Govt’s Rs 102 lakh cr infra push needs a gold top-up
Tax breaks for a bond for gold scheme, along with the massive infra spend, can put the economy on a firmer footing
Legal Matters | The cost of the customs law being under siege
Is it the executive laxity that has misguided the legislature culminating in messy amendments to the customs law? Or is it the judicial evasion that has prevented the adjudication of these mischievous petitions in a timely manner?
West Asia tension | US takes away Iran’s trump cards
Iran can’t go nuclear without facing a full blown US military strike, and it can’t resort to terror without its leadership being targeted.
JNU violence | The importance of keeping higher education affordable
Decades after it has been established that education is one of the fundamental prerequisites for empowerment and development, individuals and institutions have to constantly agitate to make the government pay heed to the importance of bringing higher education to the masses.
Oil prices on a knife-edge. Which way will they turn?
It boils down to a question of how much supply is disrupted in the Middle East (which accounts for about a third of the world’s crude oil production), how long will the disruptions last and whether this disruption can be offset by other sources
JNU protests reveal deep schism in India’s societal fabric
The way in which cheap Chinese manufactures are flooding the market and small Indian ventures are going out of business, it is necessary to put all heads together and restore Indian competitiveness. The issue of religion can be sorted out once all Indians are well fed and clothed
Zero MDR may be good for digital adoption but at what cost?
No income from transactions could make businesses unviable for key stakeholders, which could lead to investors shying away.
Gold may touch new highs but for reasons other than the Middle East crisis
The underlying fundamental conditions continue to remain weak for gold
Politics | Nankana Sahib attack and the focus on CAA
The Prime Minister has criticised the Congress and other opposition parties of spreading falsehood by toeing Pakistan’s line on the CAA being a sinister move against the Muslim community, and being inimical to India’s interests.
25 years of WTO: Why Keynes would be a worried man!
The celebrated economist, according to a historian, would have turned in his grave, given the turbulence in world trade today
Politics | AASU’s new political party could be bad news for BJP
The AASU has thrown down the gauntlet in Assam which enjoys a special place in the BJP’s success story in the North-East. It has lit a fuse in a region where the national party’s stakes are sky high.
Steel: why demand is down but prices are up | Corporate corridor
Steel prices rising despite slowing demand may be surprising but domestic output may hold some answers
Composite Purchasing Managers Index for December sends an unambiguously positive signal
After a contraction in economic activity in September and October, led by a downturn in services, both manufacturing and services have rebounded
Five lessons from India’s sustainable development scores
The scores for poverty and hunger have worsened, but where the government has pushed the agenda, much progress has been made
Take strategic disinvestment seriously for the sake of the future
The last thing the government should do is hasten the process of disinvestment to be able to use the proceeds to turn in a respectable fiscal deficit figure by March 31
CAA Protests | The designs in Tamil Nadu’s kolam protests
There is significant unease with the CAA-NRC in Tamil Nadu and the AIADMK in its eagerness to please — or at least not annoy — the BJP seems to have scored a self-goal. In the process the AIADMK has presented the Opposition with an emotive issue on a platter.
Policy | Will 2020 mark a positive shift in India’s corporate governance?
A study showed markets mostly rewarded more stable and better governed companies.
CAA Protests | When political expediency takes on the garb of realpolitik in Kerala
With state elections just over a year away, the CPI(M) seems to be going all out for political gains by shunning the very fringe groups that once were feeder units for the Marxist party, as the numbers no longer favour their proximity.
Startups | SoftBank’s WeWork misstep is redefining the game in India
In future, it is very likely that investors will put in a lot of checks and balances before making such investments.
Does asset diversification help?
Apart from T-Bills, all other asset class have given returns which are close to each other
A wake-up call from a friend of India
The economy is too fragile to be burdened with a disruptive programme such as the NRC
GST's anti-profiteering sword is outliving its utility | Corporate corridor
Pricing is one of the key weapons in a consumer company’s arsenal, the anti-profiteering provision in GST is hurting its utility
Time for RBI to simplify its reports and research
From use of more visuals to videos and blogs, India’s central bank can better explain seemingly complex ideas to a wider audience. Its peers have shown the way
PMI for December sees green shoots in manufacturing
Pricing power improves, but business confidence slumps to a 34-month low
