E-business and manufacturing sector: a study of small and medium-sized enterprises in India

The paper identifies and analyses the determinants of the adoption of e-business technologies in the manufacturing sector in India. The study is based on primary data collected from 51 firms located in the National Capital Region. Entrepreneurial characteristics, historical data of firms, and other firms-specific factors such as size of operation, export intensity, international orientation, wage rates, and profit margins were included in the analysis. The study reveals that the firms that are more internationally oriented have adopted more advanced e-business tools. More qualified entrepreneurs manage firms that have adopted advanced e-business tools and pay higher wages to workers. The study captures the role of bandwidth in diffusion of e-business. The results reveal evidence of efficiency in business transactions and an augmentation in the competitiveness of firms due to the adoption of e-business tools. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.