The party making INDIA bloc's Maharashtra seat sharing extremely tricky
Prakash Ambedkar and his outfit – the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi – have become a force to reckon with in Maharashtra, much to the chagrin of Congress and NCP. VBA can dent the INDIA bloc without a seat-sharing arrangement
The best tool to spot a bull market -- for free
The Church’s desire to invest in the stock market helped create a tool that remains relevant to this date
Finance ministry's pre-Budget economic assessment
The finance ministry's examination of the Indian economy signals robust health, indicating no necessity for an artificial fiscal stimulus as sustained brisk growth is expected
MC Pro Quick Take | Bajaj Finance is resilient but growing borrower leverage needs a look
The growth in new loan acquisitions has always outstripped that of new customer acquisitions, implying that a large chunk of new loans is given to existing borrowers. In the October-December quarter, 61 percent of the new loans went to existing customers
Apple is our big hope for making AI that respects privacy
If the “brain” of an AI tool lived within your own computer instead of routing back to someone else’s as happens with ChatGPT, the lack of privacy might not be as much of a problem. The great hope for making this happen is Apple
How the US can strike back at Iran
The first order of business is to increase the already high level of intelligence devoted to the Middle East. Next, US Cyber Command and the National Security Agency — working closely with their counterparts at the Central Intelligence Agency — should be prepping a significant cyberattack on Iran. The CIA could also ramp up efforts to create, fund and operationalise its own proxies against Iran
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | The urban-rural divide in consumption
In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: India’s apparel exports target gets a massive blow, the real story behind behind the growth narrative, Nitish Kumar takes yet another palti, Jordan drone attack points to widening Gaza war, and more
EV Transition: Can governments forego massive revenues from fuel taxes?
Fuel taxes have five distinctive advantages for governments: They establish a direct link between road usage and payment; they collect lots of money; they are simple and cheap to manage; taxpayers largely accept them as fair; and finally, they are difficult to evade
Ten implications of Nitish Kumar’s gharwapsi to NDA
It is unlikely that the INDIA bloc can now prevent another sweep by the BJP in 2024. But BJP will have a tough task keeping order within the NDA in Bihar
Why political leaders are so unpopular now
Voters are reacting to long-term problems, and looking for fresh fixes
Deaths of US troops in Jordan point to widening of Gaza war
The US is the only power that has consistently vetoed UN resolutions for a ceasefire in Gaza. Yet that may be the only way out as the war is slowly but surely escalating and the US risks getting sucked into another quagmire without an exit plan
Houthi strikes blow apart India’s apparel exports target
What is needed is a holistic policy response which takes into account the end-to-end requirements of the apparel sector, rather than piecemeal responses to different challenges of different sets of players at different times
The world’s forests are doing much better than we think
The UK as a whole has nearly three times as much forest as it did at the start of the 20th century. China’s forests have increased by about 607,000 square kilometers since 1992, a region the size of Ukraine. The European Union has added an area equivalent to Cambodia to its woodlands. But Brazil alone removed enough woodland since 1992 to counteract all the growth in China, the EU and US put together
Iran's proxies aren't just a problem for its enemies
Those who live by the militant’s sword, however, die by it, too. Imperial powers that grow dependent on non-state armed groups tend to end up fighting them, or organizations very much like them. The Americans found that out in Afghanistan
The rising dominance of the Giffen goods in India's consumption pattern
Why are consumer companies fretting over the lack of volume rebound despite price cuts or advancement of the sale season by retail companies?
Budget Snapshot | A long wait for investors awaiting a consumption revival
High inflation has crimped the buying power of consumers, particularly in rural India. Will the budget alleviate their burden and spur consumption is the main question
Four gains for the BJP from the Bihar coup
BJP’s calculations in wooing back Nitish Kumar have served as a pincer strike on the opposition. It is a Himalayan task for the INDIA bloc to revive from its loss of the only big Hindi heartland state that it was in power
Aaya Nitish, gaya Nitish
It is high time to discard the old "Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’’ phrase to describe political turncoats and replace it by "Aaya Nitish, Gaya Nitish", in view of the Bihar chief minister’s proven expertise in the field
Budget 2024-25 Expectations – Making InvITs an investment vehicle of choice
There are expectations that the budget will focus on the inclusion of policy changes, provide higher allocations to areas that expedite the implementation of reforms, and permit the inclusion of diverse funding avenues.
The Eastern Window: Will the Chinese government's desperate efforts to prop up its free-falling stock markets succeed?
Over $6 trillion worth of valuation have been wiped out of the Chinese stock markets in the past three years. The government has taken a series of measures to stop the rout but they did not have much effect because the Chinese economy is going through a troubled period. A $278 billion rescue package has been announced but there is little hope of a market recovery
India-UK FTA — A political imperative or an economic necessity?
Indian and British officials are engaged in hectic parleys to clinch a trade deal before the two nations go to the polls this year
Internationalisation of Indian equities through GIFT IFSC could be a gamechanger
A long-standing ask of Indian startups and companies wishing to tap global pools of capital has been accomplished by allowing them to offer their securities on permissible international exchanges in GIFT IFSC. This internationalisation of Indian equities also solves two complaints global investors had: interface with tax authorities, and currency conversion friction
Personal Finance | How to scratch that speculative itch, without losing your shirt
It may be tempting to place a bet on a budget-related tip or instinct. Here's how to do it without hurting your long-term investing journey
Hemmed in by both BJP and RJD, Nitish pursues another opportunity to survive
Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) is in turmoil with a section of MLAs wishing to rejoin the NDA alliance and some others being wooed by the RJD. With the INDIA bloc foiling his ambitions to be named the leader of the grouping, Nitish appears to have figured out that being with BJP, amid its dominance in national elections, will serve his interests better in Bihar
Tax reforms, regulatory relief: Indian telecom's call to action in Union Budget 2024-25
By achieving the fastest 5G rollout globally, the Indian telecom industry has showcased its potential to drive the vision of a digitally empowered India.
