The money, as ever, is playing its role in deciding telecom regulation. Battered by capricious rules, telecom companies can only pray.
Book review: A Bank for the Buck
A nugget-rich read of the journey of India's most valuable lender, HDFC Bank.Worthy Subject, Dull Rendition
The success stories of 11 top women business leaders falls short in the telling.People who made news last fornight
Starring: Michael Boneham, George Wong, Bjorn Rosengren, V.K. Mathews and Phillip BernsteinLeaderspeak with R.S. Subramanian
R.S. Subramanian, Country Manager, India, DHL Express admires Ratan Tata.Apollo Hospitals turns focus to new market realities
The health-care sector is changing. Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes are on the rise, and the growing spread of health insurance has made costly health-care facilities affordable. In the face of new market realities, Apollo Hospitals is focusing on no-frills hospitals in Tier II and III cities and on specialised clinics.Gujarat's small businesses grumbling about neglect
While Gujarat plies big firms with incentives, its small businesses are grumbling about neglect. In recent years, the state has focused on wooing large-scale industries. The Gujarat Industrial Policy of 2009 offers incentives to projects with investments above Rs 10,000 crore.Kishore Chhabria on Indian liquor industry
The low-profile Kishore Chhabria rarely gives full length interviews. But he made an exception for Suman Layak.Meet the man behind the largest selling whisky brand
Ask Kishore Chhabria why Officer's Choice succeeded in emerging as the largest selling whisky in the world and he mentions luck and destiny before coming to hard work.L&T Finance Holdings dons a new look with acquisitions
Besides Fidelity, L&T Finance Holdings acquired two other companies this year. The acquisitions have helped the company expand at a fast clip. Y.M. Deosthalee, Chairman and Managing Director, L&T Finance Holdings says the company is walking the path outlined in the 2005 roadmap.Shell eyes bigger chunk of India's energy market
Energy giant Shell has expanded cautiously in India so far. But its new India chairman, Yasmine Ghandhi Hilton, wants to make a renewed push into the upstream business.Harnessing pine needles for rural energy needs
A small company based in Uttarakhand is now changing lives of locals with a unique project - generating power from pine needles.How Saraswat Bank beat the odds while others floundered
On the whole, the performance of urban co-operative banks is underwhelming. But since 2001, the total business (deposits plus advances) of Saraswat Bank grew from Rs 4,600 crore to Rs 35,000 crore as on September 30, 2012, making it the country's largest urban co-operative bank.'M&A not a direct answer to growth'
In an exclusive interview the Infosys CEO S.D. Shibulal spoke on issues ranging from the need for strategic acquisitions to his new vision, Infosys 3.0.Online dating biz is India's new love interest
Matrimonial sites are yesterday's news - India's new love interest is online dating. A handful of entrepreneurs has realised that in the business of love, India could be where the proverbial rainbow touches the ground.India Inc makes high stakes bet on overseas buys
Indian companies announced a series of big-ticket overseas acquisitions this year. The acquisitions come at a time when the acquirers are facing poor growth visibility in their India businesses. They may have bitten off more than they can chew.
'Ease investment options for insurers'
Standard Life is one of the world's leading savings and investment companies, with six million customers across 50 countries. It is present in India through its investments in HDFC Life and HDFC Asset Management. Gerry Grimstone, Chairman, Standard Life, spoke to Sarbajeet K. Sen on a host of issues concerning the insurance sector.Five steps to curb corruption in India
In its 2011 Corruption Perception Index, Transparency International ranked India at 95 out of 183 countries. How can widespread corruption be curbed? Here are five suggestions.'Section 66A of IT Act should be scrapped'
The section is absolutely draconian as it gives rulers a weapon to misuse and deprive citizens of their personal liberty, says Madabhushi Sridhar, coordinator at Center for Media Law & Public Policy, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.Why Indian business leaders suffer a trust deficit
A global study of business leaders across countries by human resources firms Right Management and Tucker International lists the imperatives of succeeding in a global set up, and shows Indians are poor at building trust.The Punjab Tractors turnaround story
Not often does an acquired company give the acquirer a run for its money in the market. This case study looks at how Punjab Tractors Ltd, which was hardly in the best of shape when Mahindra & Mahindra acquired it in 2007, was turned around, and today does exactly that.IKEA may have to tweak its business model
IKEA has announced plans to invest Rs 10,500 crore in India. The proposal is now awaiting clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. In India, the company may have to alter its business model to comply with riders on its investment proposal.India's overall share of global tourist traffic up
The rate of growth in the number of foreign tourists visiting and discovering India has wavered over the past decade. India's overall share of global tourist traffic, however, has risen substantially.Inept policy making keeps economy in low equilibrium
The Indian economy is set for its worst performance in a decade with no quick fixes in sight. The economy is jammed - between a government struggling to tame a burgeoning fiscal deficit and a central bank jittery about elevated inflation.Cash transfer scheme faces implementation challenges
The government aims to transfer Rs 3.2 trillion, or $58 billion, a year to beneficiaries of its subsidy schemes and welfare programmes by the direct cash transfer scheme. It is still unclear though, how the government arrived at the Rs 3.2 trillion figure.Review: Lenovo Ideapad, Nikon Coolpix S800c
Lenovo Ideapad Z580 weighs a robust 2.6 kg. The Nikon Coolpix S800c is among the first Android cameras in India.On Record/Parliament deadlock over FDI in Retail
When McDonald's and Pizza Hut came, they (the opposition) protested saying business would go... But Nathu sweets, Bikanerwala shops have flourished and expanded, Anand Sharma, Commerce and Industry Minister, to agencies'For the first time, we will develop in India, then export'
Olof Persson, President of AB Volvo and Chief Executive Officer of the Volvo Group, spoke to Dearton Thomas Hector about the Swedish company's India and global strategy during his recent visit to India.News you may have missed last fortnight
With Christmas and New Year approaching, air fares and hotel tariffs for favoured destinations such as Goa are going through the roof.Tips for managers who find it hard to be assertive
There are plenty of managers who have trouble asserting themselves. The ability to be firm when required to is a vital skill managers need, but many are found lacking in, say leadership coaches.Mulled wine is a great companion for a cold winter evening. While it's easy to get wrong, it's not hard to make it the right way either. Here's how.