Bhagya Bhutani | Business | Best Researcher Award

Ms. Bhagya Bhutani | Business | Best Researcher Award

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi | India

Bhagya Bhutani is a doctoral researcher at a premier Indian institute, specializing in finance and sustainability with a strong interdisciplinary orientation. With a solid academic foundation in commerce, she has consistently demonstrated academic excellence across undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Her research agenda centers on corporate social responsibility, sustainability, greenwashing, and their implications for firm risk, return, investor confidence, and long-term financial performance. She has published in reputed international journals and has multiple manuscripts under review with top-tier ABDC-ranked outlets, reflecting the rigor and relevance of her work. Her scholarship contributes to understanding the mechanisms that drive or restrain opportunistic sustainability disclosures and their capital market consequences. Alongside research, she has substantial teaching and academic support experience, having assisted in curriculum design and delivery of advanced finance and financial technology topics such as blockchain, digital payments, and AI in finance, while mentoring postgraduate students. She has also collaborated on policy-oriented and industry-linked projects, including work with government platforms and empirical studies on mergers, acquisitions, and capital structure. A qualified national-level research fellow, she actively engages with the global academic community through presentations at leading national and international conferences and by reviewing for high-impact journals. Overall, her profile reflects a commitment to impactful, policy-relevant research that bridges finance, sustainability, and technology.

View Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Bhutani, B., & Jain, S. (2025). Navigating three decades: Corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and risk. Journal of Business Strategy. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-11-2024-0234

Bhutani, B., & Jain, S. (2024). Do financially distressed firms employ greenwashing as a business communication strategy? SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4874616

Sushil Kumar | Management | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Sushil Kumar | Management | Best Researcher Award

National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur | India

Sushil Kumar is a dedicated researcher in Human Resources Management whose work explores the interface of workplace spirituality, employee well-being and organisational commitment. With advanced training in management—including an MBA in International Business, an M.P.M.I.R., an M.Phil and a PhD provisional degree—he brings a strong foundation in personnel management, industrial relations and human resource practices. His investigations have addressed topics such as the effects of workplace spirituality on teacher happiness and commitment, and the impact of HR analytics and organisational effectiveness in practice, contributing to international journals and empirical studies. While his h-index remains modest, his publications yield several citations and his scholarly trajectory points to growing influence. He has experience in teaching-learning assessment, capacity building for research scholars and organising workshops on qualitative methods and IT outsourcing. Among his honours he holds fellowships and research awards (including JRF and central fellowships) which reflect his commitment to academic excellence. His research interests include human resource management, organisational behaviour, workplace spirituality and general management. In sum, his evolving career is focused on advancing knowledge in how spiritual dimensions of work influence organisational outcomes and on promoting holistic human-centred HR practices.

Profile: Orcid | Scopus

Featured Publications

Kumar, S., & Shah, P. (2025). Digital ESG as a catalyst for achieving the sustainable development goals: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis of digital transformation for a resilient future. Sustainable Futures. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101458

Kumar, S. (2024). An exploratory study on workplace spirituality and organisational commitment in higher education institute. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal.

Kumar, S., Kiran, P. R., Chaubey, A., & Shastri, R. K. (2023). Role of HR analytics and attrition on organisational performance: A literature review leveraging the SCM-TBFO framework. Benchmarking: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/bij-06-2023-0412

Kumar, S., Singh, S., & Dhir, S. (2023). Knowledge transfer and innovation in multinationals: A review of the literature using SCM-TBFO framework. Benchmarking: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/bij-07-2022-0485

Kumar, S., Annu, A., & Tripathi, R. (2022). Does financial inclusion promote women empowerment with economic growth: A bibliometric approach with databases (Scopus, WOS). Research Square [Preprint]. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1620793/v1

Ashu Khanna | Finance | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ashu Khanna | Finance | Best Researcher Award

Indian Institute of Technology , Roorkee | India

Dr. Ashu Khanna is an accomplished Associate Professor in the Department of Management Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, with extensive experience in teaching, research, and academic leadership. He holds a PhD in Management and an MBA in Finance, with a strong foundation in financial management, corporate finance, foreign exchange risk management, and financial statement analysis. Over his academic career, he has supervised numerous PhD theses and contributed significantly to high-quality research, with a total of 37 publications in reputed journals indexed in ABDC, SCI-Q1/Q2, and Scopus, earning him an h-index reflecting impactful scholarship and thousands of citations. His research spans sustainable investments, corporate governance, earnings management, financial performance, behavioural finance, and market efficiency, combining empirical and theoretical approaches. He has successfully led and collaborated on multiple sponsored projects, demonstrating expertise in applied research with social and corporate relevance. Dr. Khanna has presented his research at several national and international conferences and has received recognition for his scholarly contributions. His academic influence is further reflected in editorial responsibilities, peer-reviewing, and active participation in institutional development. Dr. Khanna’s work exemplifies a blend of rigorous research, quality teaching, and societal impact, establishing him as a leading scholar in finance and management studies.

Profiles: Scopus

Featured Publications

Ritika, & Khanna, A. (2025). Impact of behavioral factors on the investor’s intention in peer-to-peer lending. Journal of Advances in Management Research.

Verma, S., & Khanna, A. (2025). From self-perception to investment decisions: The impact of core self-evaluation and social values on sustainable investments. Managerial Finance.