This study examines the use of Internet for corporate reporting in India. The study identifies the extent of Web-based financial and non-financial disclosures and its relationship with various company characteristics, which include size, profits, age, nature of industry, affiliation to business house, liquidity, ownership spread and leverage of Indian corporates. Internet Disclosure Index (IDI) is calculated to measure the type and extent of Web disclosure, using a sample of 200 companies. The study results indicate that industry sector, size of the company, and association with business house positively affect the extent of information disclosure on websites.

The Internet, being the fastest mode of communication, has the widest reach in the present world of globalized economies. It is a technology that has the potential to exhibit distinctive and attractive features of information, which makes it an efficient and cost-effective measure, as compared to the traditional methods of print media. Recently, companies have started reporting their financial results and other information relating to business on their websites. Almost all companies today maintain their websites. The increased economic, market and regulatory pressures are compelling companies to accumulate and publish information regarding their financial performance, social and environmental issues, corporate governance, marketing as well as other information at an increased frequency, in detail and in a variety of formats. Greater information disclosure would enable regulators to better monitor and control excessive risk-taking by corporations. Web-based corporate reporting has become quite a popular practice of communicating with stakeholders in recent times. Corporate reporting is taking a new shape and is raising many implications for the regulations of the markets.

The main objective of the present study is to examine the extent of Web-based financial and non-financial disclosures and its relationship with various company characteristics, which include size, profits, age, nature of industry, affiliation to business house, liquidity, ownership spread and leverage of Indian corporates.

Accounting Research and Audit Practices, Internet Disclosure Index, IDI, Corporate Governance, Financial Reporting Index, FRI, Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Information, CSRI, Research Methodology, Regression Analysis, Debt-Equity Ratio, Market Capitalization, Global Corporate Communication.