BUSINESS
New fintech venture is Walmart’s latest attempt to change its battleground
Walmart's newest venture, whose name and scope of work are yet to be revealed, is radically different in that its partner isn’t a banking services firm or even a pure tech provider but an investment firm
TRENDS
Test cricket needs to keep the draw in play
Test cricket is one of the few sporting arenas where the draw is still a possible result. Let’s not kill the option or debase it
BUSINESS
Shipping Corporation privatisation vital to kickstart sector’s revival
Logistics, of which shipping is an integral part, can be the largest potential driver of value addition in the coming decade
BUSINESS
The best symbols of Atmanirbhar Bharat
Defining self-reliance in an intricately interlinked world can be a tricky business since there is virtually nothing we use that is completely and wholly made locally.
BUSINESS
Global chip shortage could force a rethink on just in time manufacturing
For decades, companies have focussed on a shortened production timeline to gain from efficiency and cost savings
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
How NIIT and others pioneered computer training
The private training institutes sensed an opportunity in this and showed great foresight in anticipating that there was an industry in the making which would need thousands of young people even if they had rudimentary computing skills.
