BUSINESS
WalMart's profit warning a sign of trouble for global retailers
US retail giant WalMart's profit warning signals a mounting threat to retail businesses as inflation and a slowdown hurt growth in key markets
TRENDS
Indian coffee to shake off colonial hangover
The current session of Parliament will take up the repeal of the Coffee Act of 1942, which was enacted in the middle of World War II, ostensibly to safeguard the industry from its effects.
BUSINESS
Indian lawmakers can’t keep waiting for global consensus on cryptos
A world which can't even agree upon a standard response to climate change, the biggest threat it faces, isn't going to be in a rush to work towards the "common taxonomy and standards" for crypto that finance minister Sitharaman is hoping for
TECHNOLOGY
Book review: Accenture’s top minds on humanizing AI
'Radically Human' draws on research which shows that most companies use emerging technologies as a lifeline, not as engines of innovation. And the few that do the latter, have reaped huge rewards.
BUSINESS
The Uber saga: The corrosive powers of maverick founders
The likes of Travis Kalanick, Adam Neumann and Elon Musk don’t look back, even if it is to consider the consequences of the actions they have initiated
TRENDS
Cricket viewing on TV is being wrecked by pliant commentators
Why do so many commentators treat us as idiots who can be entertained with either clichés or liberal doses of jingoism?
BUSINESS
Can IndiGo keep its flock together?
The quick turnaround of its planes once they land, a vital cog in Indigo’s low-cost model, depends crucially on its well-trained staff
BUSINESS
Customer Service | For most Indian companies, ‘Customer is King’ only till a sale is complete
An overwhelming majority of Indians say they are dissatisfied with their experiences as customers
TRENDS
Can IKEA turn mile-long queues into profitable sales?
Regardless of their budget, Indian buyers will check out everything that is available. But as many have discovered, seeing isn’t always buying in India.
BUSINESS
Reliance succession plan is a classic playbook for other businesses
Ambani's succession plan comes against a backdrop of financial stability and is part of an overall group restructuring.
BUSINESS
Indian IT’s digital business will be the bulwark against the coming slowdown
Digital now accounts for a significant part of IT leaders’ revenue. For Infosys, digital’s share of its business is now 57 percent of its revenue and contributes 41.2 percent of its annual growth. That’s about the same for most major firms though for many newer firms like Happiest Minds it is much higher
TRENDS
SpaceX tells the world its boss Elon Musk can do no wrong
When it comes to thin-skinned leaders, employees are better off playing cheerleaders. It is a lesson that employees in Indian companies have known all along.
BUSINESS
Conglomerate model is copping the blame for companies’ non-performance
Underperformance of some units may be a bigger reason for these companies to look for a radical solution, than the discovery of some fundamental flaws in the conglomerate model
TRENDS
Thank god Internet Explorer won't respond ever again
Internet Explorer (August 8, 1995 - June 15, 2022)
BUSINESS
LIC’s IPO woes began long before its listing
The urgency needed for an issue of this size and strategic intent was missing for almost two years and by the time it dawned upon the government that the sale was in serious danger, it was too late
TRENDS
Despite his checkered legacy, Jack Welch remains a presence in corporate boardrooms
At a time when most companies struggle to survive beyond a few years, the Welch premise that a company is in the business of making profits through sustained market leadership holds some validity.
BUSINESS
Cement is the pickaxes and shovels of India’s infrastructure rush
The huge infrastructure programme of the government and the return of investment demand in the private sector is good news for the cement industry
TRENDS
Russia Ukraine conflict: The fine line between misreporting and propaganda about Ukraine
BUSINESS
It’s the season of plenty for recruiters as India Inc searchers for leaders
With the talent pool in India not large enough to cope with the rising demand, the net is being cast overseas, including to hitherto unlikely sources
BUSINESS
The coming winter of discontent for Indian startups
PE and VC firms, the moneybags of the startup ecosystem, are beginning to turn off the funding spigot as their own stresses mount
BUSINESS
Salil Parekh’s salary is merely a reflection of Infosys’ performance
By approving a mega-compensation package for Salil Parekh, its CEO for the last four-and-a-half years, Infosys isn’t just rewarding his performance but also correcting a historical wrong
TRENDS
The pioneering spirit of Seth Walchand Hirachand Doshi
Walchand Hirachand Doshi established a shipyard and aircraft manufacturing facility. Both were later nationalized, and became Hindustan Shipyard Ltd and HAL, respectively.
TRENDS
Billionaires ain’t getting no love
The way things are going, they’ll soon take the blame for global warming or for the inequitable distribution of vaccines...
BUSINESS
Renault's, McDonald’s exit from Russia is significant symbolically but not materially
For McDonald's gesture to really count, the large auto and tobacco companies have to follow suit
