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December 31, 2012
COLUMN: Has the time for India to lead come?
For starters given a declining West, it is indeed unwise on our part to depend on it for any matter whatsoever for our growth. Two events that will decide stock market's fate in 2013
With government surviving the winter session and the required reforms in place, two events will decide the movement of markets - outcome of US fiscal cliff and RBI's stance on the rate cut. Buckle up: Economy to regain its earlier growth rate
The recent spate of reforms will boost India's economy and it will soon regain it earlier growth rate. COLUMN: Policy paralysis in 2013 again?
Given that there are number of state elections leading up to the national election in 2014, the government is unlikely to take hard decisions. Bread and butter, not corruption, focus of Indians
Country's mood at the end of 2012 is markedly different from that at the end of 2011.
December 28, 2012
Ratan Tata the quiet titan: Lord Kumar Bhattacharya
He has succeeded because he knew there needed to be a huge transformation in innovation and R&D capacity. 'Celebrate the spirit of resistance'
If you feel that the year 2012 is coming to a close on a depressing note focusing on an unusual New Year celebration in Kundankulam in Tamil Nadu might offer a glimmer of hope. For Ratan Tata, life BEGINS at 75
Unlike his predecessor, JRD Tata, who in 1991 handed over to him the chairmanship of Tata Sons as well as control of the trusts, Ratan will continue to retain control of the latter.
December 27, 2012
COLUMN: Some light at the end of the 2012 tunnel?
Next year might be better than the last.
December 24, 2012
For Nifty, time to exercise caution till 5950 is confirmed
There is room for caution as we are in a very mature bull market in the US and a sudden slide there will have ramifications for Nifty, says Sonali Ranade Why India needs more Ratan Tatas
he is the most prominent Indian leader whose inner values and outer actions demonstrate an evolved higher level of responsible leadership. Ratan Tata reshaped the Tata DNA: Rahul Bajaj
The very fact that Ratan Tata is retiring at 75 speaks volumes of his commitment to managing the Tata companies through values, says Rahul Bajaj.
December 21, 2012
Corruption in India Inc alarmingly HIGH
Corporate corruption in India is not just about bribing bureaucrats to bypass laws; it's about accounting frauds, kickbacks and cybercrime.
December 20, 2012
COLUMN: The world's new energy economy
New oil supply projections and the failure of climate talks mean that India must alter its geostrategic stance.
December 19, 2012
COLUMN: Doha's 'gateway' to nowhere
India has completely failed to uphold its key interests at climate talks, which have fallen short of their 20-year mission.
December 18, 2012
Why 'industrial policy' help for electronics is good
Domestic supply of electronics is already less than half of domestic dem#8743 and although it is growing at 16 per cent already, demand is growing much faster.
December 17, 2012
The bull run in world equity markets remains intact
The present consolidation can be used to buy into some fundamentally good blue chips including select PSU banks that have lagged the general market, says Sonali Ranade Investment in gold: A no-confidence against UPA govt
Importing gold widens current account deficit, channels domestic savings into personal investments and of course forces domestic entrepreneurs to scout for foreign funds, writes M R Venkatesh.
December 14, 2012
Why ex-bankers will LEAD the financial innovation race
There would be entrepreneurial exits from the financial sectors over the next few years, and many of these will result in enterprises that will generate value by sharing the benefits of financial innovation more fairly.
December 12, 2012
Why poor nations are more CORRUPT than the rich
The richest countries are also the cleanest, while the poorest are perceived as the most corrupt. Why developed economies are SUFFERING
It's not entirely true that advanced economies are suffering because of technological stagnation rather than a financial meltdown.
December 11, 2012
COLUMN: To control inflation, use structural reform
Inflation will persist until supply increases. So supply has to be addressed through structural reforms such as in telecom and power. Why Ratan Tata loves to HATE media
The Tata Group chairman may have gone overboard in his criticism of a profession called journalism.
December 10, 2012
COLUMN: Keeping an eye on China
Don't ignore the Asian giant's economic problems and political tension.
