ITC’s cigarettes business helps it sail through rough seas
As the company’s FMCG business faces rough weather due to a heatwave and the general malaise in consumption, the cigarettes business lends a shoulder to sales and profit growth
Narendra Modi can’t build India’s military this way
The government is spending too little, and relying too much on inefficient state-owned companies, to produce a world-class fighting force
Bringing Evan Gershkovich home will be Joe Biden’s last big win
A big prisoner swap between the US, Russia and maybe other countries is a win for the lame-duck president. Alas, probably his last
Bank of England summons up the courage to cut
But the next move probably won’t come until November
UP enacts strict anti-conversion law: A brief history of the anti-Proselytism law in India, major judgments, Centre’s stand
Uttar Pradesh has amended its anti-conversion law introducing severe penalties for forceful or fraudulent conversions. Over the past decade, other states such as Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka have enacted similar laws
It’s Adani Vs Birla and Birla Vs Asian Paints in battle of giants
Cement and paints markets are like chalk and cheese and strategies for dominance or entry are different.
Where’s the competitive spirit in India’s duty drill?
The World Tariff Profiles 2024 indicate that it’s high time for the country to shun the preference for protectionism
The art of putting an equities’ trading strategy in place
The share of intraday traders below the age of 30 has gone up to 48 percent in FY23 as compared to 18 percent in FY19
Why India is missing the boat in shipping
The government wants to improve India’s position in the global shipping and shipbuilding market. Achieving it requires the right tax incentives, subsidies and easy access to cheap finance
Chart of the Day: Do banks want credit cardholders to swipe more but spend less?
Banks want customers to keep swiping but for lower amounts.
SEBI cracks the whip on expiry-day F&O punts to curb risks
The market regulator’s proposals to curb speculation have taken aim at the riskiest parts of the market but a few proposals do seem like an overkill
SC allows sub-classification of classes; What's the case and what the CJI said?
The Supreme Court's ruling has cleared the way for quota-within-quota. In its 2024 judgment, the top court had held that only Parliament and not state legislatures had the power to sub-classify SCs and STs for reservation
Will the assassinations of Shukr and Haniyeh ignite a wider conflict in West Asia?
Both Shukr and Haniyeh were killed deep inside enemy territory, which raises many questions. These attacks could ignite a deeper conflict in the Middle East
What Opec’s next big goal should be
The general consensus is that oil use needs to shrink by as much as 80 per cent by the middle of the century if we are to meet the Paris goals. The impact of such a fall will be devastating for many oil producers
Scaling Beyond GenAI Pilots: Strategies for future growth
To scale GenAI from pilots to production, IT leaders should secure client buy-in early through co-creation or paid PoCs, demonstrate early impact, and educate clients about the technology. Essential to this process are a clear vision, governance, operating model, skilled personnel, and proper tech and data infrastructure
Banks get a Rs 8,500 crore worth pot of gold from the bottom of the pyramid
Should banks alone be blamed for heavy penalties charged on non-maintenance of minimum balance? In all fairness, state-run banks have been under tremendous pressure by the government to open more accounts.
Start-Up Street: VC funding makes a turnaround, will it gain momentum?
The Venture Intelligence analysis of the April-June 2024 (Q2’24) numbers of venture capital funding suggests that a sustainable recovery is already in place. Combined with the favourable policy moves in the latest Union Budget, investments are set to make a stronger comeback in the second half of the year
Chart of the Day: What’s driving Gurgaon’s gold rush in real estate?
Apart from the pandemic and work-from-home model increasing demand for larger dwelling units, rising disposable income is driving luxury home sales
Lessons SEBI should learn from global markets before introducing curbs
A study by Kotak Institutional Equities points out that similar curbs were introduced in the derivative markets in Korea and China, which adversely affected these markets
What the budgetary allocations tell us about government priorities
The share of the highways and railway ministries in total central government budgetary spending has gone up since pre-pandemic times, but the share of the education and health sectors has been whittled down
Torrent Power is seeing merchant electricity demand at an opportune time
The power generation earnings are rising amid heightened capex and scale-up of renewable energy capacities
Elevated stress of SBI Cards points to trouble in plastic paradise
Credit cards are a high-yielding but high risk business and standalone card issuers cannot hide troubles like banks can.
Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, the US must avert a new nuclear arms race
The next president faces the new danger that two nuclear rivals, China and Russia, gang up. That still doesn’t mean the US needs more nukes
SC to Re-examine ‘Immunity’ Granted to Governors: Revisiting late MP HV Kamath's arguments
The Supreme Court of India will review Article 361, which provides Governors "blanket immunity" from criminal and civil proceedings during their term. The top court’s decision could reshape the scope of gubernatorial immunity
It pays to be a lazy investor — but for how long?
Passives have been a win-win for lazy investors in terms of fees and performance, but here are three areas where it pays to take a more energetic look at your portfolio. Highlight
