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September 30, 2006
Political solutions first, please
The rural problem is now very big. Turning the Planning Commission into the Scheming Commission is not the answer.

Is the world about to run out of oil?
Peaking of oil supplies presents an unprecedented risk-management problem. Viable mitigation options could cost trillions of dollars and require more than a decade of intense effort.

4 mistakes and the SEZ fuss
If anyone wants a parable on how India works, make a case study of the special economic zones (SEZs).

September 29, 2006
'Indians feel a greater affinity to the US'
If properly packaged and presented, several Indian companies (especially in the IT, electronics and automotive sectors) should be willing to fund such courses and to offer scholarships for Americans or Europeans to come and study in India.

How to manage gold demand
At last count, the industry employed half a million people. The annual turnover was about Rs 25,000 crore (Rs 250 billion).

My friend Dilip, the cable operator
Only the cable operator can take the television to the poor, says .

September 28, 2006
On moving to India lock, stock and barrel
N Shanbhag, the highly respected investment guru, and his son Sandeep Shanbhag, answer your questions on NRI investment.

The IIT story: IIESTs, 3 new IITs on way
The Moily Committee is seriously discussing a proposal for the establishment of three brand-new IITs. The locations are not disclosed yet, but Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar are in the race.

Forgotten fountains of flows
The dependence on just the core business of borrowing and lending is now taking its toll on the financial health of banking.

Make disclosures on charges mandatory
Investigations related to fund managers need to be communicated directly to the unitholders.

Indians on a spending spree
Global consumers' confidence remains at 2005 levels, with Indians leading the world in the 2006 ACNielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), followed by the Norwegians and Danes.

September 27, 2006
Bengal: A role model for other states
What the West Bengal government has done today at Singur, 50 kilometres north-west of Kolkata, the rest of India should do in the coming days.

Slowdown? No problem, say emerging markets
The world's love affair with India seems to continue unabated. The world has discovered the quality of Indian companies, entrepreneurship and market potential and now seems unwilling to let go.

September 26, 2006
Pros and cons of desktop search
Locating stuff on your desktop can now be done in a flash. It can be a bit spooky too.

Why coconuts have no takers
Coconut is a typical case of under-exploitation of a plant of high economic potential. The plant is unique in the sense that it is capable of meeting all the basic needs of food, fibre, fuel, timber and even animal feed.

The future of Indian cities
We cannot see beyond the glitz of malls, the swank of private housing apartments or guarded green areas.

September 25, 2006
Happy not to be at IIM-A
The IIM-A case study on Indian Railways details Lalu's contribution towards increasing loading allowed in wagons, but ignores the major problems the railways face.

Land reforms: Hot & cold in the same breath
Sensible suggestions made by the Working Group on Land Relations in various areas have been undermined by those in others.

The art of the soft landing
The judicous use of market forces by policymakers has enhanced the capacity of the world economy to land softly.

The great Indian SEZ rush
It is not likely that too many entrepreneurs will make a haste to move into SEZ till at least the next Budget.

September 23, 2006
How Indian price warriors win the game
If an IT price warrior in a price-sensitive Indian market can offer 70 per cent discount to the top-end quote (by another Indian outfit), it could probably shave 90 per cent off the top quote in the US/EU and still keep a nice margin.

Privatisation helps kill poverty
The evidence of the past 60 years shows that the route to poverty reduction is rapid economic growth. Period.

September 21, 2006
How best to beat work stress
The Art of Living is doing wonders for executives who were paying a heavy price for life in the fast lane.

The world's largest banks
India's top bank is ranked 72 in the world.

Corporate caste system crumbling
Social hierarchies in emerging India's corporate world are changing like never before. While executives in established blue chips are still considered the "Brahmins", it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore those in smaller companies.

September 20, 2006
Lalu deserves only two cheers
The great railway turnaround is half a myth. None should grudge the Indian railways their day in the sun but it is necessary not to overdo the hype as that will inevitably lead to a downside later.

September 19, 2006
Forget <I>Bhai Bhai</I>, focus on business!
India and China should look for mutuality and convergence on objective parameters, rather than sentimentality, says .

Why the RTI Act is right
It is important that bureaucrats see its long-term gains and learn to adjust to the much-needed changes being brought about by the RTI Act.

Why B-schools must teach football
Football has the perfect blend of creativity, individual brilliance and teamwork that managers need to emulate - there's so much the winning teams of Latin America and Europe can teach us.

When PCs take buy & sell decisions
Complex, structured financial instruments are the rage, and yield-hungry investors are lapping them up - whether they understand all the complexities is another matter.