December 06, 2012
COLUMN: Fighting India's gold bug
RBI's suggestion of new products to lower gold imports treats the symptom rather than the underlying disease Bilateral investment: A drag on the developing world
Bilateral investment treaties can adversely impact policy space for governments
December 05, 2012
COLUMN: Little has changed in urban India
There are some flyovers, JNNURM logo-bearing buses and terribly designed housing for the poor. That's it. Aadhaar can help PLUG leakages in govt programmes
Here is how UID can help to cut down bureaucracy by automating major parts of government subsidy programmes. In addition, it will help government save on cost and give intended beneficiaries better access to the programmes. Current stock market rally to SUSTAIN until early '13
The writer believes that the current stock market rally will continue until early 2013. He predicts this based on partial success of current Parliament session, resolution of US' fiscal cliff, and government disinvestment.
December 03, 2012
The biggest financial SCAMS of pyramid schemes
None of India's financial regulators has any interest in proactively dealing with pyramid schemes.
November 30, 2012
Two laws, two ministries, one continuing confusion
Forest law vests overall control over the productive assets of the jungles in the forest bureaucracy.
November 28, 2012
How India can curb RISING gold import
Massive imports by India, of $60 billion and 1,067 tonnes in 2011-12 (up from $40 billion in 2010-11), have contributed in pushing prices of the noble metal to record levels internationally.
November 26, 2012
This leg of the market correction may be over
Exciting times ahead in the FX markets, predicts Sonali Ranade COLUMN: Fighting Delhi's smog
Although each vehicle has become cleaner, air quality remains poor because of the drastic increase in the number of vehicles
November 23, 2012
Airport test: How Google hires the BEST employees
Many things have changed in the company that has graduated from a Stanford dorm room in 1998, to a 33,000-employee powerhouse but the airport test has remained a constant.
November 22, 2012
COLUMN: How IT became competitive
It was government policies, not ITA-I, according to a recent study. COLUMN: The soft power that India ignores
The spin-offs from providing some sort of formal training for the hospitality business are huge.
November 21, 2012
What are the pitfalls for subsidy targeting
Cash transfer is targeted at the poor, but Aadhaar which will be at the core of the direct transfer process -- has no role in identifying the poor.
November 20, 2012
COLUMN: Will BP's punishment teach any lesson?
The billion dollar penalty of the kind imposed on BP will not deter risky operations but it will hopefully create an incentive for stricter safety measures. LPG mess: Will you get more subsidised cylinders?
The domestic LPG business in the country, which caters to 133 million households, has undergone a sea of reforms in the current financial year, helping the government check the burgeoning subsidy bill. Why Kejriwal calls NREGS a joke
NREGS has no place in the scheme of things that Kejriwal prescribes for the nation in his book Swaraj.
November 19, 2012
Lessons from the HSBC money laundering MESS
The many ways in which the fast-expanding bank got it wrong on money laundering. Column: The TRUTH about Swiss bank accounts
Getting a Swiss bank account is not an easy affair. China needs to focus on social spending
To aid global rebalancing, China needs to re-orient domestic policy to social spending. COLUMN: And now a Rs 100 crore scam hits ICAI!
The national trait of exploiting the inherent weakness of democracy is now mirrored within the ICAI too.
November 14, 2012
Are legislative HURDLES over for FDI in retail?
The question is not whether FDI in multi-brand retail is desirable or not, but whether the rules of conducting business in Parliament need to be reviewed.
November 13, 2012
India's slide to irrelevance
Regardless of recent reforms, international investors are still bearish on India.
November 12, 2012
Are shareholders, directors insensitive to graft?
Some civil societies are fighting to reform the system without any significant outcome so far. The dark, silent DEATH of India's energy capital
The electricity that Singrauli produces to light up others' homes has poisoned its people and the environment with mercury. A market pullback that may challenge previous top
However, a higher high from this rally will not negate a deeper correction to follow sometime in December, says Sonali Ranade REVELATIONS on HSBC - Tip of the iceberg?
