Global focus on India’s healthcare deficit
The reputed medical journal Lancet and the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute of Harvard University are setting up a citizens’ commission which will seek to chalk out a new path to revive Indian healthcare and enable universal health coverage
Indo-US trade ties bet on Biden for a boost
New Delhi needs to reach out to Washington in a bigger way to fulfil its ambitious export target and integrate with global supply chains
What happens to the unemployed when the checks run out
Nearly 12 million households fear they may not be able to meet their mortgage payments, according to a survey in October
Farm laws will usher in much-needed reforms in agriculture
The farm laws have the potential to make farming a lucrative endeavour and also open the floodgates to private investment and innovation
UPI | Why put a cap on competition and innovation?
The National Payments Corporation of India’s move to impose volume caps could hamper competition and potentially reduce the competitive suspense in the market, and increase the likelihood of coordination/collusion among market participants
US Politics | A return to status quo of establishment politics
Biden is said to put together the most diverse Cabinet including women, LGBTQ representatives, and people of colour — all this from a septuagenarian White male. But this was par for the course
Chart of the Day | Good news on inflation
The wholesale price index bears out the PMI data on firms starting to pass on input price hikes, with the highest month-on-month increase in the manufactured products index in years
Global investors place Rmb1tn bet on China breakthrough
The $150bn-worth of inflows, which came through Hong Kong programmes that connect investors to the mainland, mark a contrast with January, when Chinese stocks were the first in the world to feel the heat from the pandemic
NTPC has a long way to go on ESG despite its focus on renewable energy
NTPC is stepping up its ESG focus, targeting green energy capacity additions and pollution control measures. But the company has much to deliver as the poor rating by Sustainalytics shows
Air India divestment – a win-win for everyone
For the Tata Group, Air India brings on the table its fleet of 172 aircraft at the consolidated level, a market share of 13 percent in the domestic market and 19 percent in the international market, apart from precious intangibles like airport slots and Star Alliance memberships
Interview | Cement industry is poised for strong growth, says CEO of Dalmia Cement Bharat
The cement maker will put up a better show than the industry average on growth numbers, asserts Mahendra Singhi
The new farm laws will usher in the structural transformation of Indian agriculture
The farm reforms aim to create conditions for small farmers to survive, if not thrive, by linking farms to markets and agribusinesses, thereby trying to create a dynamic, modern agricultural sector
Wistron workers' violence can lead to learning wrong lessons
The violence at Wistron, if it signals the beginning of another round of industrial unrest, could have serious consequences for the government's Make in India policy
For Biden’s economic team, an early focus on climate
That climate focus is expected to influence the incoming administration’s initial plans to support the economic recovery
WarnerMedia chief has become a movie villain to some in Hollywood
The HBO move, aimed at dealing with the continuing challenges brought on by the pandemic, upended decades of precedent for the way the movie industry does business and sent Hollywood into a frenzy
In Rajasthan, Congress is losing support at the grassroots
The tussle between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot is far from over, and both leaders are still vying for control of the state unit. With the election loss, the blame game could worsen the prospects of the Congress in Rajasthan
Courageous reforms in agriculture sector long overdue. Government must not yield now
The farm laws are meaningful liberalisation-oriented reforms aimed at reducing government control over the agriculture sector. Buckling under pressure on this issue will set the clock back on reforms by several years
Supply chain disruptions to derail auto industry prospects
A severe supply shortage of semiconductors is the culprit
Chart of the Day | V-shaped recovery? The IIP for October 2020 is lower than what it was two years ago
The Capital Goods sub-index is lower than what it was in October 2015
Does lower growth result in more jobs?
It’s a great comfort that the urban unemployment rate falls in India, according to government data, even when economic growth stalls
Interview | We plan to reduce our gold loan portfolio to 50% in 10 years, says VP Nandakumar, CEO of Manappuram Finance
We will primarily remain a gold loans NBFC, but we want to scale up our affordable housing business to 20% in 10 years, says VP Nandakumar, MD and CEO of Manappuram Finance
L&T Infotech's deal win gathers pace, sharpens focus on cloud and data products
Large deal wins show signs of recovery after a tepid first half of the fiscal year for L&T Infotech. The company signed two large contracts so far this quarter and sees strong opportunities in the cloud and data products business
As COVID optimism grows, investors seek to hedge against inflation risk
US inflation expectations are rising and huge increases in public debt and central bank balance sheets are causing many investors to think seriously about how to protect their portfolios from inflationary risks
Breaking up Facebook
Zuckerberg faces the real possibility of his painstakingly built up tech empire crumbling
Airport privatisation must ensure flying remains affordable
More than putting a cap on how many airports a single entity can win, bidding parameters should focus on containing costs so that user charges do not escalate
