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 - February 27, 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 - February 27, 2023

Crash Of The Titans

Just like elder brother Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani started off on the solid ground prepared by their father Dhirubhai. However, hardly has any other family business seen such sharply contrasted trajectories as theirs. How did Anil Ambani lose the advantage? Nandini Vijayaraghavan traces the journeys of four well-known entrepreneurs whose businesses took off energetically but failed to retain the momentum and ended up struggling for survival

Nandini Vijayaraghavan - February 27, 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 - February 27, 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 - February 27, 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 27, 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 27, 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 27, 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 - January 30, 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 - January 29, 2023