LEAD STORY

A Company Cannot Grow Without Supporting Women: Neerja Birla

Having women on board and promoting gender equality at workplaces is not only the right thing to do, but also leads to better business outcomes and a stronger economy. In an interview with Shailaja Tripathi, entrepreneur and mental health champion Neerja Birla, founder-cum-chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, which runs the MPower mental health awareness initiative, outlines the need to implement policies that encourage diversity and women’s employment in the workplace and talks about how the corporate sector can promote the culture of inclusivity. Edited excerpts:

Shailaja Tripathi - March 01, 2023

From Vulture Capital to Victim Capital: Mahesh Murthy's Take on VCs in India

How Indian start-up founders turned the tables on shrewd Indian venture capitalists

Mahesh Murthy - March 01, 2023

Govt Wants To Remove All Tax Exemptions: P. Chidambaram

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget for 2023–24 may have promised further momentum to the economy through a push on infrastructure, but, according to the opposition, it has failed to address the needs of the poor and the middle class. Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram tells Pragatti Oberoi how the government’s claims on allocations for infra projects could be exaggerated and the budget could push the middle class away from saving money. Edited excerpts:

Pragatti Oberoi - March 01, 2023

Good Governance Lies Between Founders’ Hubris And Overvaluation: Mohandas Pai

The recent blow-ups in many start-ups are a result of the founders’ vanity and their failure to understand the basic obligations of public shareholding

Mohandas Pai - February 28, 2023

When Cases Of Wilful Misconduct Arise, VCs Must Probe: Rajan Anandan

Rajan Anandan, managing director, Sequoia Capital, believes that no amount of oversight or audits can ensure proper governance at a company if there is a lack of commitment to the cause on part of the founders. However, what matters is the action taken when there is evidence of wilful wrongdoing. Edited excerpts:  

Outlook Business Team - February 28, 2023

Shailendra Singh: We Are Not Here To Win A Popularity Contest

He answers emphatically when asked if rivals are out to malign him and Sequoia Capital. Stung by controversies in their portfolio companies, Shailendra Singh tells Outlook Business that the black sheep make less than 1% of its portfolio value and its business model is sound. He underlines that Brand Sequoia is intact

Suchetana Ray - February 28, 2023

Sequoia Stuck Between Start-Up Frauds And Controversies

Every time an Indian start-up hits headlines for wrong reasons, Sequoia Capital and its most famous fund manager Shailendra Singh are in the spotlight. Is it the doing of their rivals? Or, are there serious issues that the VC firm needs to address? Can Singh pull Sequoia out of troubled waters?

Suchetana Ray - February 28, 2023

At About 5–6%, Economy Won’t Collapse But It Won’t Generate Enough Jobs: Montek Singh Ahluwalia

Economist and former deputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia tells Neeraj Thakur that a private sector-led economy can deliver sustained GDP growth in the country. However, he is not enthused about the much-touted double-digit growth or even a range of 7–7.5% and cautions against protectionism

Neeraj Thakur - February 01, 2023

Incomplete Capitalism Holds India Back: K.V. Subramanian

K.V. Subramanian, India’s executive director at the International Monetary Fund and former chief economic adviser to the Central government, minces no words while pointing to flaws in the economic policy of pre-Narendra Modi era. However, he is optimistic about India’s growth potential amid the global slowdown and attributes the country’s stability in face of the challenges brought about by Covid-19 to its refusal to imitate others economies. In an interview with Kamalika Ghosh, he recounts the hits and misses of incumbent and earlier governments during India’s economic journey since independence

Kamalika Ghosh - February 01, 2023

Indian Economy’s Double Digit Chase For Growth

Past prime ministers have tried to take the Indian GDP growth past 6–7% range but failed. Modi’s pitch for making India rich by 2047 is fraught with old and new dangers

Neeraj Thakur - February 01, 2023

Markets Work On Expectations … Not Surprising They Outpace Economy: Radhika Gupta

Indian stock markets have given returns in double digits over a 30-year average. This has not been the case with the Indian economy. Going forward, even as the growth outlook for India remains limited to 5–7%, the stock markets continue to be bullish. Neeraj Thakur speaks with Radhika Gupta, MD and CEO, Edelweiss Mutual Fund, to understand the divergence between the economy and the markets. Edited excerpts:

Neeraj Thakur - February 01, 2023

The Indian Way Of Regulating Big Tech

India wants to overhaul the mechanism through which it governs the fast-evolving tech sector and reams of data government initiatives and private sector produce. With Prime Minister Modi’s desire to imprint his muscular persona on it, the balancing act lies in its details

Kamalika Ghosh - January 01, 2023