What were the Indian authorities doing all these years, especially when it was well known universally that all was not well within HSBC?
November 09, 2012
Fiscal consolidation: How REAL is it?
Despite earnest government statements, fiscal correction is still distant.
November 08, 2012
Market correction to continue
Short-term wave counts show that there could be minor pullbacks next week, which will be small counter-trend rallies to correct for over-sold conditions. says Sonali Ranade
November 07, 2012
Why Gupta is in jail; other offenders SCOT-FREE
Contrary to popular notions, US laws protect the truly rich and powerful Rajat Gupta, however, was an outsider.
November 06, 2012
COLUMN: Why we must welcome FDI in retail
It is a myth that FDI in retail will kill at local kirana stores. India's FALL from grace
If Manmohan Singh's new reform push is sabotaged, it may be time for radical solutions, like greater decentralisation. The A to Z of India's most controversial sector
Familiarity with the alphabet is important to understand the language of the country's most controversial sector. Why is Rajat Gupta less equal than others
If Gupta had given Raj Rajaratnam information that Goldman Sachs was going to get an investment from Warren Buffet (and suppose, if Rajaratnam had not sold an already long position in Goldman stock based on this material, non-public information), would this have amounted to a criminal offence on Gupta's part?
November 05, 2012
How jobs will determine the US election
The latest report, out Friday and the last before the final voting on November 6th, shows US economy added 171,000 jobs higher than the 125,000 expected. Why Gupta's sentencing SHOCKED Indian businessmen
If Sebi had adjudicated Rajat Gupta's case, he would have got off with a mild fine or probably the charges would have been dropped, not in spite, but because of his impeccable track record. COLUMN: Sebi, do no harm
To make mutual funds go beyond the top 15 locations, Sebi has decided to rob investors and pay the funds. COLUMN: How the Euro could survive
Signs of recovery in Spain and commitment from Germany must be met with the willingness to let the euro fall.
November 01, 2012
All about chasing real estate's shadows
After all, he had already, in the short three years that he had worked for us, in the middle of a punishing schedule of writing algorithms crucial for our business, found the time and energy to write two articles for international peer-reviewed journals and co-author with me a chapter in a book of readings on collective intelligence edited by a prominent US academic. Don't BAN GM crop research; regulate it
The Supreme Court's decision to seek views of different stakeholders before considering a 10-year moratorium on field trials of genetically modified crops, as suggested by the technical committee it had appointed, is a welcome move. Why yuan cannot replace dollar for int'l trade
It is against China's interest to shift away from dollar. Column: Is GOLD losing its sheen?
Gold rally led by monetary support falters as problems over debt and economic growth resurface.
October 31, 2012
Column: Why most of our heroes turn out to be CORRUPT
Everyone feels that they have to compromise on their values due to greed of others.
October 30, 2012
A look at FACILITIES Rajat Gupta will enjoy in prison
His prison, at Otisville, figures in Forbes 2009 list of the 10 cushiest prisons in the US. 4G can bring the next telecom REVOLUTION
Despite the infamous scams and taints that the industry has faced, each Indian can claim to be a proud beneficiary of the country's telecom revolution. The much anticipated correction is here!
The question now is the extent and duration of the correction, says Sonali Ranade Is India becoming irrelevant to US?
India's trade practices, also singled out, once, as "unfair", are no longer even mentioned. Reaction to Gupta shows maturity that India lacks
Nuanced US reaction to Rajat Gupta's fall shows greater maturity than the extremes we go to in India.
October 29, 2012
Want financial freedom? Decide the goals
In spite of having sufficient money, the absence of direction leads to losses. Rajat Gupta's remarkable rise and inexplicable fall
Rajat Gupta, an important man with exemplary personal qualities, falls to disaster because of a combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal.
