Special Centennial Issue

No. 416

July 2024

Vol. CV (Part-I)

ISSN: 0019-5170

Contents


Assessing Finance Commission's Revenue Deficit Grants:
Normative Assessment of Interest Payments

D. K. Srivastava 1
Muralikrishna Bharadwaj 2
Tarrung Kapur 3
Ragini Trehan 4

The Sixteenth Finance Commission like its predecessors would undertake assessment of state expenditure needs including interest payments. Recent FCs applied a norm on the growth of interest payment in the forecast period without applying any norm on the base year magnitude. We suggest a normative approach applied both to base year and the forecast period linked to the sustainability norms of the state FRLs. Application of this approach to the FC14 and FC15 (2) periods show substantive over assessments. Such an approach also ensures that any non-merit subsidies/freebies financed by excessive borrowing is not underwritten by the FC.

Keywords: Finance Commission, Revenue Deficit Grants, Normative Approach, Sustainable debt levels.
  1. Chief Policy Advisor, EY India, Formerly Director, Madras School of Economics (MSE), Chennai. E-mail: dkscloud@gmail.com; dk.srivastava@in.ey.com
  2. Senior Manager, Tax and Economic Policy Unit, EY India, E-mail: muralikrishna.b@in.ey.com
  3. Senior Manager, Tax and Economic Policy Unit, EY India. E-mail: tarrung.kapur@in.ey.com
  4. Senior Manager, Tax and Economic Policy Unit, EY India and part-time PhD. scholar at MSE, Chennai. E-mail: ragini.trehan@in.ey.com

Impact of Macro-Economic Factors on Underpricing
of IPOs Using Econometric Models


CMA Dr. Jeelan Bash V 1
Sharanappa Kilarahatti 2

Underpricing of IPOs has been contemplated as a prevalent phenomenon across the world. The principle aim of this paper is to examine the impact of macro-economic factors on the level of underpricing, number of IPO issues and MAARO of initial public offerings (IPOs) independent as each dependent variable. We considered the companies went for IPOs on National Stock Exchange during the period from 2011 to 2022 consisting of 348 IPOs. In each method, different models have been developed to find out the best model based on the highest predictive strength. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used to describe the variables and draw inferences. Further, multivariate data analysis is extensively used. Overall, the study concludes that number of IPO issues, dependent variable determined by inflation, HCI, interest rate, balance of payment exchange rate, FDI and employment is the best model. This model is considered the best because of good fit, selection criterion mode and satisfaction of diagnostic tests. Hence, it is suggested to be the model for the further prediction of IPO issues.

Keywords: Underpricing, MAARO, Initial Public Offerings and Macro-Economic Factors.

  1. Professor , Dept. of Studies in Commerce, Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ballari, Karnataka, India. Email: drjeelanbasha@yahoo.co.in
  2. Research Scholar, Dept. of Studies in Commerce, Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ballari, Karnataka, India. Email: sharankilarahatti@gmail.com

The Effect of Corporate Governance on the Financial Performance
(Sustainability) of Microfinance Institutions in Ethiopia


Ayenew Shibabaw Asmare1
Naveen Kumar 2

This study investigated the relationship between the financial performance and corporate governance of microfinance institutions using a sample of 25 MFIs from 2012 to 2021 with a balanced set of panel data. The study used secondary data and employed a descriptive research design and a quantitative research approach. The empirical results showed that Female CEOs, Women directors, and internal auditors reporting directly to the board of directors and Profit Orientation have a positive relationship and statistically significant effect on financial performance (ROA and OSS). The study recommended as microfinance institutions should consider the gender diversity of CEO and on the Board of directors and the board of directors also give attention to internal auditors to report directly to them. Moreover, the study suggested for future researchers may be interested in validating the stability of the result and providing additional results for this study by including other variables (Internal and external).

Keywords : Microfinance, financial performance, Governance, internal and external factors.

