Sachin Garg

Bio: Sachin Garg is an academic researcher from George Mason University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Blockchain & Public policy. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 6 publications receiving 19 citations.

Rethinking Public-private Partnerships: An Unbundling Approach

Abstract: Despite numerous failure stories the interest in Public-private Partnerships (PPPs) is growing the world over, giving rise to a “PPP Paradox”. Taking a definitional perspective and leveraging learnings from the management literature on strategic alliances, the need for a fundamental rethink of the PPP world view is emphasized to explain this paradox. It is argued that in PPPs, where risk and uncertainty loom large, there is a need to consciously move away from long term, rigid, monolithic, and complex contracts and adopt short term, flexible, modular and simple arrangements that allow for effective management. We view this as an unbundling approach. The PPI World Bank database and experiences from the Indian highway sector are leveraged to contextualize the arguments made.

Impacts of Blockchain on Digital Marketing

Abstract: Blockchain adoption is covering the technological landscape at a rapid pace and its industrial uses are evolving across the entire industrial spectrum. Several technology giants and startups have initiated novel use cases of this technology amidst significant rise in investments in blockchain projects. Blockchain is perceived as an enabler to transform systems across multiple domains. Recent trends in digital marketing have witnessed extensive use of big data analytics and artificial intelligence in reshaping digital marketing. It is believed that the next big transformation in digital marketing shall be due to blockchain while proving to be a disruptive technology that will change the digital marketing process as we know it. Digital Marketing is all set to be significantly benefited with the use of blockchain in a similar manner like finance and banking industry did. This paper is an attempt to explore the evolution of blockchain and its potential impacts on digital marketing. Digital marketing appears to be evolving at a pace of information technology, but blockchain holds the potential to transform digital marketing in a riotous, perhaps even irrevocable manner.

Indian Information Technology Services Sector and the Domestic User Industry – An Uneasy Partnership?

Abstract: India has grown to be a powerhouse in providing Information Technology (IT) Services to myriad clients all over the world. This sector has shown that it has what it takes to move beyond pure cost arbitrage and up the value chain. Despite the successes of this sector and its prowess in providing world-class solutions, there is empirical evidence which suggests that the domestic user industry remains woefully underserved for its IT requirements. This study theorises that this is due to the tax-break based incentives provided to the Information Technology Service providers, which have resulted in an environment where servicing the domestic IT users, especially the Micro and Small Scale Enterprises, becomes non-remunerative.Therefore, domestic industry’s use of Information Technology happens without any government aid or incentive. On the contrary, current government policies result in a number of missed opportunities, rendering Indian businesses uncompetitive. In this paper, we analyse the impact of export oriented tax incentives on the domestic sector and attempt to identify a few policy mechanisms that could obviate their negative effect.

Voting Application using Blockchain Technology

Abstract: Abstract: Voting plays a crucial role in democratic societies, allowing individuals to voice their opinions and shape the direction of governance. However, traditional voting systems encounter challenges regarding transparency, security, and trustworthiness. In recent years, blockchain technology has emerged as a promising solution to address these issues and revolutionize the voting process. This research paper presents a novel voting application that leverages blockchain technology to enhance the integrity and efficiency of elections. By utilizing the decentralized and immutable nature of blockchain, the proposed system aims to provide a transparent and trustworthy voting process. Each vote is recorded as a transaction on the blockchain, ensuring a transparent and tamper-resistant ledger that can be verified by all participants. The implementation of smart contracts, which are self-executing and self-enforcing digital agreements, automates and streamlines the voting process. This eliminates the need for intermediaries, such as election authorities, and enables verifiable and auditable results. Additionally, the integration of cryptographic techniques further enhances the security and privacy of the voting system, safeguarding the confidentiality of voters' choices. The paper thoroughly examines the advantages and challenges associated with implementing blockchain technology in the voting domain. It explores the benefits offered by blockchain, including transparency, immutability, and decentralized governance, while also addressing concerns related to scalability, voter identification, and accessibility. Through a comprehensive analysis and evaluation, this research paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of blockchain-based voting systems and their potential impact on democratic processes. By harnessing the power of blockchain technology, it becomes possible to create a voting system that is more secure, transparent, and inclusive, ultimately strengthening the foundations of democracy.

