Enablers and inhibitors of cloud computing adoption in Indian small and medium sized enterprises

The information and communication technologies (ICTs) penetration and adoption among Indian SMEs is low because of the high cost of ICTs and other complexities involved in using and maintaining these. In such a scenario, cloud computing can be a good option for SMEs for accessing and using appropriate ICTs in a cost-effective way. Through cloud computing, SMEs can get access to the latest ICTs using internet on a pay-per-usage basis without actually buying and maintaining such ICTs locally. However, there are some challenges like security and privacy of business data, connectivity issues and vendor lock-in, which may prevent SMEs from using cloud computing. The objective of this study is to understand and assess factors which enable or inhibit adoption of cloud computing among SMEs in India. For this, data were collected from 121 SMEs from a prominent industrial area in the northern region of India. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis techniques were applied for data analysis and for drawing the conclusion.