Election After The Election: One senate, two seats, four candidates
Currently, the Republicans have 50 seats in the US Senate, while the Democrats have 46: the two independent Senators tend to vote with the Democrats on most issues. One of the two seats is all the GOP needs to retain control of the Senate
Will Turkey’s expanding military footprint constitute a challenge for India in 2021?
Given the spate of Turkish interventions recently in conflict zones far and wide, it is not impossible that Turkey may in 2021 instigate conflict in South Asia, which may necessitate dispatching some militants here
China’s richest man Zhong Shanshan is an oddball in the world’s richest club
Many billionaires certainly don’t believe in sticking to their core competence but have been happy to take advantage of any and every business opportunity that has come along.
Street food is an integral part of India’s culture and urban identity
The COVID-19 rupture offers a unique opportunity to both the Indian government and street food entrepreneurs to reorganise while keeping the romance of street food alive. Singapore should serve as an inspiration
The Reading List: January 1, 2021
A selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance
Paul Krugman writes: Things will get better. Seriously.
Once widespread vaccination is done, the economy will bounce back. The question is, how big will the bounce be?
The big questions for Big Tech in 2021
Regulation and retention will determine whether Facebook, Google, Alibaba and their peers continue to clean up
2021 will be a year for REITs
It’s only a matter of time before Indian retail investors also start putting their money in REITs
Justice is in need of reassurance
India’s reputation as a justice system to be emulated is taking a hit. The World Justice Project’s Rule of Law index 2020 ranked India at 69 — wedged between Belarus and Burkina Faso, both practically dictatorships
The investor’s guide to Indian politics in 2021
A win in Assam and West Bengal has high symbolic value as it would establish BJP’s acceptance as a party beyond the north and west of India
Tata’s restructuring of group firms shows results, but more needs to be done
The underlying theme behind the Tata business rejig is balance sheet deleveraging, simplification of inter corporate holdings, focus on chosen business segments, scale and returns improvement
Global low interest rates? Here are some macroeconomic perspectives
Modern Monetary Theory has a better explanation of fiscal and monetary policy than mainstream economics
Replicate the LPG give-it-up model for COVID-19 vaccination
Reserving a small amount of vaccines for people willing to pay a vastly higher price to jump the queue will help the government defray its vaccination expenses
25 days that changed the world: How COVID-19 slipped China’s grasp
China’s delayed initial response unleashed the virus on the world and foreshadowed battles between scientists and political leaders over transparency, public health and economics that would play out across continents
For work from home to continue beyond COVID, the regulatory framework must change
Regulations must address questions such as whether an employee’s home can be considered as an extended worksite, the questions of employee privacy and employer liability
Protests or vandalism? Don’t kill the golden goose of private enterprise
It’s a simple fact that for faster growth and an improvement in incomes, we need non-farm manufacturing jobs to grow in India, including Punjab. Agriculture can support only so many people and we need to move workers to better productive sectors
2021 may see more confrontation between SEBI and market participants
The year 2020 once again proved that SEBI has been reactive to events rather than proactive
Forecasting the world in 2021
FT writers share their predictions for the New Year, from the availability and take-up of Covid-19 vaccines to the fortunes of the S&P 500
Corporate warriors who battled on through COVID-19
The pandemic brought to the fore companies that rose to the challenge
The risks facing industrial metals in 2021
While 2020 was an unexpectedly good year, for that to continue in 2021 many stars need to align
Peaceful protest is a democratic right, but vandalism hurts India’s image
The Punjab vandalism coupled with the hooliganism at the Apple factory at Kolar send a wrong message to global entrepreneurs who wish to be part of India’s growth story. It shows that the Indian state is incapable of safeguarding private property
Krugman writes: 2020 was the year Reaganism died
For the lesson of 2020 is that in a crisis, and to some extent even in calmer times, the government can do a lot to improve people’s lives
For now, a middle ground in Indian healthcare
Make private investment in healthcare work more and better
Is work from home here to stay?
The trend set off by the pandemic may scale down, but not disappear
