Success of Rahul Gandhi’s campaign will decide Congress’ future in Kerala
Rahul Gandhi’s extensive focus on Kerala and Tamil Nadu is a good opportunity for him to resurrect his political career by leading from the front — this will not only help the Congress in the south, but will also give it a fresh lease of life in other states
Rise of the retail army: the amateur traders transforming markets
A few months ago, these so-called retail traders were a quirky sideshow in US stocks, dabbling in markets to fend off the boredom of coronavirus lockdowns
Assam Polls | Can NDA repeat its 2016 performance?
Assam is bracing for the most interesting assembly polls ever held in the state. The ruling BJP’s 100-seat target could be difficult to achieve. Here’s why
Why companies are making a beeline for the government’s stake in BEML
BEML has a presence in a fast-growing sectors like metro rail and a strong exposure to the defence sector.
Why Indian pharma wants more growth from its home market
India is a focus market for drug companies seeking to diversify outside the US. Companies are adding brands and new products to improve growth rates in India
Tyres: Demand holds up, but soaring input costs spook industry
The question is: can tyre makers pass on these input cost increases to the consumer, mainly in the replacement market, without puncturing demand?
Making sense of elevated stock market prices
Watch out for the CAPE ratio for S&P 500, which is a key measure of overpricing because it corrects for inflation and long-term corporate earnings
Politics is not dirty, women should enter politics: Khushbu Sundar
Today women are far stronger than what they used to be. Women have found their voice to speak
Why is India’s female labour force participation ratio below that of Saudi Arabia?
Unless we get more women in the workforce, all the fine talk on International Women’s Day will remain hot air
JSW’s Bhushan Power & Steel deal closure coincides with healthy steel margins
The long awaited acquisition is close to being completed. What it means for JSW’s investors
The Big Read | The race to scale up green hydrogen
Governments, companies and academics examine whether this light, colourless gas — which doesn’t produce carbon dioxide when burnt — could help solve the world’s dirtiest energy problems
It is still no country for small firms
The sensational rise in the markets and return to profitability for large firms cannot mask the fact a small part of the economy is leading the recovery
How’s EPFO able to give 8.5% return in a low-interest rate environment?
The EPFO has a highly conservative investment mandate with almost half its money supposed to be invested in government or quasi-government securities. Barely 15 percent is put into equities
More women need to be seen, to be heard, to be counted
A recent UN Women report lauds the role played by women heads of government in countries as diverse as New Zealand and Ethiopia. The report also calls out the role played by Indian women medical and health experts who have led from the front in a collaborative and compassionate way
Is the PLI scheme enough to make Indian manufacturing self-reliant?
Sops can at best be short-term steps to boost industrial growth, but for long-term success a more holistic approach to removing impediments is needed
Shift petrol and diesel to GST
The Reserve Bank of India has called for a reduction in taxes on fuel
Is there grand design behind free run to fuel prices in India
In most of the changes in the auto industry India has merely aped the West. This time however, with the runaway prices of fuel in the country bucking the trend of falling prices elsewhere, India has to have its own agenda of change
Rock N’ Roll | 2020 was when the old boys kept rocking
From Deep Purple to AC/DC, from Alice Cooper to Ozzy Osbourne, and from Whitesnake to Foo Fighters, a COVID-19 hit 2020 saw a renewed vigour in the old guard; they defied age and health barriers to create magic
The Reading List: March 5, 2021
A selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance
Haryana’s reservation law and BJP’s ‘India First’ are at loggerheads
The BJP has succumbed to not merely the coalition pressures of running a government in Haryana, but appears to be going against its avowed project of ‘India First’
History of Money (Part III) | From Bitcoin to central bank digital currency
The 2008 financial crisis shook that central pillar of the monetary system: trust. Post-2008, economists started to scramble for it, and it was not a coincidence that Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin article mentions the ‘trust’ 14 times
75% local reservation in private jobs will derail Haryana's economic growth
The new law threatens to scuttle the Haryana growth story and betrays the dangerously flawed understanding of the political class regarding economic growth and cities
Wipro is changing, for good or bad
The acquisition of Capco will enhance Wipro’s capabilities. But Indian IT’s limited success in combining consulting and outsourcing offerings is stoking scepticism
Chart of the Day | Global food price inflation shows no signs of abating
The FAO Food Price Index reached its highest level since July 2014. Domestic retail food prices have softened
Financial bubbles also lead to golden ages of productive growth
The ESG stock frenzy of today, however egregious, may yet translate into a better tomorrow
