• strategy / Feature

    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
  • strategy / Interview

    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 - March 01, 2024
  • strategy / Feature

    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
  • strategy / Interview

    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 - March 01, 2024
  • strategy / Feature

    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
  • strategy / Feature

    Aviation on a Net-Zero Flight

    The aviation industry’s rapid growth is triggering concerns over carbon emissions. Investing in sustainable aviation fuel, modern infrastructure and technology, besides giving the obvious returns of reduced emissions, will help amplify India’s pitch as a responsible partner in the global climate action story 

    Naina Gautam - February 01, 2024
  • strategy / Feature

    A Deeper Alliance With Deepfake

    While it has gained notoriety for its unethical use, deepfake technology has the ability to revolutionise businesses in areas like advertising, education and political campaigning. Regulatory support and greater inclusion in the formal IT sector can lend it the much-needed legitimacy 

    Nandini Keshari - February 01, 2024
  • strategy / Feature

    Methane Curbs: A Bullet India Cannot Avoid Biting

    India, the fourth-largest emitter of methane, has so far refrained from making any commitment at the global level to reduce emission of the greenhouse gas

    Naina Gautam - January 01, 2024
  • strategy / Feature

    Consumption Pattern Slightly Different This Election Year, Says Vijay Chandok

    Election years usually bring in volatility in the market. Vijay Chandok, managing director and CEO of ICICI Securities, talks about opportunities and challenges in 2024 for the stock market. Edited excerpts: 

    Nidhi Sinha - January 01, 2024
  • strategy / Feature

    Adani: Twice Born at the Bourses

    While the first few months of 2023 saw nothing going right for the Adani Group, market watchers do not see much going wrong for the 35-year-old group as it enters the New Year

    Ayaan Kartik - January 01, 2024
  • strategy / Feature

    It Is Too Early to Celebrate India’s New Growth Path, Says Raghuram Rajan

    Former RBI governor and economist Raghuram Rajan has been vocal about his ideas on policy matters in India. His latest book Breaking the Mould, co-authored with economist Rohit Lamba, is a deep dive into finer issues of the economy, including welfare schemes, job crisis, misplaced priorities of the government and much more. In an interview, Rajan demystifies the current narrative of growth in the country and why manufacturing-led growth might not be the best solution at hand. Edited excerpts:

    Abdul Haleem Sherif - January 01, 2024
  • strategy / Feature

    Building a COPing Strategy

    India has offered to host the 33rd edition of the UN’s Conference of the Parties in 2028. To drive global agenda on climate action as the COP host, it will have to prepare itself to go beyond climate justice advocacy and come up with viable solutions where the interests of developing nations can be balanced with those of the planet

    Ankita Mookherjee - January 01, 2024