Purpose: This study aims to examine the perceptions of accounting practitioners and users about implementation challenges with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) at the pre-implementation stage. Under institutional pressures, India conveyed its decision to implement IFRS beginning 1 April 2016, despite initial reluctance to adopt IFRS. It specifically explores the responses of accounting professionals (preparers) and the banking industry professionals (users) in India to challenges in IFRS implementation, rather than more widely researched dimensions of IFRS implementation such as reasons for adoption, experience effects and diversity in practice. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research approach was adopted, using a questionnaire survey that provided 192 responses from accounting practitioners and banking professionals working in India. Findings: The findings convey IFRS implementation preparedness perceptions of participants with respect to education, training and information technology (IT) infrastructure. Respondents acknowledged the efforts and capability of the accounting body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, but expressed reservations about training, cost, interpretation, IT infrastructure and staffing. The accounting practitioners and the users have similar perspectives on the subject of awareness and preparedness challenges of IFRS implementation. Practical implications: The study heightens awareness of the challenges facing jurisdictions who express initial reluctance, although they ultimately decide to adopt IFRS on account of institutional pressures. The analysis suggests that the International Accounting Standards Board should increase focus on implementation issues, in addition to updating and making IFRSs. Originality/value: The study is distinct from the studies in abundance on the creation of accounting standards, implementation benefits and their implication in a specific geography.

The study analyses the impact of financial reputation on the cost of debt financing for Indian companies. In doing so, panel regression analysis is performed using firm-specific data on 395 Indian listed firms covering 2002–2017. The paper uses market capitalization as a benchmark of financial reputation. For robustness check, excess of market value over book value is also used as a proxy of financial reputation. The study found that the reputation of a firm in financial markets plays a vital role in determining the cost of financing. The results provide evidence supporting a significant negative relationship between financial reputation and the cost of debt. The findings provide motivation for corporate managers to invest in reputation-building activities to reduce the cost of borrowing. The relevance of reputation in lowering the cost of debt capital has garnered limited attention, especially in emerging economies like India. This study is a preliminary attempt to link two strands of research in the Indian context: financial reputation and the cost of debt.

This paper analyses the degree of persistence of financial efficiency for the hospitality and tourism industry in India. The paper deploys the Data Envelopment Analysis technique to generate overall technical efficiency scores as well as pure technical efficiency scores. Furthermore, a dynamic panel technique proposed by Arellano and Bond (1991), is employed to test the degree of persistence of financial efficiency and its key determinants. The results confirm positive and significant persistence of efficiency for the sample firms from the hospitality industry in India. The overall results indicate that hospitality firms in India can create entry and exit barriers to generate positive persistence of financial efficiency. The study suggests regulators specifically focus on policies that can enhance the competitive dynamics of the industry. Such measures may make it imperative for the management of the firms in the sector to streamline their financial management policies to control costs and devise methods for the enhancement of revenues.