Maldives could be China’s revenge against India outsmarting it in Bhutan and Nepal
One explanation for Muizzu’s ballistic streak since his return to Male after a five-day visit to Beijing could be a pro-India dispensation winning polls in Bhutan, which could frustrate Chinese designs on Doklam, and two Chinese-built international airports in Nepal slipping into the red following denial of flying rights over India
Zee Entertainment: Can a new cast revive the merger script?
Whether a new deal works out or if Zee’s legal and governance issues take the company down, is anyone’s guess. But it’s the best hope for its investors and for consumers
Colder-for-Longer: Fintechs must realise that the time for reckoning is nigh
Many fintechs are struggling to bring down costs and, in the absence of fresh capital infusion, some of them may even have to shut shop. This consolidation is not yet evident but is likely to play out during 2024
Union Budget 2024: Government must focus on capex, fiscal prudence to drive growth
For fiscal consolidation, the government will need to reduce its capital expenditure at a time when private capex is just starting to improve. Curbing capex poses a risk to growth and the interim budget must indicate a balance
MC Pro Quicktake | Bajaj Auto: Two-wheeler sales rev up to boost Q3 profits
A strong push to domestic sales of its two-wheelers coupled with cost management saw its performance tick all the right boxes
MC Pro Quicktake: Tech Mahindra’s Q3 results hold out hope for investors
Positive management commentary on margins and business restructuring drawing to a close could lead to an improved outlook
Family companies are experiencing heir loss
More than 90% of all companies are family companies and a third of companies in S&P 500 index have a family element. Yet thanks to a combination of demographics and changing social mores, many family firms now face the ultimate threat to their survival: a shortage of heirs. The best family firms are not just engines of progress and innovation, but are repositories of public trust
TMC-Congress ‘Breakup’: Why Mamata Banerjee’s announcement is mere posturing
The Bengal chief minister needs Congress to keep BJP in check. There are signs of Muslims dumping regional parties and gravitating towards Congress, as had happened in Karnataka and Telangana. TMC losing Muslim votes in Bengal will end up benefiting BJP in the Lok Sabha polls
Euro’s status languishes as dollar still king after 25 years
While the fall in euro usage and corresponding jump in dollar dominance may have been overdone last year, any correction is likely to be modest until the geopolitical air clears. Some of the loss of status and relevance for the euro will be permanent
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | This time is indeed different
In this edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: Indian oil and gas firms must pay attention to geopolitical risks, a look at past market behaviour on Interim Budget day, export edge gives impetus to local manufacturing, Sony needs to introspect on its ZEEL merger deal, and more
Martin Wolf: The dangers lurking in our messy and unpredictable world
The crucial response must be to reduce fragilities, manage shocks, plan for risks and understand the fundamental drivers
Union Budget 2024: Amid global headwinds, there is no room for irrational expectations
The fiscal deficit target for FY25 in the midst of weaker nominal GDP growth and disinvestment shortfall will be below 6 percent, slightly around 5.2-5.5 percent. This fiscal glide path is crucial to reach the 4.5 percent fiscal deficit to GDP by 2025-26
Indian oil and gas firms must pay more attention to geopolitical risks
Qatar’s growing heft as a key interlocutor in the Middle East amid geopolitical tensions makes it a significant participant in energy negotiations. India depends heavily on Qatar for natural gas
Rate Cuts: The last mile of inflation has a bad reputation
If 2022 was about removing accommodation, 2023 was about shifting rates beyond neutral to a region that restrains business and consumers. Now comes the delicate part where actions and communication need to be more nuanced. It's important not to conflate a reluctance to be pushed around by traders as a rejection of cutsbloo
Budget Snapshot: What past performance tells us of market behaviour on Interim Budget day
A look at how market performed on Budget Day as compared to on Interim Budget
China Economy: Hong Kong is facing a repeat of 1998 Asia financial crisis
As a small open economy, Hong Kong is vulnerable to financial contagion and capital flights. Since 2009, hot money has flown in to be closer to China, just as it did in the 1990s en route to Southeast Asia. People nowadays question the city’s viability as a financial centre, reminiscent of the prevailing sentiment in the aftermath of the 1997 handover
Awards shows like the Oscars are doomed
Last year’s Oscar night brought in 18.7 million viewers, a 12% increase but still among the lowest ever. A return to the golden days of the 1990s and 2000s when audiences in excess of 40 million were the norm looks impossible. The 1998 peak of 55.25 million seems a wild fantasy
Did the SEBI FPI ownership norm cause the market to fall?
According to a report, entities failing to meet the beneficial ownership standards won't be able to make fresh purchases of Indian stocks and must liquidate their holdings within 180 days, starting from February 1, 2024
Union Budget 2024: Govt support key to India’s electrification story to continue
As per International Energy Agency (IEA), PLI scheme for Auto has attracted investments worth Rs 677 billion which will be spent over the next 5 years
A robust bus transport system is essential for cities to thrive
While metro lines grab headlines you also need an efficient bus transport system to complement the metro/rail system and provide better access
Sony needs to introspect on why it signed up to a merger of unequals
What was Sony thinking when in December 2021 it agreed to a deal that displayed misaligned priorities
Bihar: The Karpoori Thakur legacy and the BJP-JD(U) battle for the Lower OBC vote
Even when the JD(U)-RJD alliance swept the 2015 assembly polls, BJP cornered maximum lower OBC votes. Karpoori Thakur’s formulation of separate quotas for most backward groups endeared him to Lower OBCs. The JD(U)-RJD alliance is looking to wean away the Lower OBCs from BJP, while BJP aims to make further inroads into the OBC vote. The clashing imperatives make the Karpoori legacy one worth fighting for
Electronics — Let the export edge give impetus to local manufacturing
A spurt in electronics exports should be leveraged to focus on measures and strategies that help cut trade deficit in this sector
Axis Bank’s balance sheet growth is not powering its profits yet
Even as the heat on deposits is on, Axis Bank is aiming to expand its branches, just like its peers to keep up the fight to garner deposits. This and spending on tech, along with general employee expenses, has been a big drag on profits
The number that hijacked the UK housing crisis
Britain’s two main political parties don’t agree on much, but they agree on how to tackle the country’s housing crisis: Build 300,000 homes a year. But with construction falling short of this target year after year, another question needs to be asked: How was this number arrived at?
