opinion

Automobile sales | the short and long view

There are just four months left for BS-IV vehicles to sell. Companies are juggling difficult choices as the transition to BS-VI nears.

We need a ‘surprise’ in monetary policy this time

A surprise in the form of keeping policy rates constant will in fact be much desirable

Policy | More public transport buses hold the key to blue skies

Cleaner options of public transport must be encouraged but in a manner that our cities are able to reap maximum benefit out of their deployment.

Macro Matters | Manufacturing PMI for November offers ray of hope

The upturn is among the weakest in the last one and a half years

Maha Vikas Aghadi | With numbers on its side, longevity is the challenge

The sore-spot for the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance is not in the new-found Sena-Congress ties, but the equations in the NCP and the Pawar family.

Macro Matters | The government sector contributed 40 percent of GVA growth in September quarter

On the expenditure side, ‘discrepancies’ contributed a negative 44 percent to growth

Closed-end funds: Shift proceeds to quality open-ended schemes upon maturity

It is better to invest in diversified multi-cap open-ended equity funds with a seven to ten-year time-frame in a staggered manner

Chart of the Day | A faint silver lining in bank credit

The accompanying chart shows, the biggest increase has been in personal loans.

Gold outlook for 2020 depends on US-China trade deal

Natixis lowers average price forecast for next year

How Vishal Mehta undertook a journey from discretionary to system trading for consistent gains

Mental discipline, rather than technical analysis and strategies is the main challenge in becoming a successful trader. Vishal Mehta crossed that hurdle when he moved from discretionary to system trading.

Policy | GDP at 4.5 per cent, time for FM to go for broke

India cannot possibly be in a situation where the highest effective individual tax rate at 43 per cent is nearly double the highest corporate income tax rate. This peculiar fiscal architecture needs immediate fixing.

Liquor Ban | Lessons Jaganmohan Reddy can learn from neighbouring states

The plan sounds perfect on paper, but when it comes to implementation, it is a different ball game.

Opinion | DoT-TRAI floor price move pulls the rug under Vodafone Idea

No floor on telecom tariffs puts Airtel in a commanding position to skim 2G-3G market

Bharti, Voda stocks running on hope not reality. No tariff hike on anvil

All four players – Bharti, Vodafone, Reliance Jio and BSNL – may actually look at each other to take the lead in raising prices. It is unlikely that anyone will make the first move as that may prove to be a costly mistake.

Politics | Why Congress is the biggest loser in Maharashtra

By tying up as a junior partner to both the Shiv Sena and the NCP in Maharashtra, in a state where the Congress has ruled for 50 years since its formation in 1960, the grand old party has virtually shot itself in the foot in the crucial state.

Opinion | 2G technology should be consigned to museums. Why does Airtel want to keep it alive?

Justifying continuity of 2G due to lack of digital literacy in rural areas, too does not bode well. Women in rural area can handle even touch phones smartly; if they can’t, their children will teach them.

Competition watchdog needs to stay fit and nimble

The recommendations of a review panel must be implemented quickly for ensuring competitive markets

The government bowls a googly in the corporate tax cut bill | Policy Track

The government has excluded some industries from the 15percent tax bracket for new manufacturing companies. Then, it went a step further and made it worse.

Why is India’s labour force participation rate so low?

If India had the same female labour participation rates as most other countries, the unemployment rate would be far higher

Policy | Indian foreign policy’s changing calculus

Indian foreign policy is changing and will continue to evolve not only because the global environment is changing more rapidly than ever, but also because India is changing.

Politics | All parties win as the BJP loses Maharashtra

The BJP is now seen as an opportunist party, which has compromised on its anti-corruption plank. The Shiv Sena has emerged as the David to the BJP's Goliath. Sharad Pawar and his NCP are back in power, and for the Congress, this has been an unexpected bonus.

Chart of the Day | Real rural wages continued to shrink in September 2019

Real wages have been contracting from March this year.

The dangers of directed banking

Directed lending will ultimately lead to a NPA pile-up and demands for forbearance. The taxpayer will end up footing the bill.

Macro Matters | What to expect from the September quarter GDP data

The only question is: Will the growth number be jaw-droppingly bad?