  1. Lecturer, Department of Accounting and Finance, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia, and Ph.D. Candidate at University Business School, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
    Email: shibabaw.ayenew21@gmail.com
  2. Asst. Professor, University Institute of Applied Management Sciences (UIAMS), Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
    Email: naveen.mehta13@gmail.com

Gender Gap in Unpaid Care Work: A Case Study of the
Unpaid Work of Women in Kollam District, Kerala


Ruth Elizabeth Jacob1

The numerous indicators used to evaluate the economic output of countries are more or less handicapped in recognising the role of women labour force in the informal sector as it is often difficult to evaluate and standardise. Unpaid domestic works are often taken for granted and are further endorsed as the moral responsibilities on the weaker sex by many cultures if not all. To put things in context, this paper modestly attempts to highlight the unpaid work undertaken by women viz-a-viz their male counterparts. Using Time Use Survey (TUS) and seemingly related regression technique, this paper enquires into and shows the trade-off between unpaid, paid and non-work activities between gender. Replacement Cost method is used to calculate the monetary value of unpaid work and consequently estimate the value for these services. The findings of the study reveal that unemployed married women, who have children less than 6 years, spent an average of 10.2 hours daily on unpaid work compared to their male counterpart who spend an average of 6.1 hours daily for the same unpaid work. This micro level study is done to throw light into the enormous work undertaken by housewives in the domestic sphere. Their services are yet to be acknowledged as productive work and has to be included in to the national accounting system.

JEL Codes: D13, E01, J16

Keywords : Gender disparity, Kollam, Kerala, time use, unpaid care work.

  1. Assistant Professor, Madras Christian College (Department of Economics) Tambaram (East), Chennai – 600059 Tamil Nadu. E-mail: ruth@mcc.edu.in

Stock Volatility Pattern, Risk & Portfolio Allocation:
Evidence from Indian Stock Market

Afsah Shahid 1

This paper investigates the relationship between market capitalization and volatility clustering in the Indian stock market over the period from 2010 to 2021 using the GARCH Model. The result shows that the sum of the coefficients of ARCH and GARCH terms is very close to 1, which suggests that the volatility shocks are quite persistent. The study indicates that investments in Small Cap firms are relatively riskier compared to Mid Cap and Large Cap firms. The findings hold significant policy implications for optimal asset allocation and portfolio diversification, balancing risk-return appetites in the face of market uncertainty and investors' exposure to risks in the market.

Keywords- Market Capitalization, Volatility Clustering, GARCH.

JEL classification: G10, G12, G15

  1. Centre for Economic Studies and Planning (CESP), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Email: afsahshahid02@gmail.com

Emergence and Expansion: An In-depth Study of Born
Global Firms in Indian Textile Industry

M Srividhya 1
C.T. Vidya 2

This research study delves into the remarkable ascent of Born Global (BG) textile firms in India, which have emerged as a significant force in the global textile industry. The study explores the key drivers behind their rapid internationalization and examines the transformative impact on firm performance. The sample consisted of 72 Indian textile BG firms. Employing a random effect model, the study uncovers the intricate relationship between internationalization and firm performance in Indian textile BG firms from 2005 to 2021. The findings reveal a captivating trajectory, showcasing a short-term, dynamic journey characterized by a two-stage, inverted U-shaped relationship between internationalization and firm performance. Initially, as these firms venture into global markets, their performance experiences a temporary decline, only to rebound and achieve unprecedented heights beyond a certain threshold. The journey becomes even more intriguing in the long run, revealing an extended four-stage M-curve hypothesis with two pivotal turning points. Furthermore, the study uncovers the pivotal variables that ignite firm performance in BG textile firms during their internationalization voyage, with the impact evolving. In the short run, firm size and resource emerge as significant determinants, while in the long run, lies in research and development intensity. These compelling findings bear significant policy implications. By extending financial support and fostering research and development initiatives for emerging BG firms, policymakers can strategically propel their transformative journey towards maximum prowess on the international stage. Such interventions will fortify the growth and competitiveness of BG textile firms in India, cementing their position as unrivalled leaders in the global market.

Keywords: Born Global firms, textile industry, internationalization, firm performance, random effect model.

JEL Classification: F00, D22, L25, F14, F23.