October 25, 2012
From the Indus Valley Civilisation to SEZs
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry carried out a review of municipal solid waste management in Indian cities in 2009, and found that only six of the 22 surveyed cities in the study had sanitary landfills, while 10 cities -- including major waste generators like New Delhi, Greater Mumbai (greatest generator of waste) and Kanpur -- did not have sanitary landfills. COLUMN: 'Thrash out' trade differences
WTO should focus more on what it 'should do' than what it 'can do' Of foreign hands across the waters
Globalisation may have many discontents as contents. COLUMN: Why the West is in disarray
The last European summit, in June, was supposed to have decided that the European Stability Mechanism would use its euro 500 billion to help directly recapitalise banks in distress, once a euro-zone banking supervisor authority was established.
October 23, 2012
Why now this hue and cry over spectrum pricing
The biggest players in the country's telecom industry had all managed to secure more than their authorized share of spectrum and would have to pay for it, has been in the public domain for some time now.
October 22, 2012
Why the govt is failing to rein in fiscal deficit?
RBI may think twice before agreeing with suggestions of a rate cut. Is crack in Nasdaq Comp index enough to reverse rally?
The market is skating on thin ice of an extension that can reverse on a dime, says Sonali Ranade Does development mean traffic, dust, garbage?
Growth is happening faster than we ever imagined. Construction is booming and expansion is gobbling agricultural land.
October 19, 2012
Why financial TSUNAMIS are expected soon
The World Bank-IMF meetings in Tokyo show the extent of policy makers' worries about global economic prospects.
October 17, 2012
Column: The POSITIVE side of reforms
Whatever may have been the pace, sequence or quality of reforms in the last two decades, nobody can dispute their positive impact on the degree of accountability in governance standards.
October 16, 2012
COLUMN: Can India Inc deliver tomorrow's economy?
Corporations are still hard-wired for the old 'brown' economy which aims to generate only shareholder value not stakeholder value. There may be another leg up to the rally in US equities
Temper greed with plenty of caution, warns Sonali Ranade Arun Jaitley SOLVES the 'VBS mystery'
The officer can use the Evidence Act to bring VBS' identity to light.
October 15, 2012
Column: Why the media's credibility is at stake
When it comes to fundamental issues involving corporate, corruption or anti money-laundering laws, media is increasingly demonstrating its ignorance.
October 11, 2012
Indian markets may have signalled the end of a correction
Mere portfolio investment inflows via FIIs should not be used as a pretext to allow an appreciation in the rupee, says Sonali Ranade Will India see a reforms-fuelled burst of growth?
It's too early to assess their effect on real investment and output. What Indian Railways NEEDS the most
Independent, powerful tariff body the best medicine.
October 10, 2012
'India should be called Subsidystan'
Reflating the equity market and unsustainable rupee appreciation can't make up for the lack of qualitative fiscal correction. Why high-rise development is not that good
Today, the telecommunications revolution, the Internet, a concern for global warming and a desire for a healthy lifestyle are redefining urban living. Column: The markets need a speed breaker
The flash crash has caused a blip that makes normal analysis suspect. It's time to include waiting periods into trading mechanisms.
October 09, 2012
All about Jack Cohen's RETAIL blues
Commerce came before politics for an East London Jew who started out when he was just 21 with a stall in the Well Street Market in Hackney. What makes a service firm SUCCESSFUL? A few secrets
It is about a systematic approach to human resources planning and development built on a bedrock of fairness and equitable treatment, and augmented by inspired leadership -- an aspect of management that is both a science and an art form.
October 08, 2012
Why DLF's deals with Sky Light need explanation
Is it the usual practice for DLF to give an advance equal to 86 per cent of the sale price on land, before the sale takes place? UPA's swing: From policy paralysis to economic reforms
The government's frenetic pace of activity resulting in a series of economic policy initiatives in the last two months has taken the opposition political parties by surprise. The real story behind India's infrastructure woes
PPPs in infra are on the cusp of disaster. The country needs a different strategy to build public services infrastructure. US economy: Obama is CLUELESS, Romney CONFUSED
Neither Obama nor Romney realise that government intervention as it is practiced in the US is not the answer to deliver people out of poverty, writes M R Venkatesh.
