Why global COVID infections have come down
The sharpest declines are recorded in some of the worst affected countries, including the US, UK, South Africa, Israel and Portugal
Interview | The retail crisis is not over: Amitabh Chaudhry, CEO, Axis Bank
Amitabh Chaudhry, MD and CEO, Axis Bank, cautions of significant volatility in financial markets in fiscal year 2022
Technical glitch or blunder, it’s high time to make NSE answerable
While the market was shut on account of the technical glitch, the finance minister made market-sensitive announcements, as a result of which no sooner did the market open did we see panic short covering, especially on the Bank Nifty
Chart of the Day | PMI data show rising margin pressure in both manufacturing and services
The rise in commodity prices is reflected in the PMI input price index and firms cannot pass on the entire increase because demand is still uncertain
Excess capacity no bother for port operators as tariffs and volumes improve
Profitability of port operators is projected to improve next fiscal year, helped by improvement in volumes and better operating leverage
The turnaround of Tata Motors
Things are looking up and the domestic passenger vehicles business is finally doing well. But it is not yet time to pop the champagne
BJP should make Bengal’s industrial decline the focus of its state election campaign
The BJP’s capitalist ideology could be the catalyst for the industrial revival of West Bengal
History of Money (Part I) | From cowries to cryptocurrency
The Indian subcontinent had multiple kingdoms issuing multiple forms of coinage. When the British came to India, they realised that Rupee as a currency name was widely prevalent and stuck to it
Bond investors suffer worst start to year since 2015
Most of the pain has engulfed highly rated but low-yielding government debt, which is vulnerable to faster inflation that eats into interest payments and returns
Powell focuses on need at delicate moment in markets and politics
The Fed chair delivered a blunt message to lawmakers that the economic outlook remains wildly uncertain and that the central bank must continue its extraordinary efforts to support the economy
When is stimulus too much for markets?
The liquidity surplus raises interesting questions as to whether the beneficial result for markets will compound or, instead, involve volatile contradictions requiring careful active management
Commodity market rally can disturb the equity market party
High commodity prices may not be passed on, having a severe effect on the bottomlines of many companies
Torrent Power shows the way out for troubled power utilities
Troubles at its gas power plants notwithstanding, Torrent Power persisted with building electricity distribution business, helping it grow earnings
Interview | Our business fits perfectly into the ESG theme: VA Tech Wabag MD
India is a huge market that has strong growth prospects, asserts group CEO Rajiv Mittal
Lithium ion technology could challenge battery duopoly of Exide, Amara Raja
The disruption comes at a time when the price of lead is shooting through the roof
Paul Krugman writes: Et Tu, Ted? Why deregulation failed
Does the free market ensure that the whole system works under stress? Probably not
Companies say they care about the climate. Their actions fall short
As the biggest companies strive to trumpet their environmental activism, the need to match words with deeds is becoming increasingly important
Hindalco has got a capital plan
Hindalco wants to focus its capex plans on making value-added products and not the metal itself
Private sector can give government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive a shot in the arm
While vaccination is a public good and bestows a greater responsibility on the government, the greater the availability of the vaccine in a deregulated space, the closer we get to the intended outcomes
BJP will need more than Sreedharan to win Kerala elections
E Sreedharan’s entry into the BJP has caught the imagination of both the mainstream and social media alike. That said, fighting it out in an assembly constituency will be no cakewalk
Puducherry Politics | A clueless Congress loses its toehold in South India
With assembly elections around the corner, it is possible to argue that V Narayanasamy’s loss is not as great as it may have been had he been toppled earlier. But it appears that the BJP has a plan for Puducherry, and removing Narayanasamy was an important part of it
MPC minutes | How long will the accommodative stance continue?
Members flag rising risks to core inflation. RBI governor Shaktikanta Das even talked about a “calibrated unwinding of high indirect taxes on petrol and diesel” to help contain inflation
The Big Read | ‘It needs to change its culture’: is McKinsey losing its mystique?
The product in question is OxyContin, the highly addictive painkiller; the client was Purdue Pharma, a drugmaker now synonymous with America’s opioid crisis; and the consultancy was McKinsey
The Indian bond market is having its very own taper tantrum
RBI’s massive balance sheet expansion in the last one year has ground to a halt in the last three months
WTO concern a reality check on export comfort
Rise in outbound shipments holds out hope, but it is more important to keep the momentum going in the face of global trade uncertainty
