Why a consumer sentiment survey is a pointer to the urgency of regulating AI in India
Indians are taking to AI like a fish to water or will when it becomes mainstream, shows a survey. As countries race to regulate AI, with the EU taking the lead, we should not be left behind
IPL 2024: Juniors will add to India’s quality quotient in year of T20 World Cup
Every IPL has produced surprises. New players have emerged with batting cameos or impactful bowling spells. And this IPL offers the perfect launching pad for young cricketers to vie for a spot on India’s T20 World Cup team and end India’s 13-year-long spell of ICC trophy heartbreaks
The Red Sea crisis will hurt the global economy if it continues much longer
World trade is adjusting to the Red Sea crisis by taking other even if longer routes. While business continues, there’s a cost both in terms of profits foregone as costs increase and higher transit times
China is now busy navigating headwinds from the Ukraine conflict
The war initially helped China by increasing Russia’s trade dependency on Beijing and diverting the West’s attention. But the economic slowdown, Western sanctions on Chinese entities for supporting Russia’s war effort, and the US gaze on growing North Korea-Russia ties, is prompting China to sing a different tune now
As AI aims to enhance intelligence, have we fully understood human cognition?
AI-based systems excel in speed, accuracy, and logical consistency, yet they lack the intuitive, emotional, and culturally sensitive faculties inherent to human cognition — qualities that are indispensable for effective performance
What Japan’s move away from sub-zero rates means for Indian investors
Japan’s experience shows why yield spreads matter much more than absolute rates or their direction, for the economy and investors too
The anatomy of inflation
Based on the current trend, the core CPI is likely to remain below 3.5 percent in FY25. Following the past trend, the headline CPI will likely converge to the core inflation over medium term
Will the February export optimism continue?
India needs to focus on MSME items and explore new markets to increase its share in global trade, which remains wobbly
Chart of the Day: Is GDP data understating consumption growth?
HSBC analysts argue that consumer imports have risen to higher than pre-pandemic levels, personal services and non-housing retail loans have surged. Simply put, Indians are demanding more goods that are being imported and also services and are willing to borrow to fulfil this demand.
Kejriwal’s Arrest: Will AAP survive its biggest crisis or disintegrate?
AAP is planning to turn the arrest into a big spectacle to gain voter sympathy. In the past, Kejriwal has fought back when the chips were down. But behind bars, there is a limit to how much he can shepherd the AAP, which he has controlled with a firm grip for the past 12 years
An award row shakes up a venerable Carnatic music institution
The Music Academy’s conferment of the Sangita Kalanidhi title on TM Krishna and the divide among the Carnatic music fraternity has spread like wildfire on social media and even stoked political reactions. For Music Academy, an institution whose famed annual Conference held every December in Chennai was long treated as a great mark of recognition in Carnatic music, the boycotts – by an array of distinguished Carnatic musicians – suggest a rocky road ahead
America's waning naval dominance and China’s surge is a worry
The US Navy had nearly 7,000 ships in 1945. It stood at 529 vessels at Cold War’s end. Today, the navy has just 292 ships. Freedom of navigation, with all the global blessings it has bestowed, has never sustained itself. The way things are going, America and allies may not be able to sustain it much longer either
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Fed’s last-mile quandary is no worry for markets
In this edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: India's rising inequality not a political handicap, gold to glitter more in 2024, thermal plant incentives a boon for NTPC, BJP can overtake TMC in Bengal, and more
Nike needs a comeback. Adidas just wrote the playbook
Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden offers a model for Nike’s tentative turnaround efforts: His decisions around emerging trends seem more akin to a fashion retailer’s instinct for best-sellers. Nike shifted from being organised around sports categories such as running or swimming to traditional departments such as women’s, men’s and children’s. It sharpened its focus on its digital business, selling directly to consumers. But by becoming a tech-and-luxury company, it dulled its product edge
Gaza's famine warnings will test humanity — and Netanyahu
It’s up to Netanyahu to prove the IPC’s famine predictions wrong. Israel may not be a member of the International Criminal Court, but if he fails to act and the worst happens, that won’t stop its prosecutors from pursuing a well-deserved case a against him
Lok Sabha Polls: Why BJP has a chance to overtake TMC in Bengal
There is anger against the corruption by lower level TMC functionaries. In a Lok Sabha election, BJP – as the preeminent national party – is the natural beneficiary as had happened in 2019, unlike in an assembly poll where voters tend to favour a “Bengali” party
ESG strategies help in enhancing business operations and realise sustainable goals
India has made tremendous strides in promoting ESG regulations. ESG is pivotal in demonstrating a company’s commitment to not only enhance its social responsibility but also improve key value drivers
The mutual fund at 100: Is it becoming obsolete?
They enabled millions to invest in the stock market but newer, nimbler products are reshaping asset management
Bullish Jay Powell sticks to Federal Reserve’s rate-cutting script
Strong US economic growth will not halt central bank’s plan to reduce borrowing costs this year
India’s Flash PMI for March shows growth accelerating
The PMIs show higher growth in the March quarter, both compared to the previous quarter as well as the year-ago period. That augurs well for corporate performance in the March 2024 quarter and provides fundamental support to the equity market
The Inflection Point: AI's assembly line ends with Microsoft, Google and Meta
Inflection AI was on track to surpass OpenAI’s free version of ChatGPT with a model it had built, remarkably, from scratch, and had raised over a billion dollars. Had Inflection run out of all that money? That Inflection has been swallowed so quickly by Microsoft underscores that requirements around computing power and talent have made it too expensive for most companies to build cutting-edge generative AI models without the patronage of a tech giant like Microsoft, Google or Meta
Joe Biden eyed the EV but went for the hybrid
New tailpipe emissions standards announced Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency represent an attempt to balance climate imperatives with consumer preferences, technological stretch goals with industrial capabilities, and, perhaps most acutely, the environmental and labor wings of Democrats
Infra projects deserve opportunities for refinancing. Will RBI relax its NPA policy?
Refinance is the missing piece of the puzzle as India goes big on infrastructure building. RBI scrapped refinance schemes in a kneejerk response after the IL&FS debacle, and imposed strict NPA provisioning norms, blocking extension of repayment periods. This needs to change as large infra projects needs long ‘concession’ periods, stretching at least 30 years
The Green Pivot | Sustainable finance is a huge opportunity for the BFSI industry
South Asia presents an estimated USD 3.4 trillion climate investment opportunity between 2018 and 2030, a tremendous opportunity for the BFSI industry even as there are challenges to be overcome
As Unilever scoops out ice creams from its core portfolio, HUL faces a dilemma
Unilever’s decision to demerge the ice cream business has been taken in view of its slow growth and potential. But in contrast, for HUL in India, ice cream is a rapidly growing segment helped by long summers