October 04, 2012
All about Reserve Bank's overkill on GOLD LOANS
Back in March this year, when the Reserve Bank of India stepped in with a cap of 60 per cent on the loan-to-value ratio for gold loan non-banking financial companies, it said it was acting to pre-empt systemic risks and to safeguard public funds. COLUMN: If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?
A financially successful business may be described as a good role model for its management practices -- whereas its financial success may have almost nothing to do with these practices.
October 03, 2012
COLUMN: Degrowth and Gandhian inspiration
Whether it is the avalanche of corruption or economic and environmental crises -- remembering Gandhi seems just too painful. That is because the ideals Gandhi represented and lived seem to recede further and further out of reach. COLUMN: What ails India's urbanisation
India's sectoral shift away from agriculture to industry and services is reflected in its spatial pattern of urbanisation with firms locating in the bigger cities and metropolises to exploit scale economies. How to fix America's fiscal problem
The political stand-off in Washington makes tax hikes impossible. But there's a way around it.
October 02, 2012
The perils of conflating Modi with Gujarat
The fact is that by conflating Modi with Gujarat the larger lesson in development -- economic reforms -- is being sidelined and lost, say Sonali Ranade and Shaelja Sharma How BADLY has Obama scored on the economic front?
For those of us who are interested in the US presidential election, it might be useful to take stock of how well or badly the Obama administration has done on the economic front over the last four years
October 01, 2012
Has the flat C for US equities begun?
The US markets have had a nice four-year bull run from March 2009 that just doesn't seem to be ending. The markets are on an extension. That's not surprising after the severe crash in 2008. However, these extensions can terminate at any time without notice, says Sonali Ranade SPECIAL: A few notifications is NOT reforms Mr PM!
For two decades while we continuously talked of infrastructure, power, ports, airports, irrigation, railways, roads, sewer systems, public transport, skill development, education, et all we also realised that our governments has very less vision to structure it, very little political will to carry it and far less managerial band-with to deliver such projects on time, writes M R Venkatesh.
September 28, 2012
Are HIGH salaries for CEOs justified?
The more crucial point is that India Inc can't argue against transparency.
September 26, 2012
PM @ 80: A FAILED economist, and a prudent politician?
But what has his two decades in 7 RCR meant for a nation in the throws of burgeoning domestic growth, a sudden global crisis and complete political turmoil? Senior Business journalist Shaili Chopra says Manmohan Singh has failed us as an economist but surprised us with his political prudence. COLUMN: Why people now are so keen about growth
Earlier, politicians thought voters demanded a ceiling on inflation. Now, people want a floor on growth. Subsidy is fine but is it a burden or boon?
Why phasing out the fertiliser subsidy will affect small farmers. How India can avoid a grave economic crisis
Instead of boosting growth, policy should focus on addressing the current account and budget deficits.
September 25, 2012
What is the SOLUTION to India's traffic jams?
Cars use more space, crowd the road and move far fewer people. Our educated road planners must count people, not vehicles. Why western bankers are blamed for the financial crisis
After being hailed as Masters of the Universe for the last two decades, western bankers are now being blamed for the global financial crisis and being branded as the ugly face of capitalism.
September 24, 2012
Column: Why these reforms can't address India's problems
Notwithstanding the PM's feeble defence, the reforms announced so far are not enough to deal with India's pressing problems. Forget small retailers, can UPA stand up to Walmart?
As multilateral negotiations have paused, multi-national corporates have increasingly become aggressive; and our bureaucrats restless.
September 21, 2012
COLUMN: Is inflation GOOD for growth?
"Historically, all possible combinations have occurred: inflation with and without [economic] development, no inflation with and without [economic] development".
September 18, 2012
Gas cylinder cap has LESSONS for the future
If the government could create a convincing case for capping gas cylinder numbers, there is no reason why the government cannot build a solid case, using similar methods, for a further increase in diesel price. RBI's policy: Calculated pause or characteristic freeze?
