Hindustan Copper decides to concentrate on what it does better
The public sector unit agrees to sell 60 percent of its copper concentrate to Hindalco in a long-term supply arrangement
Charting the future course for coal
The fossil fuel, including coal, is at a crossroads; a new book mines deep to assess the transition that lies ahead
Paytm versus Google is really about the frightening power of platforms
Paytm’s canny leader Vijay Shekhar Sharma turned the issue into one of Indian nationalism, but the fact is home-grown platforms will soon become equally powerful and exercise the same authority over companies like his
IPO markets suggest rally can continue
The current environment is ripe for the government to come out with PSU divestment
The Green Revolution has run its course. Agriculture markets need to evolve
The agriculture reforms through the farm bills amount to a revolutionary change and nobody likes change which ends a cushy system for the major players
Why the Indian American voter matters to both Trump and Biden
The Donald Trump and Joe Biden campaigns have both made determined efforts to reach out to the Indian American voter. The Indian American vote now matters since the community has a potential swing presence in some of the battleground states
Who’s afraid of agricultural reforms?
The farmers in Punjab and Haryana apprehend that the farm Bills are precursors to dismantling the procurement of wheat and paddy at MSP. However, the Union government has clarified that procurement operations will continue as in the past
The changing language of finance
Financial organisations have always welcomed new technologies as they are in the business of exchanging information. Now, in addition to the benefits from using technology, they will have to learn how to talk in technological terms
Why are governments so fond of anti-terror laws?
From ineligibility for bail to denial of a lawyer, some of India’s anti-terror laws take away the most fundamental of rights — the presumption of innocence. The State is increasingly using them to silence political opposition
The Reading List: September 18, 2020
A selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance
Small tech stocks soar as the future arrives early
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated trends that were building for years by forcing large swaths of the population to work from home and shop online. And many obscure companies are taking off
China’s Communists to private business: You heed us, we’ll help you
More broadly, the instructions reflect a long-running debate within China about the role of private business in a country where the government still controls crucial levers of industry
Agriculture Reforms: There’s no wrong time to do the right thing
For a country that is often witness to farmers hitting the streets for government hand-outs, these Bills passed in Lok Sabha would truly empower them to take informed decisions and be masters of their own destiny
Rise in Mudra NPAs a sign of what lies ahead
While the economic slowdown is convenient to blame for this pile-up of Mudra bad loans, remember that directed banking by the state is an equally potent reason
Why mail-in-ballots are important in US Presidential Elections
There is a political maelstrom brewing in the United States around mail-in-ballots for the Presidential elections in November, and that could complicate matters as hanging chads did two decades ago
The Nifty P-E is at an all-time high, but this is not the time to sell
Standalone or absolute P-E ratio levels seem to be less relevant. Here’s a new yardstick that will help investors make buy-sell decisions
Onion exports banned again
Six years on, NDA keeps following in UPA’s footsteps on banning onion exports
Severe GDP fall and inflation join rising infections to thicken policy fog
Reconciling to a drawn out COVID-19 infection curve is realistic. This will not disperse the policy fog or lessen macro risks of inflation and fiscal overextension. However, it helps recognise the imminence of more income support for poorer populations
Europe’s economic revival is imperilled, raising the spectre of a grinding downturn
The fundamental threat to economic livelihood is the coronavirus itself. The lockdowns have simply intensified the effect
A cataclysm of hunger, disease and illiteracy
The greatest impact of COVID-19 may be not on those whom the virus directly infects, but on those shattered by the collapse of economies and health and education systems in developing countries
US stock options data suggests it’s time to be cautious
In India too retail investors have piled on to options trading, but there’s nothing new about that
Fraud detection in an audit report, coming soon?
A Big Four accounting firm’s CEO has said auditors should do more to uncover fraud that is material in nature
A case for fiscal intervention | Story behind credit numbers
Recent data shows that although the government keeps announcing that banks have allotted large shares of money on the lines of packages, this doesn't reflect in the aggregate credit growth numbers. That builds a case for direct fiscal intervention
A new bull market?
The Bank of America Survey of fund managers for September finds that allocation to equities rose 6 percentage points month on month to a net 18 percent overweight. But allocation to emerging markets has come down
