China to Vietnam

The impact of COVID 19 on Indian Electronics Industry, its workforce and way forward to recovery

The impact of COVID 19 on Indian Electronics Industry, its workforce and way forward to recovery

Outsourcing and reverse supply chain performance: a triple bottom line approach

PurposeOutsourcing has become a strategic decision for most of the organizations in the present context of globalization and circular economy. The objective of proposed study is to empirically investigate the relationship between the outsourcing benefits and triple bottom line (TBL)-based performance of reverse supply chain (RSC) comprising of economic, environmental and social factors.Design/methodology/approachIn the present study, the partial least square path approach of structural equation modeling has been applied for testing hypotheses. A questionnaire was developed for collecting the information and responses from the experts of electronics industry, India. Measurement models were tested for ensuring the fitness of data for further applying partial least square path approach of SEM.FindingsThe results provide insightful information on outsourcing and RSC performance. It reveals that outsourcing decisions are important and have great influence on the economic, environmental and social performance of RSC.Research limitations/implicationsThe study will provide useful guidance to the organizations for outsourcing decisions. One of the limitations of the study is that it has considered data collected from the Indian electronics industry. Therefore, results may not be generalized.Originality/valueThe third-party service providers have core competencies, and they are the experts of providing RSC services. It is also apparent from the exploration of past research and theoretical background that there are limited number of studies focusing on the impact of outsourcing decisions in RSC performance specifically from the TBL perspective. Hence, the proposed study is an effort to explore the impact of outsourcing RSC activities on the performance of RSC from a sustainability perspective.

Impact of supply risk management on firm performance: a case of the Indian electronics industry

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to study and examine the influence of systematic supply risk management (SRM) on the buyer's firm performance, mainly focussing on the Indian electronics industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study has framed a set of hypotheses on the risk management model. A thorough literature review and experts' opinion were considered in framing constructs and hypothesis for the model. We adopted self-administration questionnaires mainly focusing on the Indian electronics industry. The derived hypothesis is tested using partial least squares (PLS) method from 140 survey data pertaining to small, medium and large scale industries.FindingsStudy justify that constructs with high loadings for risk identification, risk assessment, risk reduction, and risk monitoring supports all hypothesized relation to better risk management. The model captures superior risk identification, risk control and risk monitoring for overall firm performance, but fails to justify with organization supply risk assessment process on overall firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe study mainly focused on SRM process on firm performance. Study mainly focused on single survey responses and expert's perceptions on SRM practices in Indian electronics industry.Practical implicationsResearch empirically justifies the effects of SRM process on organization performance. Furthermore, effective SRM practices assist decision makers framing corrective strategies to mitigate risk occurrences and their negative impact.Originality/valueThis empirical work provides a deep understanding of SRM process on the Indian electronics industry and their perception towards firm performance. Moreover, this is one of the few empirical studies addressing SRM practices in the Indian electronics industry.

Forecasting product returns and reverse logistics performance: structural equation modelling

PurposeForecasting product returns plays an important role in the operations of reverse logistics (RL). However, their contribution to sustainability performance is yet to be explored. The purpose of this paper is to explore the product returns in Indian electronics industry and examine the relationship of forecasting product returns with triple bottom line performance of RL.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, based on past literature review, four hypotheses, relating to forecasting of product returns and its association with performance, were developed. A questionnaire was sent to 700 respondents from the Indian electronics industry. Overall, 208 received responses were found suitable for the research. The necessary statistical analysis was carried out to ensure the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. In order to test different hypotheses, partial least square path modelling (PLSPM) technique of structural equation modeling was utilized.FindingsMeasurement model had shown sufficient data fit for the modeling. PLSPM results reveal that the accuracy in forecasting product returns is positively associated with operational performance of RL. It also plays an important role in the sustainability efforts of an organization.Research limitations/implicationsManagers can utilize results of study for exploring and emphasizing issues of product returns for improving RL performance. One of the limitations is that data are collected only from Indian electronics industry. Another limitation is that only product returns are considered for the operational and TBL performance of RL. In future, study may be carried out considering different factors in other sectors and countries.Originality/valueThe intent of forecasting product returns is considered to be operational efficiency. It can make significant contributions to the sustainability efforts of an organization. Review of the past literature indicates that research in the field of RL is in developing stage, and issues related to forecasting product returns are under-represented. The paper adds value to the few available articles on product returns.