Issues and challenges with fake reviews in Digital Marketing

Abstract: Digital marketing has been a key enabler for any business organization in today's digital world. It uses electronic means for promotion of products and services. Emergence and growth of ecommerce has been a big boost that has resulted in new techniques of digital marketing like product reviews. Customers like to buy online and product reviews play a key role in product selection by the customer. These product reviews are critical pieces of data that have significant impact on sales of products. Recent developments in Big Data Analytics based business intelligence (BI) and artificial intelligence (AI) use product reviews to understand customer sentiments. But fake product reviews may lead to a serious risk of losing customers. This paper is aimed to study the issues and challenges related to fake product reviews. The objective of the paper is to review the current research work in combating fake product reviews and to identify unaddressed areas and suitability of technology like blockchain to address the problem.

Conceptualizing a win–win scenario in public–private partnerships: evidence from a systematic literature review

Abstract: PurposeAchieving the win–win goal in public–private partnership (PPP) has gained much research interest in recent times. These studies have addressed the achievement of win–win from various perspectives. An integration of the constructs from these various perspectives improves approach to attaining win–win throughout the entire project delivery. This study, therefore, becomes the first systematic review to analyse PPP studies towards identifying win–win constructs and then integrates findings into a conceptual model.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a four-staged systematic review method. This includes concept development, papers retrieval, selection of relevant papers and qualitative analysis. Thematic analysis was used at the qualitative analysis stage for the identification and categorization of constructs and finally, systems thinking was adopted in integrating the findings into a conceptual modeFindingsThe achievement of win–win between government and private investors is of much desire hence a more conscious approach towards it is ideal. A total of 40 constructs were identified and were later categorised into six components. Some constructs identified include optimal assessment and fair allocation of project risks, reasonable concessions period, flexible contracting, equal and active participation and co-ordination of public and private actors and strategic negotiation.Originality/valueThis paper provides an improved definition of win–win scenario in PPP infrastructure project delivery. Furthermore, the novel approach of integrating win–win constructs into a systemic conceptual model is very relevant to PPP body of knowledge and practice. The study concludes with plausible research directions to further improve the achievement of win–win in PPP.

Government promoting communication tool in innovation development of companies

Abstract: New management tools are required to enhance interaction between Russian companies and government agencies for innovation development. A major interactive tool are Government Relations (GR) communications promoting a new relationship model in terms of innovative system management. Interaction with the authorities is a major factor in innovation development, and the company’s excellent reputation in the eyes of the authorities is a key element for business success and implementation of innovations. The study provides an explanation of the notion of ‘Government Relations’ (GR) and examines various academic approaches to GR in modern economics. We investigated the reasons for the development of GR at its present stage. The article looks at several GR tools in Russia public Relations (PR), public-private partnership and corporate social responsibility. We analyzed differences between lobbying and GR and demonstrated that lobbying is one of the key components (active phase) of GR activity. Data are provided on activities of the GR departments of major corporations of the Russian Federation. Furthermore, we examined the characteristics of PR development in Russia and substantiated the need for the implementation of GR into Russian enterprises and for training of highly qualified GR managers in Russia.

River Management for Local Governments in China: From Public to Private.

Abstract: The Public and Private Partnership (PPP) model has been used to provide public services and goods. In China, local governments are willing to use the PPP model in many public services, such as integrated river management (IRM) projects, due to ease fiscal budget and the improved access to technology from the private sector. However, there has not been any specific discussion in the literature for applying the PPP model to IRM projects. In this study, we find that the PPP model results in the non-standardization of IRM projects. Our research paper builds the PPP operation framework for IRM projects. Our findings suggest that while the environmental quality evaluation system created in contracts for government payment seems to be optimal for protecting the public interest, it actually strains the partnership between the two parties and so its implementation should be considered on a case by case basis. Since the history of IRM projects using the PPP model is short, the actual performances of these types of projects has not yet been demonstrated. Local governments should be cautious about adopting the PPP model for such projects, and private companies should be cautious about their involvement. Our research will garner more scholarly attention to the application of the PPP model in complex projects.