TRENDS
Koo is a cool addition to the dictionary of bizarre social media names
With zillions of sites in the digital universe, standing out isn’t easy. Finding names that are unique and memorable can be a real challenge.
BUSINESS
Andy Jassy’s accession marks a tricky transition for Amazon
One factor common to companies that have done well during such transitions is that the professional leader taking over from the founder is an insider, a man who’s often worked closely with him
INDIA
Will an Indian city be the next capital of the world?
What determines a city’s ability to attract, nurture and retain the most creative and talented people in different fields of human endeavour is its cosmopolitanism, cultural, social and political vibrance, as well as opportunities for people to monetise their various talents
BUSINESS
Scrappage policy for old vehicles is good, but not enough
The scheme should be part of a larger effort to steer the Indian car owner towards electric vehicles
SPORTS-TRENDS
Club football, the game’s source spring, faces financial headwinds
It is a strange paradox that a game played by millions and loved by billions, is in such dire straits across the world
BUSINESS
MTNL’s fate shows how public enterprises have suffered from poor governance
When public sector companies are left to flounder for too long, we have the tragic spectacle of a once-robust company drained of any vitality, with its employee costs eating up 80 percent of its revenues
CRICKET
Ajinkya Rahane’s month-long masterclass in collective leadership
It isn’t about a leader and followers, but about different people taking the lead at varying stages based on their strengths
BUSINESS
Tesla’s immediate India options are limited, but the future is promising
The big question will be whether India can supplant China for Musk’s affections
LIFESTYLE-TRENDS
Ban on liquor ads has stopped neither its advertising nor its consumption
Maybe we should just shed this hypocrisy and accept that some adults do drink and reaching them is a legitimate part of a company’s brief
TRENDS
Forget privacy, messaging platforms like WhatsApp are all after your data
The universe for Facebook’s interest-based targeting will now stretch even further to include Whatsapp users as well. But it doesn’t stop here. Facebook’s grand plan is to integrate WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger with its other services like Boomerang, Threads and Shops
TRENDS
The very real fear of artificial intelligence
By 2030, thousands of jobs in India, including those of call centre executives, translators, bank tellers and secretaries, could be lost to intelligent agents and robots.
BUSINESS
Indian IT is all set to build on pandemic era gains
Having missed out on the gold rush following the onset of cloud computing, the best Indian IT firms are perfectly placed not to miss out this time
BUSINESS
China’s richest man Zhong Shanshan is an oddball in the world’s richest club
Many billionaires certainly don’t believe in sticking to their core competence but have been happy to take advantage of any and every business opportunity that has come along.
BUSINESS
Corporate warriors who battled on through COVID-19
The pandemic brought to the fore companies that rose to the challenge
BUSINESS
India’s gig economy companies should introspect on their worker policies
It is obvious that for gig companies, the fortunes of those who bring their services to the customers aren’t a priority
BUSINESS
Post-pandemic how will our world celebrate?
The spritzy impulse towards openness, freedom and self-will has never let any age down and it is the pleasure centres of the brain that have ultimately led the trajectory of civilization.
BUSINESS
Flexibility is the mantra business leaders will take away from 2020
As COVID 19 ravaged the world, the best companies learnt to cope and even advance. Many posted significant gains in terms of productivity and even profitability
BUSINESS
Year-ender 2020 | Indian startups are selling themselves cheap
Eventually the me-too nature of most Indian start-ups comes back to bite them
BUSINESS
Companies need to start accounting for climate change in their books
A Moody's report shows an overall increase in credit risk linked to environmental considerations, based on a review of 89 global sectors with total rated debt of about $79 trillion. Significantly, it finds that sectors facing very high or high credit risk now account for $3.4 trillion in rated debt
BUSINESS
Google outage upends notions of foolproof technology
Paradoxically, one of the reasons for the take down could be the exponential increase in the usage of these services in the midst of the ongoing pandemic
BUSINESS
Sikh farmers have been great ambassadors of India's agri skills
In the last two decades, farming in Punjab has become increasingly unremunerative and with hardly any other industry in the state, there are no jobs for the young, who face a bleak and hopeless future. Agricultural reforms, with the right motive and intention, are the crying need of the state.
BUSINESS
Warner Bros' movie streaming decision is a potential threat to Indian multiplexes
The pandemic’s impact on the cinema business may be felt for a long time to come
INDIA
Bhopal’s long night of horror shows no signs of ending
Over three decades later, no one is guilty of perpetrating this terrible crime. It is important to recognise that Bhopal’s gas tragedy isn’t just about the sheer injustice meted out to the survivors
BUSINESS
Indian fliers need a revitalised Jet and Air India
A reasonable number of airlines, with healthy financials and sound management make for a consumer-friendly combination
