Anweshan - journal of Department of Commerce, Vol. 7, No. 1

Editorial

It is a matter of utmost satisfaction and relief that 'Anweshan' could be published after a one-year gap forced on the activities of higher educational institutions in India due to the pandemic in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed work environments to a significant extent. Many companies have adopted hybrid models of allowing employees to work both from home and office. This transition has influenced all facets of business from corporate culture, real estate trends, technology adoption in services, agriculture and financial services. Fin-Tech continues to disrupt traditional banking and financial services. Consumers are more informed and have heightened expectations regarding product quality, ethical sourcing, and corporate responsibility. Brands that align with consumer values are more likely to gain loyalty and market share. Many business models, once the foundation of commerce and management, are now being tested by technological advancements, geo-political changes and environmental imperatives. The advent of artificial intelligence, big data, and automation is restyling business at an unparalleled speed. Moreover, the global nature of modern business requires a broader, more inclusive perspective.

It is under these perspectives that we need to address and incorporate themes that reflect these changes and the policy implications of these changes and publish articles that are backed by thorough research, data analysis, and narratives to provide well-founded insights and recommendations.

This volume incorporates four articles based on various themes. The first article authored by Kalpataru Bandopadhya and Abhijit Sinha delved into the unique strategies adopted by four leading real estate companies in India, i.e., DLF, Godrej Properties, Oberoi Realty and Prestige Estates to match the uncertain macro-economic environment created due the pandemic in 2020. Joy Sarkar and Raj Das came up with the observation that corporations that can reduce emission generate carbon credit, the right of which can be sold to entities that are emitting more CO2 and GHGs. This may affect corporate valuations and share prices. They have therefore attempted to study the relationship between carbon emission prices and Indian stock market performance. Mintu Adhikari evaluated the drivers and barriers to Ag-tech startup adoption by farmers in Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal and found a low level of awareness and adoption about Agtech startups among farmers, according to him lack of awareness, limited technical knowledge, perceived irrelevance, and infrastructure challenges, were significant barriers hindering their usage. Sushismita Paul came out with existing health insurance business models, various digital technologies used by insurers, the benefits of using technology for both insurers and customers and the difficulties that needs to be overcome in order to achieve successful implementation of technology adoption in insurance industry.

I thank all the authors for their valuable contributions and all the reviewers for their prompt response for reviewing the articles. This volume had to be restricted to four articles so as to optimize the financial commitments that increase with the size of the volume to be published. The publication of this journal is entirely financed from the budget head of the Department of Commerce, which by no means allows being spendthrift and finding sustainable funding models that balance accessibility, quality, and operational costs is a major challenge. I hope this volume will be useful for the readers.

Prof. Samirendra Nath Dhar