01 MARCH 2024

Morality Tale

From poster boys of heady success in the start-up valley, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Ashneer Grover and Byju Raveendran are the pinup boys of what disproportionate ambition could do to otherwise seemingly good men

Suchetana Ray - March 01, 2024

Illusions of Growth

Powered by easy credit, a section of Indians is splurging on premium products; at the same time, agricultural wages have stagnated and the share of the self-employed has steadily gone up. Post-pandemic, the Indian economy is going through a lop-sided recovery

Ayaan Kartik - March 01, 2024

Awareness, Guidance Key to Retirement Planning: V. Vaidyanathan

IDFC First Bank has seen remarkable success in 2023, riding on impressive financial performance, with deposits growing at 40% thanks to customer-friendly banking initiatives and tools. In an exclusive interview, V. Vaidyanathan, managing director and chief executive officer of IDFC First Bank, speaks about the importance of retirement planning early in life, the emotions of those concerned and the tools for retirement planning which can provide financial security and peace of mind

Suchetana Ray

& Nidhi Sinha - March 01, 2024

Tapan Singhel on Transforming Insurance in the Era of Digital Revolution

Digitisation has touched all industries, and the insurance sector is not far behind. There have been many changes post-Covid, but it is time to understand the next step in this journey. Digitisation has touched all industries, and the insurance sector is not far behind. There have been many changes post-Covid, but it is time to understand the next step in this journey. Tapan Singhel, MD and CEO of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, speaks about how digitisation can enable the interchange of data to develop capabilities that can benefit customers and save millions of lives. Edited excerpts:

Nidhi Sinha - March 01, 2024

A Nation Stuck Between Missing Jobs and Growth Ambitions

India grapples with a job crisis fuelled by factors including high youth unemployment, educational and skill imbalance and low female participation, among others. In their book, The Elephant Moves: India’s New Place in the World, Amitabh Kant and Amit Kapoor explore India’s economic evolution through the lens of competitiveness, stressing the need for, and challenges to, policy changes in its run to becoming a developed economy by 2047

GenAI Will Make Creativity More Precious: B.K. Kalra

Change is difficult, but it also brings agility, says B.K. Kalra, president and CEO of global IT services company Genpact, referring to the disruption in businesses brought about by generative artificial intelligence. In an exclusive interview, he gives details of Genpact’s focus on becoming an AI-first company, its AI-assisted learning platform Genome, its strategy for growth in coming years and more. Edited excerpts:

Nishant - March 01, 2024

No. Vijay Shekhar Sharma's Resignation Will Not Save Him

Having fallen out of favour with investors, shareholders and the Reserve Bank of India in recent months, the cause of Paytm’s current woes is the same that led to its initial quick rise—Vijay Shekhar Sharma. By giving up the chairman’s job at Paytm Payments Bank, he is attempting a Bond-like escape from the wrath of the banking regulator. Will he succeed?

Vinita Bhatia

& Abdul Haleem Sherif

& Prathik Desai - March 01, 2024

That Tumbling Feeling for FMCG Companies

India’s FMCG giants are struggling with sluggish growth. Declining sales and tough competition from local brands have dampened the sentiments around many popular legacy brands. Can the marquee names rev up a new growth engine?

Ayaan Kartik - March 01, 2024

India No Country for Women Founders

While India is third in the pecking order globally in the start-up ecosystem, women founders struggle to even get a start. Investors see them as less capable and hesitate to fund their ideas

Mahima Sinha - March 01, 2024

Love, Sex and Dhokha at Workplace

Not all office romances have a fairy-tale ending like the Obamas. In some cases, love turns sour and complications arise. No wonder HR honchos dread co-workers falling for each other and then falling apart

Ankita Mookherjee - March 01, 2024

How You End Up Paying for What Farmers are Demanding

Farmers are demanding a legal guarantee of MSP on crops. But MSP is not the silver bullet; over the past two decades, high food inflation has distorted not just the Indian economy but has also affected millions of poor, making India perform poorly on the global hunger index

Ayaan Kartik - March 01, 2024

Getting Her Priorities Right

Smita Jatia, vice chairperson of Westlife Foodworld, has donned many a hat—she is a wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, mentor and philosopher. While she feels there is no work-life balance for women, she believes it is important to set priorities and say no when necessary

Chitra Nair - March 01, 2024

Digitisation Pushing Growth in Lending Segment: Naveen Kukreja

Over the past five to seven years, the digital-payments sector has grown stupendously, transcending economic and geographical barriers. Naveen Kukreja, co-founder and chief executive officer of Paisabazaar, a digital-lending platform, talks about five drivers of growth in the lending segment in the country

The Rich Are Getting Richer, but the Poor Are Not Getting Poorer: T.V. Somanathan

Increasing consumption among the middle class and the poor in India is a valid policy challenge, the answer to which lies in creating more jobs, says T.V. Somanathan, finance secretary and secretary of expenditure in the Union Ministry of Finance. In an exclusive interview, he also discusses why the current income tax rates are reasonable and why he finds the 3% fiscal deficit target questionable among other issues. Edited excerpts:

Neeraj Thakur

& Parth Singh - March 01, 2024