  1. Ph.D. scholar, Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, India.
    Email : srividhya@cess.ac.in
  2. Assistant Professor, Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, India.

Efficacy of Monetary Policy Transmission Channels
in India

Nawab Hussain 1
Pradipta Chaudhury 2

This paper examines the efficacy of various channels of monetary policy transmission in India. Three channels of monetary policy transmission, namely, the exchange rate channel, credit channel, and asset channel are empirically analyzed in this paper. The paper uses VAR models on monthly data from 2016(M6) to 2020(M3). We find that the exchange rate channel is significant in determining fluctuations in prices and insignificant in explaining fluctuations in output. The credit channel is found to be significant in explaining fluctuations in prices while accounting for little significance in explaining fluctuations in output. While the asset channel is found to be significant in influencing prices and output. From impulse response, we find that prices react negatively to a positive shock in the exchange rate. A one standard deviation shock on credit tends to be followed by an increase in prices and output. However, the intensity of impact on output is less than on prices. In the case of the asset channel, a positive shock in stock prices brings a positive impact on both output and prices. Furthermore, we find that the pass- through from policy rates to credit and exchange rates is slow and muted.

Our paper makes a significant contribution to the literature on the monetary policy transmission channels. First, while most of the studies on the topic use quarterly data and annual time series data, our findings are based on monthly time series data and hence capture a more intensive picture of these variables. Second, our study uses the variance decomposition method to aid the interpretation of results obtained from VAR models. Third, our study provides new insights by finding empirical evidence about the efficacy of the asset channel. Previous studies have ignored the asset channel in the context of the Indian economy. We argue that while formulating monetary policy decisions, the bullish and the bearish tendencies of the stock market should be considered.

Keywords: Monetary Policy Transmission, Vector Auto Regression (VAR), Inflation Targeting, Impulse Response Function (IRF).

  1. Lecturer in Economics, School Education Department, UT of Ladakh, India.
    E-mail: Nawab738@gmail.com
  2. Centre for Economics Studies and Planning, JNU.

Social Security Benefits in India: Analysis from
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Data

Vaibhavi Pingale1
Anurag Asawa2

Purpose
Social security benefits in India are subject to the kind of employment, especially in the formal sector. These benefits include pensions, gratuity, maternity leaves and so on offered to formal sector workers. The paper aims to study the eligibility conditions and factors for regular salaried employment defined by the National Commission of Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (2006) in India that lead to social security benefits.

Design/Methodology/ Approach
Explicit unit-level data on social security is available in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Government of India. The PLFS data provides information only for those workers who have been classified under the status code 31 (regular wage/salaried employees); 41 (worked as casual wage labour: in public works); 51 (in other types of work), and are occupied in the non- agricultural sector. This study is based on secondary data of 245576 respondents. Age, education, sex, marital status, social groups, enterprise type, and job contracts are the variables used in this study. Univariate and bivariate tabulation is used to understand the spread of the data and the relationship between variables. The chi-square test has also been used to justify the variable to be used in the regression model. Further, a logit model with a different combination of independent variables was used to estimate the probability for eligibility for social security.

Findings
The paper finds that the probability of being a male, working in a government body with a graduate level of education, and belonging to other social groups are favourable conditions to become eligible for social security benefits in India.

Originality/ Value
Data scarcity for social security is a big issue in India. A few studies have been done at the state or regional level with hundreds of samples. These studies were restricted to the awareness and usability of different government schemes. It is the first study covering the entire country using unit-level PLFS data to identify the determinant and estimate the probability of formal social security.

Research limitations/implications
This research paper is based on the information available only for those workers who are regular wage/salaried employees, worked as casual wage labour: in public works; and other types of work, and are occupied in the non- agricultural sector. However, the implication of the outcome is for the entire country as data has been collected from all over the country.

Practical implications
The outcome of the analysis provides information that the majority of the workers do not get social security benefits in India. There have been umpteen attempts at the state and central level to deliver social benefits, has not been reached the mass. We have shown that almost fifty per cent of the respondents are not receiving any social benefits.

