opinion

Commodity rally raises hopes of new bull run

Asset class benefits from investor demand for a hedge against increased inflation

New WTO chief has her task cut out

A well-functioning multilateral trade body under the stewardship of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala should be beneficial for India and other developing nations

Tesla is here, but the EV road is bumpy

Helping the ancillary industry transition, building a charging infrastructure and addressing the fossil fuel supply chain are key issues the government must address

Bharat Forge looks beyond the auto upcycle at new growth levers

While the current upward trend in autos is welcome, in the long run, it will be Bharat Forge's foray into new areas that will provide support

Govt’s infra push to benefit construction sector first and capital goods later

Companies such as Dilip Buildcon and KNR Constructions see sizeable order inflows while capital goods companies expect a more gradual recovery

Severe winter exposes energy vulnerability across the globe

A scramble for gas has led to LNG prices and charter rates shooting up

Artificial Intelligence | How companies could get around potential barriers

The time for enterprise AI has come. It is up to them to take advantage of a range of cognitive automation services and platforms to meet their needs

Japan’s growth rebounds, but virus-related weakness looms

Japan’s economy, the world’s third largest after the United States and China, grew 3% during the October to December period, for an annualized growth rate of 12.7%

Biden and the Fed leave 1970s inflation fears behind

The people who run fiscal and monetary policy in Washington have decided the risk of “overheating” the economy is much lower than the risk of failing to heat it up enough

Key changes the new labour codes will bring in

The success of the reforms will depend on the effective implementation of the changes brought about by the codes 

West Bengal elections | Trinamool falls behind in news headlines race

In the entire pre-election public discourse, there is no mention of who can provide the better administration which will be able to take forward economic development by improving the state’s poor work culture

Rupee close to a one-year high. Where is it headed next?

Continued foreign investment flows, improving economic fundamentals to support rupee

Joe Biden’s huge bet: the economic consequences of ‘acting big’

Biden’s $1.9 trillion borrowing and spending plans have not been dreamt up on university campuses but are the result of a delicate political balance in a divided Congress

Will Australia’s efforts to make Google and Facebook pay for news have takers in India?

Many wrongly believe the Australian law will cause Google to pull out all its products from the market, or that Australia could build a so-called Great Barrier Firewall. In fact, it is not even certain that Google will carry through its threat to end the search service 

What Vedanta Resources’ $10 Billion divestment kitty can achieve

The Anil Agarwal-promoted holding company is raising money to bid in the government’s PSU privatisation drive

Electric cars, cool. But when?

It’s the chicken-or-egg situation: Companies are reluctant to invest in chargers until there’s a critical mass of electric vehicles. And some are wary of buying an electric vehicle without better charging options

Wage Code | Expanded definition of wages likely to impact take home pay

The financial impact of the new wages definition on the compensation cost, and accordingly any modification to the salary structure or cost to company structure, should be assessed by the employers before implementation of these codes

Is there a reason for the IAS to worry?

The IAS really does not have much reason to be disappointed by the remarks of the Prime Minister. Due to the breadth and depth of experience in the states and their long association with politicians, the IAS will continue to enjoy preferences in discretionary appointments

ITC's cigarettes business has hit a bump that’s not going away

ITC’s cigarette division’s sales in the metro markets remain affected compared to pre-COVID levels even after lockdowns were lifted

Bitcoin’s rise reflects America’s decline

Bitcoin isn’t so much a bubble as “the last functioning fire alarm” warning us of some very big geopolitical changes ahead

High freight rates hurt India Inc, but no panic yet

Despite paying higher tariffs, some customers are unable to secure time-bound shipments. Transportation constraints are weighing on exports

Google vs Australia in a game of ‘Chicken’

Both players have so far refused to budge from their respective positions. But eventually, one will need to swallow its pride

Koo is a cool addition to the dictionary of bizarre social media names

With zillions of sites in the digital universe, standing out isn’t easy. Finding names that are unique and memorable can be a real challenge.

Amazon and The Washington Post | Two sides of the Jeff Bezos coin

Contrary to the dark underbelly of the business model practised by Amazon for two decades and its ruthless and predatory practices, the story of The Washington Post under Jeff Bezos’ ownership presents an entirely different picture