opinion

The Reading List: July 4, 2025

A selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance, curated by our research and opinion teams

Cricket to Literature: The story of PG Wodehouse, Jeeves and Percy Jeeves at Edgbaston 

Cricket’s been a theme that quite a few accomplished writers, from VS Naipaul to Shehan Karunatilaka, have explored. However, rare indeed is a cricketer, largely unknown even to passionate followers of the game, whose name is immortalised by one of the most widely read humourists in English. Read on to find out the backstory of Jeeves, arguably the most memorable character created by PG Wodehouse 

Rethinking 'Socialist' and 'Secular': Is It Time to Revisit the 42nd Constitutional Amendment?

RSSFACTS: The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, introduced during the Emergency, added ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ to the Preamble. The debate surrounding this amendment, its broader impact, and its constitutionality warrants urgent reconsideration

‘Elon has finally woken up’: Musk battles to save Tesla from Trump

Billionaire’s political threats have not stopped the president’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ hurting the electric-car maker’s profits

Whose job is safe from AI?

Technology can make a boring job even more boring and an interesting job even more interesting

Vault Matters | ‘True and Fair’ or ‘True and Correct’: What should be the objective of a statutory audit?

Given the complexity of business and accounting practices, and the growing list of interested stakeholders, it is critical that we reset the objective of statutory audit. It should rise above the customary tick mark with a lilac pen and a documents compilation process

A blueprint to get bang for the buck out of government’s Rs 1 trillion research support scheme

The scheme aims to offset a documented failure of the private sector to take a long-term view on R&D. To get the most out of this large corpus, the scheme should avoid centralisation and bureaucratisation. An effective design needs to internalise a high threshold for failure to avoid hasty project terminations

Reset Before You Run: The quiet crisis in AI-driven marketing

AI hasn’t revolutionised marketing, it’s amplified our shortcuts. Without real customer understanding and first-party data, even the smartest tools deliver empty engagement. Connection, not automation, is the true competitive edge

Quick Take: Relief for options traders as SEBI cracks down on Jane Street

SEBI's crackdown on Jane Street signals a zero-tolerance approach to market manipulation, but also exposes deeper structural vulnerabilities in India's options market that may require comprehensive reform beyond regulatory enforcement 

Why India’s nutrition crisis is an economic one

Nearly two-fifths of Indians can't afford enough calories—an alarming statistic with deep economic consequences

Can a unique borrower ID be a game changer in India’s loan market?

RBI’s unique borrower identifier promises to streamline credit access but raises concerns about data security and equitable implementation.

Chart of the Day: Policy transmission is held up by fixed rate loans of private banks

Fixed rate loans slow transmission of policy rate changes and private sector lenders have a high proportion of such loans

BIS sees no soft landing ahead as trade wars, financial risks multiply

When even the BIS sounds nervous, it’s time to pay attention. Its latest report is an alarm bell for a global economy on the brink

Delhi’s ban on fuel sale to old vehicles reveals a patchy solution to pollution

Delhi’s air quality deterioration is a result of multiple factors, not just vehicle pollution

As IPOs rain down, is it time to join the crowd or step aside?

More than 50 companies have received SEBI’s approval for their IPOs. They are sitting on the fence, planning to list when market sentiment turns the most favourable

Bangladesh’s budget reveals that Yunus-government is a mere placeholder

Bangladesh faces both political and economic challenges. The June budget offered the interim administration a chance to outline a vision, backed by appropriate allocations. Instead, the country got an uninspiring budget which kicked the can down the road

Private equity funds are driving transformation of India’s hospital chains

India’s hospital sector is entering a phase of professionalisation, consolidation, and capital-led transformation. PE funds, with their operational acumen and financial muscle, are emerging as catalysts for change—bridging gaps in healthcare infrastructure while enabling scale and sustainability

India must act now to bridge the workplace gender divide

Integrating women into the formal workplace is foundational for India’s economic and social progress. There are innovative ways to make it happen

Are we rallying, or overcorrecting?

Markets are showing strong risk appetite, but rising tariffs and weak car sales signal challenges ahead for consumers and automakers alike

Data Story | Coffee prices fall 25 percent from peak, bringing relief to marketers

Companies such as Nestle India, HUL and Tata Consumer will get relief from soaring coffee prices in their branded business

From gloom to boom: India's IPO saga

India’s capital markets are entering a new phase of exuberance, with IPOs and M&A activity surging despite global headwinds.

Chart of the Day | Chinese car makers topple global dominance in domestic markets

New-age electric vehicles in China have already achieved what much of the world is still struggling with—being cheaper than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, thanks to scale, vertical integration, and relentless price wars

How deep is the slowdown in bank credit?

MSME credit is the silver lining in bank loan growth, growing at 14.6 percent in May