Executive Summary Financial Inclusion is considered to be a critical indicator for development and well-being of the society around the globe. Providing inclusive financial services, that is, financial services affordable for all, has become a basic priority in many countries including India. G-20 Nations have emphasized on financial inclusion as a facilitator for achieving gender equality and other sustainable development goals. Women empowerment is a radical approach concerned with transforming power relations in favour of female gender and considered essential for global progress. Thus, an inclusive financial model is being adopted in developing nations to achieve fundamental to formative objectives. The current article investigates the dimensions of women empowerment, that is, social, political, and economic. It also undertakes a test to see if the dimensions change with financial inclusion. The authors draw upon literature to develop a structured questionnaire on women empowerment and financial inclusion through schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) on women living in urban slums in the industrial town of Ludhiana, Punjab. The data were collected from 737 females living in urban slums with PMJDY bank accounts. The result indicated that PMJDY scheme has been quite successful especially in case of women in slums and has a positive influence on social, political, and economic dimensions of women empowerment. The study contributes to existing literature by advancing the debate on women in urban slums and identifies the substantial need for the development of formal financial system to enhance the scale of financial inclusion.

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Purpose This paper aims to identify the corporate social responsibility (CSR) patterns of Indian manufacturing firms using a CSR index based on ISO26000 and India’s National Voluntary CSR Guidelines. Design/methodology/approach A total of 121 manufacturing enterprises in the national capital region (NCR) were surveyed. The questions related to the involvement of CSR in business strategy, involvement in CSR planning, involvement in environmental activities, involvement in social activities, monitoring, evaluation and involvement in CSR, reporting and policy and deployment of CSR. A two-step cluster analysis using log-likelihood measures was used to identify groupings in the data set based on their performance across the seven issues. Findings The two distinctive segments identified adopted intermediate CSR activities, and one undertook advanced CSR activities. Research limitations/implications This study has several limitations. First, the survey data were drawn exclusively from medium-sized enterprises in the NCR. Second, all the indicators in the CSR index were equally weighted. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by grouping manufacturers’ CSR activities based on seven dimensions suggested in ISO26000 and India’s National Voluntary Guidelines. The results of this study can help managers, boards and regulators better understand CSR and identify ways to improve it further.

The current investigation aims to assess the effect of credit assessment changes on the share prices of Indian companies from 2009 to 2019. The data of top 100 companies listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) across 10 industries stem from CMIE databases. The excess stock return is compared with the market in a 15-day window around credit rating changes. The event effect on share prices is more in the pre-event window compared to the post-event window. Positive abnormal stock returns around upgrades through downgrades are statistically significant compared to upgrades. Credit ratings are not significant across industries, and agency nationality is a critical factor for calculating the intensity of price reaction.