The outlook for equities, fixed income and gold in the upcoming fiscal year call for a mix of caution, being bold and building a hedge
Inflation continues to be persistent both in India and in the US, but the reasons are different
If the IIP numbers are right, the production of consumer durables in January 2024 was lower than six years ago
The existential question is not about AI as much as the degree of autonomy granted to weapons. Algorithms may make good decisions and minimise death. But the code may also fail or, more diabolically, be programmed to maximise suffering. Automation will accelerate military decisions so much that humans may have no time to evaluate a situation, and in the extreme stress either make fatal mistakes or surrender to the algorithm
Even a brief shutdown of TikTok would be cataclysmic to its value. There is strong loyalty toward TikTok from its user base, which runs to 170 million in the US alone. For years, China has blocked American tech companies from having access to its citizens. The US is under no obligation to allow China access to Americans, particularly amid heightened tensions and attendant fears of disinformation and manipulation
BJP’s glee at Mamata Banerjee’s candidate choices isn’t misplaced. In 2021, she had left the BJP searching for answers with her “insider vs outsider” spin to the campaign. Meanwhile, spurning of the Congress paves the way for a split in the Muslim vote
The Punjabi migration was over in a year or two of Partition but the displacement of Hindu Bengalis continued in very large volumes till 1971 and never stopped. For decades, GoI did precious little for these immigrants even as the state government machinery turned them into a votebank. Citizenship to the undocumented is belated recompense for those who lost everything on the other side of the border
In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: BJP moves to implement CAA just days ahead of LS polls, most Americans seem to prefer Trump to Biden, TMC decides to take BJP head on, where does India stand economically over Russia, and more
Among the several political entities, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has managed to stand out by making continuous shifts in ideology and strategy. In a few years AAP has made a swift ascent to national prominence
Belief grows in further gains with recession fears abating and improved corporate earnings
Most likely the government might have not spent heavily on subsidies while tax flows, especially GST, has been highly robust. Interestingly, the second highest difference between GDP and GVA is in 2018-19, which coincides with the period during the previous Lok Sabha election. However, one has to be careful before jumping to any conclusions as the GDP data is revised significantly in multiple stages
Working-class men are often seen at the centre of attempts to roll back the social clock, perhaps because they have witnessed the biggest losses, both socially and economically. But making divorce harder, or passing policies to revive the moribund goods-producing sector, cannot solve the problems of men
Half of manufacturing capacity could go unused this year and next. Module costs have already fallen by more than half over the past two years. The current excess suggests further price declines are to come, which is great news for consumers, but terrible for manufacturers
A state bailout will be in the government’s own interest. After all, municipalities need a few developers to survive, to build projects and purchase land, without which China may fall off a fiscal cliff this year
In rare interview, Pavel Durov says secretive messaging app is making ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’ from ads business
RSSFACTS: When the RSS was founded, it was decided that the ‘Saffron Flag’ should be the ‘Guru’. What explains the rationale behind this decision. For one, the ‘Saffron Flag’ has been integral to the identity, struggles, aspirations, history, and culture of the Hindu nation. There are other important reasons too
India’s purchase of Russian oil was opportunistic and largely based on the ability to negotiate strong discounts. Sans this context, normal trade relations and equations will dominate and India’s current trade leverage over Russia will diminish
The message is that the TMC is neither with the Congress nor does it want to extend its fight against the BJP beyond Bengal
The US presidential elections may be the biggest geopolitical risk facing the global economy
The BJP’s razor sharp focus on Bengal’s Matua voter is evident. It is confident that Assam CM Himanta can manage the protests in his state. The anti-CAA attacks that will now follow from the Opposition will be lapped up by PM Modi to show that he and the party have delivered on manifesto promises and there is no room for complacency in Lok Sabha campaigning
Everything we've heard from Fed officials so far suggests the median would still be three rate cuts and the June cut is still on the table
Thermal power generation grew by a strong pace for the third consecutive year
In this edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: India slows China's roll in Indian Ocean, mutual funds and their rising popularity, Asia's capex cycle gears for an upshift, how to manage effective governance of AI, and more
Societies and companies riding the AI boom should watch this ASML fight closely. There’s a need to find a healthy path between the extremes of killing the goose that lays the golden egg — which is where Dutch politics is headed — and the corporate blackmail that favours one sector over another. Attracting qualified foreign talent is an obvious benefit, but it should be accompanied by a serious focus on local infrastructure, education and housing
The first challenge is that advances in the production of missiles and drones have democratised extremely powerful weapons that until recently were available only to the richest states. The suicide vest and improvised explosive device are being replaced by the suicide drone and precision-guided missile. The second is a growing asymmetry of vulnerabilities. The Houthis are demonstrating in real time just how target-rich developed nations are