Social implications
Already the beneficiaries are in less percentage of the total population. The research papers show that workers from marginalised groups, females, and those not having higher education are less likely to receive social security benefits.

Keywords : Eligibility, Employees, PLFS, Social Security

JEL Code : J3, J32, J48

  1. PhD Scholar, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune - 411004.
    E-mail: vaibhavi.pingale@gipe.ac.in
  2. Professor, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune - 411004.
    E-mail: anurag.asawa@gipe.ac.in

India's Sub-National Fiscal Capacity: Key Insights

Bichitrananda Seth, Samir Ranjan Behera, Kovuri Akash Yadav
Debapriya Saha & Anoop K Suresh1

This study investigates the relationship between fiscal capacity of Indian States, proxied by their own tax revenue, and the real gross state domestic product (GSDP) while identifying its key determinants by utilizing a dataset covering 16 Indian States over 19 years. The influence of fiscal capacity on real GSDP growth is examined using fixed (viz., pool ordinary least squares, fixed and random effect method) and dynamic panel (generalized method of moments) methods. On the other hand, a fixed effects model is employed for deciphering the determinants of fiscal capacity of the Indian States. The empirical analysis reveals a positive association between fiscal capacity and GSDP. A one per cent increase in fiscal capacity corresponds to a 0.26 per cent increase in GSDP. Factors such as real per capita income, government consumption expenditure, and capital outlay were found to have a significant impact on both economic growth and revenue generation. A high ratio of gross fiscal deficit to GSDP, on the other hand, limits fiscal capacity. Investment in human capital yields positive outcomes. To the best of authors' knowledge, this study represents a pioneering endeavour that comprehensively addresses the issue of fiscal capacity at the sub-national level of government in India.

JEL Classification: H71, H62, H52, O15.

Keywords: Fiscal Capacity, Per Capita Income, Human Development Index, Fixed Effect Model, Generalized Method of Moments.

  1. Dr. Samir Ranjan Behera is Director, Mr. Bichitrananda Seth and Mr. Anoop K Suresh are Assistant Advisers, Mr. Kovuri Akash Yadav and Ms. Debapriya Saha are Managers in the Department of Economic Policy and Research (DEPR), Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai. The authors are located in the Reserve Bank of India at its Central Office in Mumbai. Mr. Anoop K Suresh is the corresponding author for this manuscript, and he is reachable at the
    email id - anoopksuresh@rbi.org.in or anoop.k.suresh@gmail.com.

Impact of Covid 19 on the Stock Movements and
Sectorial Reactions: Evidence from Indian Stock Market

N. Kubendran 1

The present study focuses on the effect of covid pandemic on the Indian Stock Market from the first wave since December 2019 to May 2022. The main aim of the study is to probe the movements of stock indices with the volatility index during the three waves and also to forecast future movements. For this purpose, the study compares sectoral movements like Auto, Bank, Consumer durables, Financial Services, and overall nifty with the volatility index. So the findings of the study are clustered into three dimensions according to the three waves of covid 19 in India. At the end of the first wave, it is observed that the majority of top sectoral stocks return to their pre covid level with a steadystate and volatility is not observed. During the second and third waves, the indices movements are moderate and volatility is also observed, particularly high volatility is observed in the third wave. Finally, the study concludes by stating that a higher level of the negative effect of covid-19 is observed in the Indian stock market during the first wave of covid-19, later the negative effect has decreased on returns but a higher level of volatility is persisting even today. Several international factors like India-China Border issues, the war between Ukraine-Russia, and the hike in prices of petroleum products associated with inflationary pressures are some of the reasons for volatility in the Indian Stock market. It also observed weak forecasting in the stock movements due to the expectations of the fourth wave of covid 19 and international instability.

Keywords: Nifty, Sensex, Covid-19, Market Indices, Volatility Index, Risk and Uncertainty.

JEL Classification: E32, E37, D53, D80.

  1. Assistant Professor, Pondicherry Central University, Puducherry-605014.
    E-Mail: kubendran1979@gmail.com, kubendran.eco@pondiuni.ac.in