# A Study on Application of Web 3.0 Technologies in Small and Medium Enterprises of India

**Authors:** Rajasekhara Mouly Potluri (School of Business & Entrepreneurship, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Nigeria); Narasimha Rao Vajjhala (American University of Nigeria, Yola, Nigeria) — ORCID 0000-0002-8260-2392
**Type:** Journal article (open access)
**Source:** The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 5(2), pp. 73–79
**Published:** 2018-05-31
**DOI:** https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2018.vol5.no2.73
**Canonical page:** https://www.narasimharao.net/research/web-3-0-technologies-indian-smes/
**Indexing:** Scopus and Web of Science (indexed at publication)

## Summary

**Question.** What opportunities and challenges do managers of Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) see in adopting Web 3.0 technologies to improve productivity and efficiency?

**Finding.** Interviews with managers from 40 Indian SMEs across five key economic sectors, coded in NVivo 11, produced 12 subthemes. The advantages centred on integration of services and the creation of new functionalities; the challenges on privacy and security, financial and technological constraints, and organizational barriers.

**Why it matters.** SMEs drive much of India’s economy but have limited technology budgets. The themes give SME leaders a practical map for short- and long-term information systems strategy, helping them make better use of technology assets to improve productivity and competitiveness.

## Key findings

1. The study collected responses from managers in 40 Indian SMEs representing five key economic sectors.
2. Data were analysed with content analysis and coded thematically in NVivo 11.
3. Twelve subthemes described the advantages and challenges of Web 3.0 adoption as perceived by SME managerial leadership.
4. Key themes were integration of services, creation of new functionalities, privacy and security, financial and technological challenges, and organizational challenges.
5. The results inform short- and long-term information systems strategies for SMEs.

## Study at a glance

| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Research question | How do Indian SMEs perceive the opportunities and challenges of Web 3.0 adoption? |
| Design | Qualitative; semi-structured questionnaire with open-ended questions |
| Sample | Managers from 40 Indian SMEs representing five key economic sectors |
| Methods | Content analysis; thematic coding in NVivo 11 |
| Main result | 12 subthemes: service integration, new functionalities, privacy and security, financial and technological challenges, organizational challenges |
| Implication | Guidance for SME information systems strategy |

## Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore how small and medium enterprises in India has identified the opportunities and challenges in adopting Web 3.0 technologies to improve their productivity and efficiency. After an in-depth literature review, researchers framed a semistructured questionnaire with open-ended questions for collecting responses from managers working in 40 Indian SME’s representing five key economic sectors. The collected data was analyzed, and themes were encoded using the NVivo 11 computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software. Content analysis was used to analyze the semi-structured interviews. This study identified 12 subthemes illustrating the advantages and challenges as perceived by the managerial leadership of SMEs. The key themes include integration of services, creation of new functionalities, privacy and security, financial and technological challenges, and organizational challenges. The results will benefit SMEs planning and developing their short-term and long-term information systems strategies which will enable SME leaders to make optimal use of their technology assets, improving the productivity and competitiveness of firms.

## Key terms

- **Web 3.0:** The generation of web technologies centred on machine-readable (semantic) data, intelligent services, and integration across applications.
- **SME:** Small and medium enterprise — a firm below national thresholds for employees, turnover, or investment.

## Limitations

- Qualitative study of 40 SMEs; findings describe managerial perceptions rather than measured adoption outcomes.

## How to cite

Potluri, R. M., & Vajjhala, N. R. (2018). A Study on Application of Web 3.0 Technologies in Small and Medium Enterprises of India. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 5(2), 73–79. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2018.vol5.no2.73

```bibtex
@article{potluri2018web,
  title = {A Study on Application of Web 3.0 Technologies in Small and Medium Enterprises of India},
  author = {Potluri, Rajasekhara Mouly and Vajjhala, Narasimha Rao},
  journal = {The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business},
  volume = {5},
  number = {2},
  pages = {73--79},
  year = {2018},
  publisher = {Korea Distribution Science Association (KODISA)},
  doi = {10.13106/jafeb.2018.vol5.no2.73},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2018.vol5.no2.73}
}
```