Ownership structure dynamics and integrated reporting practices: insights from India

Purpose This study examines whether promoters’ ownership structure affects integrated reporting (IR) adoption in India and whether companies’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores moderate the association between promoters’ ownership type and IR adoption. Design/methodology/approach It uses a sample of the top 500 National Stock Exchange (NSE) listed Indian companies. The data on IR adoption has been manually extracted from the annual reports of the companies. The logistic regression approach has been employed for estimations. Findings The study found that foreign-controlled companies negatively affect IR adoption, whereas companies controlled by Indian groups are more pro-active in IR adoption. Similarly, Indian promoters as corporate bodies have a positive impact on IR adoption, whereas foreign promoters as corporate bodies negatively impact IR adoption. We also found that ESG scores play a moderating role in the relationship between ownership concentration and IR adoption. Originality/value The study helps to understand how firm-specific factors, such as ownership concentration and ESG, affect voluntary IR adoption in emerging economies.