Bridging Governance Gaps: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Role of Forensic Auditing in Strengthening Corporate Compliance in India

This study explores the role of forensic auditing in bridging governance gaps and strengthening corporate compliance within Indian organizations. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study integrates quantitative analysis from structured surveys with qualitative insights from in-depth interviews and sectoral case observations. The findings confirm that forensic audits significantly improve corporate compliance outcomes. A strong positive correlation was found between audit quality and compliance score, while regression analysis revealed that forensic audit frequency explains approximately 68% of the variance in governance index improvement. Public sector organizations reported higher implementation rates than the private sector, largely attributed to mandatory compliance frameworks. Qualitative data further revealed that lack of expertise and cost constraints are the most common barriers to integrating forensic audits into routine compliance systems. This research contributes to both theory and practice by proposing a conceptual model that links forensic auditing practices with enhanced governance performance. The study concludes that forensic audits should not only be viewed as investigative tools but as integral components of an organization’s governance architecture, capable of significantly improving accountability, ethical conduct, and regulatory compliance across