The very real fear of artificial intelligence
By 2030, thousands of jobs in India, including those of call centre executives, translators, bank tellers and secretaries, could be lost to intelligent agents and robots.
How 2021 will reshape travel for the years to come
In 2021, we’ve realised that what we called the ‘new normal’, is now the ‘next normal’; perhaps the way of the world in the near future. Even with the constant reminder of the latest mutant virus making its way across countries, the spirit of travel seems unhampered
The Reading List: January 8, 2021
A selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance
Unemployment claims show continuing pressure on job market
Of the more than 22 million jobs that disappeared in the spring, 10 million remain lost
Paul Krugman writes: Appeasement got us where we are
Donald Trump is indeed an authoritarian willing to use violence to achieve his racial nationalist goals. So are many of his supporters. Giving in to fascists doesn’t pacify them, it just encourages them to go further
Capitol Hill Violence | US is a democracy manipulated by lobbies
Donald Trump sees his supporters who invaded Capitol Hill and attempted to stop the final certification of Joe Biden as the next US President merely as one of his lobbies. It is not a coincidence that a succession of Trump’s campaign managers in both elections have been lobbyists, not political strategists
Foreign Affairs | Two missteps in Joe Biden’s China agenda that require repair
The incoming Joe Biden administration’s use of the expression ‘Asia-Pacific’ instead of ‘Indo-Pacific’ signals a lack of commitment to the initiatives and concerns of allies, such as India and Japan, despite Biden’s talk of taking them along
Budget 2021 | Four points to reset India’s school education
We risk losing hard-won gains in school education and ending up with a lost generation of children if education financing is not prioritised in the upcoming Budget
Blue sweep of Congress will add pressure to weak dollar, analysts say
The US currency has been on a losing streak since the unprecedented actions taken by the Federal Reserve last year to limit the turmoil caused by the coronavirus crisis
Central Statistics Office estimates show government consumption to prop up GDP in second half
The sectors estimated to show the highest growth in the second half are ‘financing, insurance, real estate and business services’ and ‘electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services’, both forecast to grow by 7.1 percent year-on-year
Localisation drive adds strength to auto components recovery in 2021
Import substitution and customer wallet share gains will strengthen the auto component sector’s recovery. Ratings agency ICRA projects revenue growth in FY22 after two years of decline
India’s energy mix needs to be finely balanced
Policy initiatives should aim at firing up renewable power but, at the same time, take into account the necessity of fossil fuel for some more decades
The government’s vaccine cost dilemma
There are two potential suppliers – but only one has proven efficacy. And that is causing a problem in negotiating the cost of the vaccine
A revolutionary proposal to the Finance Minister for the Union Budget 2021
I would like to propose a deeper, more meaningful, far more fundamental reform, one that would leave an indelible mark on budget-making for all time to come
Fed officials fretted over virus surge at December meeting
Even if the economic rebound is remarkable, officials have been clear that they are likely to remain patient in taking support away from the economy
A Mob and the Breach of Democracy: The violent end of the Trump era
“American carnage,” it turned out, was not what Trump would stop, as he promised upon taking office, but what he wound up delivering four years later to the very building where he took the oath
India set to play a vital role in global digital economy
The Indian technology industry’s talent machine coupled with fully distributed global delivery models is likely to play an important role in the transformation journey of the global digital economy in the years to come
India needs a new narrative on international trade
Focus on export promotion and export orientation in domestic industrial production are necessary building blocks for effecting a paradigm shift in our economic structure
Update laws to keep India’s health system future-ready
As the economy and healthcare systems try to emerge from the crisis, there is a need to reconsider how to build a system that is ready and responsive in order to prevent and protect the public from emerging threats
The nightmarish end to Donald Trump’s presidency
The scenes of ransacking the Congress will go down in infamy in American democracy
US Capitol violence: Is the attack similar to Germany's Beer Hall putsch in 1923?
The US is fortunate that Donald Trump is such an incompetent bungler, such a pompous windbag. Future authoritarian leaders may be far more ruthlessly efficient
Budget 2021 | Why the World Bank doesn’t believe the Indian recovery will be V-shaped
The World Bank believes the pandemic has lowered potential growth — the output that can be sustained at full employment and capacity utilization — in the Indian economy by eroding growth in human capital and investment
Is Saudi Arabia’s voluntary production cut an act of desperation?
The production cut by Saudi Arabia also means that the country has not been able to convince the non-OPEC members to toe its line, thus exposing its waning influence in the group
The vaccine controversy deals a big blow to India’s global profile
The unseemly hurry to hand out approvals without adequate data in at least one case has long term implications for the Indian vaccine industry’s reputation