Analyzing disposition decisions for sustainable reverse logistics: Triple Bottom Line approach

In last few decades, circular economy concepts have gained a lot of consideration because of its focus towards sustainability. Reverse logistics play an important role in the adoption and implementation of circular economy concepts in supply chains. It is defined as “sequence of activities required to collect the used product from the customers for their disposition to either reuse or repair or re-manufacture or recycle or dispose of it”. Disposition is one of the crucial decisions which may greatly affect the reverse logistics performance from sustainability perspective. It also plays an important role in improving the operational efficiency of the reverse logistics. The objective of this study is to explore the reverse logistics in context of Indian electronics industry and examine the effect of disposition decisions on Triple Bottom Line (TBL) i.e. economic, environmental, and social performance of reverse logistics. Hypotheses related to disposition decisions and TBL performance was developed. A survey instrument was prepared and was sent to seven hundred organizations from the Indian electronics sector. Over all 208 responses were found suitable for the research. All the necessary statistical analysis was carried out to ensure the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Partial least square path modelling technique of structural equation modeling has been used for testing the research hypothesis. Measurement model had shown sufficient data fit for the modelling. Partial least square path modelling results reveal that effectiveness of disposition decisions is positively associated with TBL performance. The article contributes to the few studies available on improving the reverse logistics performance. Findings will be useful for managers in managing reverse logistics in effective manner.

A novel hybrid MCDM approach based on DEMATEL, AHP and TOPSIS to evaluate green suppliers

This study present a new hybrid strategic decision-making framework for multi-criteria assessment for Green Supply Chain supplier selection, which joins numerous green processes with order allocation for vibrant supply chains to deal with market differences. More precisely, the established approach replicates the knowledge attainment and manipulation in a way same to the decision makers who have congregated significant knowledge and expertise in procurement domain. DEMATEL is first applied to find the causal relationship between the criteria and to find out the most affecting criteria. AHP method is used for evaluation of green supplier criteria weights, which are qualitatively expressive. Thereafter, using TOPSIS method, the criteria application is quantitatively assessed for order allocation of suppliers. As a result, the approach produces decision-making knowledge, and thereafter, the established combination of rules for order allocation. To illustrate the applicability of the developed framework, a real-life study Indian electronics industry is developed, and the results are analysed accordingly.

Environmental management partner selection for reverse supply chain collaboration: A sustainable approach

The Indian electronics industry is facing immense pressure to include sustainability practices in order to meet customer expectations, comply with legislation and create an edge over competitors. This growing need for inclusion of sustainability is driving original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to collaborate with third-party reverse logistics providers (3PRLPs) to sustainably manage returns. Collaboration with 3PRLP will put OEMs in a stronger position regarding compliance with government legislation, improving upon their corporate image and customer satisfaction. It is a win-win situation for the OEM. On the other hand, from the 3PRLP's point of view, it is important to know the capabilities of the OEMs before entering into a collaborative endeavour. Hence, it is firstly necessary to identify the most appropriate attributes of the manufacturer which are essential for a sustainable collaboration. In this context, the study proposes a novel framework for investigating the performance attributes of the OEMs from the economic, environmental and social aspects of sustainability. Since the evaluation of each attribute for each dimension of sustainability differs in terms of the nature of the information needed and the time and resources required, it is necessary to conduct a pre-evaluation of the attributes using the Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) method. Furthermore, the shortlisted attributes for each sustainability dimension are evaluated and prioritized using the best worst method (BWM). The novelty of the attribute selection process lies in simultaneously considering the degree of importance of the attribute as well as the degree of difficulty of the collection of data required for the assessment of the OEM. The result of this study helps decision-makers and practitioners to comprehend the most influential attributes of OEMs which are crucial for collaboration, thus enhancing the overall sustainability impact of the supply chain. The managerial implications drawn from the resulting analysis provide the 3PRLP with a sustainable evaluation framework which can be ideally used for the selection of collaborative partners. The above model is validated using the case of an Indian 3PRLP company that handles electronic products.

