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Digital technologies (DTs) have emerged as a major driving force, transmuting the ways Supply Chains (SCs) are managed. The integration of DTs in supply chain management (SCM), Digital Supply Chain Management (DSCM), has fundamentally reshaped the SCM landscape, offering new opportunities and challenges for organizations. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of modern DTs and the way they impact modern SCM. This chapter has twofold objectives. First, it illustrates the major changes that DTs have brought to the supply chain landscape, unraveling their multifaceted implications. Second, it offers readers a deeper and comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities arising from the incorporation of DTs into supply chains. By going through the chapter, readers will be able to have a comprehensive grasp of how DTs are reshaping SCM and how organizations can survive and thrive in the digital age. This chapter commences by shedding light on how DTs have and continue to redefine SCM, improving supply chain resilience, visibility, and sustainability in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It also highlights the role of DTs in enhancing SC visibility, agility, and customer-centricity. Furthermore, this chapter briefly highlights the challenges related to the adoption (pre and post) of DTs in SCM, elucidating on issues related to talent acquisition, data security, and regulatory compliance. It also highlights the ethical and societal implications of this digital transformation, emphasizing the significance of responsible and sustainable practices. This chapter, with the help of three cases, illustrates how the adoption of DTs in SC can impact the various SC performance indicators.

The global economy is facing a steep challenge from volatility, risk and uncertainty associated with climate change, pandemics, regional conflicts and trade wars which are unprecedented and overlapping. These crises are leading to macro- and microeconomic imbalances. The immediate effects like rising inflation, shortage of energy and fertiliser, food insecurity, loss of jobs and poverty are looming large, leading to existential threat. It is evident that decades of progress are at risk and pursuing sustainable development goals (SDGs) requires dedicated and customised efforts by the governments and other relevant actors, especially in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICS). The concept of circular economy is considered to bring a paradigm shift by reducing the dependence on natural resource extraction and decoupling economic growth from use of natural resources. Bioeconomy is another emerging field which deals with the use of renewable biological resources such as biomass to produce renewable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower for economic, environmental and social benefits. Circular bioeconomy (CBE) lies at the intersection and is defined as the production of recoverable biological (waste) resources and the conversion of these resources into high-value-added products, such as food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy. It has been estimated that the economic opportunity for the sector to complement or even substitute conventional ones is estimated to be USD 7.7 trillion by 2030 for food and feed waste products, and energy. CBE is perceived as a pathway for development and has the potential to target different SDGs directly like 6, 7 and 12 and SDGs 2, 3, 11, 12, 13 and 15 indirectly. This study explores the linkages of CBE with the SDG goals and provides recommendations to stimulate the sector.

Alain Verbeke is one of the world’s leading thinkers on international business (IB) and globalization, a renowned scholar and educator who contributes to creating a better global business environment by addressing some of today’s most critical challenges. He was one of the first scholars to advance a theoretically rigorous and practically significant perspective on international corporate social responsibility (CSR). Verbeke’s work on international CSR is particularly impactful because it is rooted in IB theory and based on a realistic set of assumptions about the behavior of managers, policymakers, and other market and nonmarket stakeholders. In this chapter, the authors apply theoretical principles central to Verbeke’s research – most notably behavioral assumptions of bounded rationality and bounded reliability – to analyze businesses’ and societies’ pace of progress in relation to stated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. The authors argue that bounded rationality and reliability challenges create misalignment between stated/imposed commitments toward ESG performance, and economic actors’ ability to deliver on these commitments. The authors discuss examples of such misalignment, focusing on tensions among stakeholders, between stakeholder organizations and firms, and within firms. The authors propose that to be relevant for policy and practice, the sustainability research should be based on realistic microfoundational assumptions.

Artificial intelligence and augmented reality are two key tools gaining importance in the digital era due to their wide range of applications in different fields and sectors. Industry 4.0 lays emphasis principally on the technology used to help the business remain competitive and sustainable. Sustainable development goals are another important objective of the UN which has laid responsibility for every business to support addressing the global challenges. Purpose: This chapter essentially aims to present the standpoint of artificial intelligence and augmented reality in meeting the sustainability perspective of organizations. Information about the study is gathered through secondary approaches, critically reviewing published literature, scientific reports, and statistical data accessible through business reports, and corporate websites. Further analyzed to present the perspectives of the authors in the study. Globally artificial intelligence market size is predicted to reach $190 billion by 2025, while the funding for startups doubled during the period 2011–2020 globally. The investment in artificial intelligence is going to reach $500 by 2024 resulting in substantial revenue returns. The augmented reality market size could reach $97 billion by 2028. Artificial intelligence today is increasingly used in many fields and is attracting multiple applications in many sectors such as manufacturing, retail, education, IT, and health care and has also contributed to sustainable development the same time by providing energy conservation options, optimization, and reduction of resources, minimizing wastage, offering timely assistance on maintenance schedules, practices which are enabling organizations to reach closer to sustainability and transformation.