September 18, 2006
Why small towns like Malegaon are crumbling
If the states continue to manage their finances the way they are doing, towns like Malegaon are in for a tough time.

Why RIL should get oil subsidy
When Reliance invested in the oil sector, it was not told the government-owned competition would sell its products at Rs 100,000 crore below cost.

September 16, 2006
Electricity theft in Delhi & the power of 'theta'
For the capital's power thieves, life just got a lot tougher. The laws of physics allow little wiggle room.

India's furious economic pace is no accident
If industry can log a rate of growth of 12.5% when weighed down by handicaps, think of what is possible when they are removed, says .

How to keep an open mind
The most important thing that B-schools try to teach you is 'survival of the fittest.' However, this principle, is more theory-based, with an emphasis on ethics and the right and wrongs of the business.

September 14, 2006
401(K) receipts tax free in India for RNORs
A N Shanbhag, the highly respected investment guru, and his son Sandeep Shanbhag, answer your questions on NRI investment.

The best investment for your child
Which are the products you should turn to? What will offer the best advantage to your child, and what it is that you should avoid? Check this out.

September 13, 2006
Becoming a US citizen does not affect Indian pension
A N Shanbhag, the highly respected investment guru, and his son Sandeep Shanbhag, answer your questions on NRI investment.

Let us not scare foreign investors
There are signs of a new and disturbing trend developing, wherein one can no longer take the government of India at face value.

Conflict zone: Expert panels versus govt
A bold government may even disregard a few of the recommendations of an expert committee and instead enforce what it considers is more desirable.

September 12, 2006
The market for ideas
Policy research is a fragile reed. It needs nurturing.

Of failure, IPR and competition
The main problem is the absence of clearly defined property rights in the market. When property rights are not clearly defined, market failure is likely because producers and consumers may not be held accountable.

Why India's telecom regulator embraced competition
As in other infrastructure sectors, we too were told that cost-plus regulation is crucial for telecom investments, but the truth is quite the reverse.

All you wanted to know about 'KYC'
In order to prevent identity theft, identity fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing, etc, the RBI had directed all banks and financial institutions to put in place a policy framework to know their customers before opening any account.

September 09, 2006
Making money from rags!
Panipat is the country's biggest producer of shoddy yarn, importing rags from Europe, USA, Asia and Canada and spinning them into inexpensive yarn

Large taxpayer units: Will it succeed?
One of the latest proposals for restructuring tax administration relates to the establishment of large taxpayer unit. This was announced in Budget 2005-06, but it has not yet found favour with large taxpayers in the four major cities

Don't want P-notes? Ban FIIs
Investors should be regulated, not licensed

Of India and skewed economic policy
If business gains at the expense of other stake-holders (consumers, the tax department, farmers), economic benefits get captured by a small minority at the top of the pyramid.

September 08, 2006
Why discriminate against exchanges?
One of the most important vehicles of growth in any economy, emerging or developed, has been vibrant and sophisticated exchange marketplaces

'You need a band of believers to succeed as an entrepreneur'
If you're planning to be an entrepreneur, you can start by putting up a banner outside your home: 'Wanted a Band of Believers,' says .

The force behind corporate scandals
The increasing dominance of the financial over the real economy has been the driving force behind too many corporate scandals.

India a superpower? A reality check!
There is a lot of lip service about India's great strides in the recent times.

September 07, 2006
NRIs cannot invest in post office schemes, bonds
A N Shanbhag, the highly respected investment guru, and his son Sandeep Shanbhag, answer your questions on NRI investment.

Pay = Performance
Though there are still legal (and more complex) restrictions on managerial remuneration in India, the terms are now far more liberal, if somewhat archaic.

India, Singapore still shy over banking
Neither the Reserve Bank of India nor the Monetary Authority of Singapore seems to be willing to open up the financial sector of their respective countries.

Change: The buzzword for firms to succeed
But if CEOs follow conventional wisdom, chances are that they are leading their companies into a trap known as the "boiling frog" syndrome.

September 06, 2006
SEZs: Boon or bane?
When the need is to broaden the tax base, SEZ complexities will only add to the administrative burden and create scope for tax evasion.

Slowing US housing mart is bad news for India
A slowing world economy will affect export-oriented companies.

September 05, 2006
NRIs can buy life insurance policy in India
A N Shanbhag, the highly respected investment guru, and his son Sandeep Shanbhag, answer your questions on NRI investment.

September 01, 2006
Lessons in marketing
Can brands and advertising dare explore this side.

It's time India woke up
We need to take inspiration and a leaf out of the book of the RTI campaign

Long live the Indian stock market
The Indian equity premium since 1991 has averaged 9.7 per cent above the corresponding risk-free security.

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