LEAD STORY

ESG Stands For Future-Proofing Business: Dipankar Ghosh

Concepts of sustainable finance or responsible investment are here to stay, and, increasingly, businesses need to demonstrate their ESG quotient to attract money. Capital markets, globally, are networked like never before, and alternatives will be difficult if red flags are raised about a business by any investor 

Dipankar Ghosh - April 01, 2023

Climate Plans Lost In Data Matrix

Data gaps are throwing a spanner in the works for a world which is falling distressingly short of commitments to slow down, if not reverse, rapidly deteriorating global climate conditions and India is not an outlier

Shailaja Tripathi - April 01, 2023

ESG Mantra: Measure Well To Manage Well

There are various challenges that companies report while maintaining this transparency, such as the complexity of supply chains, limited access to low-carbon energy sources and a lack of expertise in decarbonisation strategies. However, there are also a number of levers that companies can use to amplify action

Prarthana Borah - April 01, 2023

A New Lagaan On India Inc.

There is a new Frankenstein monster in India in the form of the ESG regime. The government is pushing ill-equipped businesses to adopt an expensive philosophy of corporate governance and climate reporting that makes India an unequal partner in global trade. For the time being, corporate India is gasping for ways to stay relevant

Neeraj Thakur - April 01, 2023

Get Rid Of The E, S & G Of The ESG: Aswath Damodaran

Aswath Damodaran is a fierce critic of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) concept. The corporate finance and valuation guru at the Stern School of Business at New York University believes that he “can stir the pot” on this issue. In an email interview with Rajiv Tikoo, Damodaran questions the basis of the ESG concept and its “hindsight revisionism” in the context of the Adani episode and the Ukraine war

Rajiv Tikoo - April 01, 2023

Failing Women With Fine Intent

The government just announces progressive policies for women and leaves implementation and financials to the employer. What should have worked for women at workplace becomes a double disadvantage in tough times

Kamalika Ghosh - March 01, 2023

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

Corporate Governance Begins And Ends In The Founder’s Head: Sanjeev Bikhchandani

Corporate governance and its relevance at a start-up depend on the founder, according to Sanjeev Bikhchandani, co-founder of Info Edge, a pure play internet company. Both the credit for the success and accountability for failures in a start-up lie with the management. When investors trust a start-up enough to invest in it, wanting the latter to be honest and responsible with their money is a fair expectation, he tells Outlook Business

Outlook Business Team - 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

Woman Matters: The Case For Increased Gender Diversity

Addressing the challenges that women face in their career progression is not just a moral imperative but a necessity for growth. Gender inclusivity, reinforced by an empathetic leadership, can go a long way in helping reap the full benefits of a diverse workforce

Sangeeta Reddy - 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

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