Reverse supply chain issues in Indian electronics industry: a case study

The electronics industry is growing fast with the advent of new technologies and product innovation across the globe. Short product life cycle coupled with the huge demand for electronics products, generating a pile of discarded products results in e-waste generation. The industry is also facing the higher product returns due to the increase in online business and liberal policies offered to the consumers. Effective and efficient reverse supply chain implementation may help in managing these returns along with the end of life product returns. Despite a growing body of research in the area of reverse supply chain, industries are reluctant to adopt best practices of the reverse supply chain. The proposed study aims at exploring the key strategic issues and challenges faced by the electronics industry by using case study method. A case of Indian Electronics Organization is analyzed to identify key strategic issues and challenges in the managing reverse supply chain. The study will help the managers in understanding the complexities of reverse supply chain management in the electronics industry such as critical success factors, outsourcing decisions, disposition decisions, performance evaluation, and forecasting product returns.

An integrated decision making model for the selection of sustainable forward and reverse logistic providers

Due to rising concerns for environmental sustainability, the Indian electronic industry faces immense pressure to incorporate effective sustainable practices into the supply chain (SC) planning. Consequently, manufacturing enterprises (ME) are exploring the option of re-examining their SC strategies and taking a formalized approach towards a sustainable partnership with logistics providers. To begin with, it is imperative to associate with sustainable forward and reverse logistics providers to manage effectively the upward and downstream flows simultaneously. In this context, this paper proposes an integrated SC network for the evaluation and selection of forward distribution partners (FDP) and third party reverse logistic providers (3PRLP) from a sustainable perspective of an Indian electronic ME. The sustainable evaluation of the logistic partners is performed using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and the technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution. The integrated logistics network is modeled as a bi-objective mixed-integer programming problem with the objective of maximizing the profit of the manufacturer and maximizing the sustainable score of the selected forward and reverse logistics providers. The novelty of the study is its ranking of the FDPs and 3PRLPs on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability and the simultaneous integration of logistics outsourcing decisions for the forward and reverse flow of products. Goal programming approach is utilized to capture the trade-off between the conflicting objectives and to attain a satisfying solution to the bi-objective problem. The results indicate that integrating the strategic decisions of selection of logistics partners with the operational flow planning decisions can immensely improve the sustainable performance value of the SC network and secure reasonable profits. The managerial implications drawn from the result analysis provide a sustainable framework to the ME for enhancing its corporate image.

A Multi-criteria Decision-making Approach for Prioritizing Reverse Logistics Adoption Barriers under Fuzzy Environment: Case of Indian Electronics Industry

Reverse logistics (RL) practices are gaining attention due to environmental and waste disposal issues, enforced law, rapidly changing technologies and corporate social concern. Reverse logistics has been seen as a part of sustainable development due to reduction in pollution by using a product again after the end of its life. The goal of this article is to evaluate and rank the barriers of RL implementation so that companies can design strategies to tackle them on a priority basis. This article proposes multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to prioritize the barriers of RL adoption. The proposed approach is revealed by empirical case of Indian electronics industry. This proposed method considered fuzzy framework that can handle impreciseness and uncertainty easily. Totally, 38 barriers were identified through literature review and experts’ opinions. These barriers were classified into seven major criteria. The result of the study indicates that customer acuity about RL, lack of coordination/collaboration with third-party logistics (3PL) providers and uncertain quality and timing of return are the three most important barriers of RL adoption. Organizations should overcome these barriers on a priority basis for effective RL adoption. Finally, the robustness of the model is checked by sensitivity analysis.

An optimization model for sustainable solutions towards implementation of reverse logistics under collaborative framework

Enforced Legislations, social image, corporate citizenship and market competence are forcing manufacturing enterprises (MEs) to incorporate reverse logistics (RL) into their supply chains. RL can be used as a strategic tool to gain customer loyalty and reduce operational costs by maximizing recovery from used products. MEs face many issues which hinder successful implementation of RL such as lack of government support, financial limitations, capabilities and facilities, and market constraints. The situation is worse in case of MEs in developing countries and hence the collaboration of all its stakeholders is essential for handling the issue. Some earlier studies focused on investigating these issues and their solutions from company’s perspective without considering the role of the channel partners . To overcome this gap, this study proposes a collaborative framework for MEs which includes identifying the sustainable solutions for implementation of RL, prioritizing the solutions as per their importance and designing and optimizing a RL network based on the most important solutions identified. Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach is employed to understand the mutual relationships among the solutions and extract the most imperative solutions. The paper presents a linear programming problem for the RL network developed under a collaborative framework which aims to maximize the total sustainable impact in the planning horizon. The focus of the study is to optimally utilize the profit accrued from the returned products to generate funds for the NGO and company employees. A numerical illustration of the Indian electronic and electrical industry is presented to validate the proposed study.