Inflation in India is indeed a complex subject. Interest rate hike (or cuts) alone are not the solution to tackle inflation, writes M R Venkatesh.
September 17, 2012
From boom to doom: Story of India's telecom sector
The new story is the exact opposite of this history, and tells of slowing growth, falling profits, and negative returns on shares. Markets are still largely sideways
As always buy into blue chips that are currently at lows, suggests Sonali Ranade COLUMN - Wholesale of India, by FDI in retail
A democratically elected government cannot bulldoze its way through, whatever be the compulsions, writes M R Venkatesh.
September 14, 2012
COLUMN: Who will build India's infrastructure?
The private sector accounted for 30 per cent of all investment in infrastructure in the last Plan period and is supposed to mobilise 50 per cent ($500 billion) of the planned infrastructure spending for 2012-17. Indian economy faces a major CRISIS, but who cares?
It is common knowledge that the Indian economy has not just been doing badly for over a year but is actually stumbling towards a major economic crisis.
September 13, 2012
Column: Bad days of the licence raj are alive in India
Broadly, where policy has remained mainly in government hands, the problems more thoughtful commentators noted back in the mid-nineties remain. Should coal block allocations be SCRAPPED?
Allotments that were done without conducting due diligence should be reversed but the UPA's procedure smacks of favouritism. Will China have to 'discover' the drumstick before us?
Why has the drumstick tree not found favour with officialdom given the ease of cultivation, its excellent nutritional value, shelf-life of its leaves as food, and its use as vegetable, asks Sonali Ranade
September 11, 2012
COLUMN: Why is the image of shining India TARNISHED?
Exuberant expectations about the economy have turned to foreboding as Indians grow pessimistic about their economic future.
September 10, 2012
Has gold really broken out?
We will not know if the breakout is just a reactive pullback or the real thing for another two weeks or so, says Sonali Ranade
September 07, 2012
COLUMN: Competitiveness in what?
If we are to maintain stable societies and productive lives, we can no longer sustain a widening budget gap between what nature is able to provide and how much our infrastructure, economies and lifestyles require.
September 06, 2012
COLUMN: Are we reinventing journalism?
An FTC discussion paper proposes radical measures such as tightening copyright laws to prevent search engines from showing news search results without paying the newspaper concerned, and enabling news organisations to jointly rect 'paywalls' that force consumers to pay for news consumption on the Internet, and asks if it's time to reinvent the business of journalism, writes Ajit Balakrishnan Coal scam: A review of the govt's big MISTAKES
Looking back, it appears that the first signs of the problem were visible when the policy on captive coal mining was formulated almost two decades ago.
September 04, 2012
Coal-gate: Mr Minister, can you answer these questions?
The sad part is that it is corporate war that is exposing the chink within the system. A new TRICK corporates use to stay ahead
Many big corporations in India are trying a new trick to stay at the cutting edge.
September 03, 2012
Has gold really broken out?
Respect the yellow metal's breakout but treat it with more than ordinary caution, says Sonali Ranade Column: Govt must get on with social media, not attack it
Early last month, as it was trying to contain the fallout from the Assam riots, the government notified a draft framework for social media engagement as part of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). COLUMN: Why has the coal scam become a sweeping saga?
The coal scandal began with revelations about the Manmohan Singh government, then expanded in scope to take in the Vajpayee government, and has now become a sweeping saga that lays bare the contemporary Indian state. Coal-gate - Economic reforms to economic deforms?
Dr Singh, the architect of reforms, has in effect been the architect of this model of economic deforms. Whatever the Finance Minister Dr Singh giveth, the Prime Mnister Dr Singh taketh. Will the advent of a 3rd exchange help India's bourses?
As much as half the turnover of all stock exchanges in India is accounted for by only 25 broking firms. Ninety per cent of the turnover of all stock exchanges in the country is out of only five cities. These are hardly healthy signs of India's financial markets.
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