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Business Portfolio Tracker Business Headlines Specials Columns Guest Columnist Interviews Tutorials Message Board Stock Talk			Home > News > Columns > Guest Columnist Guest Columnists October 31, 2005 The importance of being Bernanke Bernanke has apparently made a strong case to jettison the practice of wearing business suits at the central bank offices October 29, 2005 The RBI's balancing act The RBI has bitten the bullet rather gingerly in its busy season credit policy SAFTA and the benefit of free trade The experiences of rapidly-growing developing countries demonstrate that protectionism only perpetuates inefficiencies and stagnation. Freer trade, by contrast, rewards ambitions across the board Many openings in micro finance Not only are the new private sector banks and the foreign banks competing with each other to fund micro finance institutions (MFIs), now MFIs may even have access to equity. Why does the Left attract people? Ever since the United Progressive Alliance government came to power riding on the shoulders of the Communists, a frequently asked question is: what is their appeal, why do people still get taken in by them? Give R&D staff more prominence R&D personnel in a firm should be given more prominence in interactions within the company and with the outside world. Market lessons from drug dealers The key to creating a mass market is lower price plus higher supply October 28, 2005 The secret behind Taj group's success There is a change process being triggered in organizations right from strategy to projects down to the data element structure itself because of the Balanced Scorecard. October 27, 2005 10 myths & facts about working in the Indian IT industry Here are the 10 myths and facts about IT industry that you must know. The telecom miracle Not surprisingly, given such collections, India's telecom taxes are amongst the highest in the world -- in comparison to China's 0.5-3 per cent, India's telecom tax revenues range between 17 and 26 per cent. Think beyond Bangalore, Mumbai! As India shifts towards being more services-based, our current breed of 'nation' builders have to think beyond Bangalore and Mumbai and Delhi. The death of the Bank Rate If the RBI Governor goes on hiking the reverse repo rate, we may see the Bank Rate and the reverse repo rate converging. Let the Bengal model shine The policy envisages that the state government can divest up to 74 per cent of its stake in a PSU to a private sector company through a strategic sale. October 26, 2005 Testing times for newspapers A revised service tax on advertising agencies will make newspapers unviable. Innovate or perish! To survive the emerging hyper-competition across categories, FMCG companies need to make innovation an integral element of their growth plans. Why India will grow, despite the govt The demographic dividend, reflected in declining dependency ratios, should bring an increment of 1 per cent, if not the 2 per cent of East Asia. Despite inaction by the Centre, we will accelerate to 9 per cent. October 25, 2005 How to solve India's water troubles It would be absurd to imagine that an increasingly scarce resource can be intelligently managed without significant recourse to prices and markets. How to be a good leader B-schools provide you with a great foundation to start a career, but the school of hard knocks shapes that foundation and creates a holistic leader out of you. Print media's best kept secret Editors can be the worst autocrats. The print media offers a nastier version of Russell's Paradox. October 24, 2005 Gowda's blunder may cost dear If Mr Gowda goes on antagonising Bangalore's IT industry in this way, he will be doing grievous damage not just to his own politics but to the state's economy as well. Mr Aiyar, stop sniping at ONGC Dismembering ONGC by removing OVL from under it will have huge financial implications. Connecting Bharat remains a pipedream Perhaps the best example in recent times of why the government should not be allowed to collect taxes, much less spend them, is the case of rural telephony. Can exports propel India's growth? Exports have played a major role in the growth in the manufacturing sector, but its overall share is still low by global standards. FDI in retail and Left's hypocrisy If large foreign retailers cause unemployment, why doesn't this hold for large Indian retailers? October 22, 2005 The Left's lopsided economic agenda Left still lives in a time warp, and is not applying a reality check to the positions it holds dear. October 21, 2005 How divestment can benefit India It is possible for the government to raise Rs 15 lakh crore from the disinvestment of only 24 per cent of the public sector. Tax policies and financial sector reforms "Better" tax policies without simultaneously improving the financial sector cause more harm than good. October 20, 2005 Just how corrupt is India? Despite the UPA's talk of improved governance, little has materialised in terms of implementation. Will RBI hike interest rates? The market is readying for a 25 basis point hike. Indian R&D never had it so good Indian firms are growing fast, thus allowing them to amortise increasing R&D expenditure. E-health: A matter of life and death An estimated 80,000 people die in the US alone each year due to medical errors. Is India ready for hi-tech farming? Regular interaction between agricultural scientists and extension workers is a must. PSUs, a victim of govt's follies Politicians simply do not understand the role that an independent director is supposed to play. The reformers' dilemma The UPA under Sonia Gandhi would do well to consider an alliance with the NDA at the central level. Does India need FDI in retail? India's external sector policies have always been defensive, perhaps explaining the view on FDI in retail. What good is India's steel ministry? A Cabinet reshuffle without evaluating which ministries are really needed would be a pity. TV channels' latest mantra Localised content is helping niche channels muscle their way into the prime band. October 19, 2005 A rate hike is needed The RBI risks falling behind the curve if it does not hike interest rates. Why airports must be privatised Officials apprehend that the proposed public-private partnership model may not deliver a world-class airport. Is equity central to development? World Development Report 2006 emphatically points out that equity is complementary to long-term prosperity. On a wing... without a hope! If an airport management can't keep its toilets clean, then it has no business managing one. October 18, 2005 Who's responsible for slow PSU reforms? It is clear that public sector reforms are in a jam What B-school teaching lacks Out of B-school, I thought breaking down a problem into