This chapter provides an in-depth look at how digital supply chain management (DSCM) can revolutionize supply chains in the post-COVID world. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of traditional supply chains, highlighting the need for resilience and adaptability. The chapter begins by examining these COVID-induced disruptions, setting the foundation for the discussion on DSCM. DSCM, leveraging advanced technologies and data insights, offers a solution to these challenges, promoting agility, transparency, and sustainability in supply chain operations. This represents a significant shift from traditional practices, equipping organizations to cope with the dynamic postpandemic environment. Key capabilities of DSCM, such as resilience, integration, agility, and risk management, are discussed, supported by real-world examples from leading companies. These examples showcase the successful implementation of DSCM and its benefits in navigating the complexities of modern supply chains. However, the adoption of DSCM is not without challenges, including cybersecurity risks and integration difficulties. The chapter suggests strategies to overcome these challenges, emphasizing the importance of technology, collaboration, sustainability, and data-driven decision-making. By embracing these strategies, organizations can effectively manage their supply chains in the evolving global market, leveraging DSCM to withstand future uncertainties.

Implementing any evidence-based practice into complex systems is hugely difficult. Implementing peer support is very much at an early stage in most systems around the world. This chapter examines the implementation of peer work into health and social care systems by drawing on an ecological perspective. The wider sociocultural context is considered, while the organisational context and how this shapes both the peer and service delivered is further explored. Some tips are provided across the ecology of factors that the research describes as being important to implementation.

Clean energy is the most demanding issue for sustainable development, especially in post-COVID-19 scenario. The Government of India (GOI) has adopted various reform policies in the energy sector focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7). India has taken initiative on SDG 7 to ensure access to sustainable energy for all. The core interest area of this paper is to analyse recent energy reform policies in energy sectors covering power generation, transmission, distribution and consumption and discusses mechanism SDG target achievement within 2030 in India. In the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, every country faces a major issue of energy security since the undisrupted energy security is related to energy demand. In the time period of pandemic, industrial energy demand goes down rapidly all over the world, especially in India. Though in the eve of festive season in India the difference between the energy supply and demand slightly overcomes. In the year 2003, GOI through Electricity Act opened electricity market for private participation to increase efficiencies. In the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, every country faces a major issue of energy security since the undisrupted energy security is related to energy demand. Further, the Ministry of Power has taken several policies such as National Electrification Policy in 2005, National Tariff Policy, Rural Electrification Policy in 2009 and Integrated Energy Policy. This policy brief paper highlights the progress of clean energy in India and provides their future trajectory towards achieving SDG targets, especially in the period of COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: As Internet usage increases, so does widespread concern about surveillance and privacy. While most of the research primarily focuses on a particular digital setting, these problems cut beyond national boundaries and impact economies everywhere.

Purpose: This study critically analyses the Data Protection Bill 2019’s effectiveness within the context of surveillance and privacy in India’s digital economy. Investigating critical provisions of the bill, comparing it to international privacy laws and standards, and identifying potential gaps and weaknesses, this study provides insights into the bill’s ability to protect personal data and limit surveillance practices.

Methodology: The chapter is based on secondary sources of data, including academic articles, government reports, and news articles on the topics of surveillance, privacy, and the Data Protection Bill 2019 in India, involving content and critical discourse analyses.

Findings: The Data Protection Bill 2019 evaluation reveals a set of provisions with the overarching intent to safeguard citizens’ privacy worldwide and curtail undue surveillance practices exercised by both governmental bodies and private enterprises. Intricately delineates the entitlements of individuals concerning their data, encompassing vital aspects such as the right to access, rectify, and erase their data, the bill mandates stringent adherence to the principle of explicit consent when collecting and processing personal data.

Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis also reveals several gaps and constraints inherent in the bill’s framework. One such area is the inclusion of exemptions for governmental entities, an aspect that raises international concerns regarding potential disparities in data protection practices.