smaller pieces (analysis) was the killer skill; I now realise that putting together different information points under uncertainty into a single decision (synthesis) is the hardest thing of all. How IT can help SMEs go global It is crucial to jointly leverage internal (especially knowledge) and external (especially network) resources for SMEs to expand. October 17, 2005 Should the RBI hike interest rates? The central bank should give itself a little more time to gauge the oil shock impact before it takes a call on a rate hike October 15, 2005 IT juggernaut rolls on in India Healthy year-on-year growth has been matched by similar sequential growth. Changing world of hedge funds Hedge funds and equity funds are often inseparable. How 'right' is the education Bill? UPA's rapid record on legislation for social and economic empowerment is perhaps unmatched. Journalists: Are you trustworthy? Two Indian institutions have withstood the test of time and emerged, time and again, as saviours of India - the Supreme Court and the Press. Now both are under attack. October 14, 2005 What can investors expect from the market The listed equity markets in India have very good sectoral representation, and should mirror the broad economy. Please, not another economy review A mid-term review of the Annual Policy Statement will have nothing new to offer. Have you insured your art collection? When it comes to art, protection is the best policy. India's big little small problem The banking sector's seeming strength has a lot to do with its poor spread. October 13, 2005 For a better home and hearth Fifty-eight years after independence, Indian women still toil daily to collect fuel wood, crop residues, and animal dung -- together known variously as biomass-based cooking fuels, non-commercial fuels or traditional fuels. Hong Kong: Asia's entertainment hotspot Hong Kong is developing itself as a total family recreation centre -- the Disney park is just the beginning. Hong Kong: Asia's entertainment hotspot Hong Kong is developing itself as a total family recreation centre -- the Disney park is just the beginning. What is India's per capita income? While the FM said it is now $800, WDI will probably it closer to $700. The secret of China's success The OECD finds that China's recent success is due both to bold policy and high investment. Will India follow? October 11, 2005 How accurate are economic surveys? Most well-recognised surveys give dramatically different ranks to various countries. Catastrophes and new investment climate After the Kyoto carbon credits, you now have catastrophe bonds. October 08, 2005 Reforming the messy state of grants The plethora of specific purpose schemes with complicated eligibility formulae has become counter-productive. October 07, 2005 Is the West the gold standard? We need to create our own standards in creativity rather than ape the W Buy on value, not on price Indian art market is showing signs of value being swamped by price movements. The flip side of health insurance The CPM is right even though it has yet to point it out. Health insurance doesn't work as made out. October 06, 2005 Efficiency versus the customer Customers tend to become the victims of corporate efficiency drives IFCI: Dying, but not quite dead The cash-strapped IFCI has stopped giving fresh loans but there are still no firm plans for its future October 05, 2005 It's time to switch to bio-fuels A significant fall-out of the sharp rise in petroleum prices is the renewed interest globally in looking for alternatives. R&D firms, greatest boon for India One of the greatest boons for India in recent years has been the growing number of R&D facilities of foreign firms, making it one of the most attractive locations for conducting research. 'We need quality higher education' The government's intervention in higher education provided by private professional institutions is likely to take the form of regulating both fees and intake, that is, price and quantity (and/or quality). The better half is not shining! The gender bias of India is not a characteristic of the poor states alone. How India can be an entertainment hub If I were asked to single out one major obstacle to India becoming an entertainment superpower, it would be the lack of adequate trained professionals. October 04, 2005 Power reforms: hollow victory The protest against the domestic tariff increase is a timely warning to the service providers. But this awareness will be meaningful only if it is sustained and translated into active participation in the public hearings. States need more tax powers For decentralisation to succeed, the tax powers of states and local governments need to be enlarged. Leadership lessons for Indian cricket team While it is important to pay attention to winning matches, it is critical to pay attention to building an effective team. What makes a good manager great An MBA arms you with the essentials of management; but the art of using these effectively depends entirely on the skills acquired outside B-school. The woes of US airlines Surprisingly, the US airlines industry is not undergoing any consolidation. It seemed imminent in 2001-2002, but nothing major happened. October 03, 2005 India to rule in healthcare sector One of the fastest growing and most potent sectors in India is the healthcare sector. India has become a hot medical destination for patients in the Middle East, Africa and even the West. Foreign investors & crony patriotism We in India are, of course, no strangers to the phenomenon. This is a year of fiscal folly Next year can be the beginning of the end of a period of global expansion. Rethinking telecom There is a major change taking place globally that will affect everyone who derives large revenues from long-distance telephony. India needs bigger banks Every large bank in the world is big because it has acquired repeatedly and integrated well. October 01, 2005 Why China is favoured over India India may finally be getting some recognition for being the more rule-bound system. Beware of self-serving ideologies When self-serving ideology rules, institutions die. This vodka is Absolut-ly fabulous Two years back Absolut, the world's third-largest selling spirits brand, entered the duty paid market in India Archives Home | September 2005 | August 2005 | July 2005 | June 2005 | May 2005 | April 2005 | March 2005 | February 2005 | January 2005 | December 2004 | November 2004 | October 2004 | September 2004 | August 2004 | July 2004 | June 2004 | May 2004 | April 2004 | March 2004 | February 2004 | January 2004 | December 2003 | November 2003 | October 2003 | September 2003 | August 2003 | July 2003 | June 2003 | May 2003 | April 2003 | March 2003 | February-January 2003	Advertisement

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