Cover Story

A Tall Promise
A look at the key announcements of this government's last Budget and a brief snapshot of its spends and earnings.

Poor Man's Budget
Rural development, agriculture and social pensions all found prominent mention in the Budget announcements.
Fiscal Profligacy
The spending involved in implementing Budget proposals will throw the fiscal position off track.
Soponomics
Can the Modi government fund the bonanza of sops for voters without wrecking the country's financial stability?
Too Little Too Late
The government has tried to apply balm on realty sector's wounds with sops ahead of the 2019 general elections. But that may not be enough.
India In 2030
A lot of NDAs vision for the future is similar to BJPs 2014 manifesto.

2019-02-24

Digital

SUBSCRIBE NOW

The Buzz

Turbulent Times Ahead

RCom had been trying to conclude its Rs 25,000 crore 2017 deal with Reliance Jio, owned by Mukesh Ambani.

Crashing Bottom Line

Third phase of Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik scheme awarded airlines 235 routes to create a seat capacity of 6.9 million, the biggest seat addition so far.

Side Effects

Many brands of widely used medicines such as Telmisartan, Rabeprazole, Vitamin C, Furosemide are just not available.

Losing Shine

If Goyal is to realise his dream, more than lip service is needed.

Unmanageable Commitments

Interim FM Piyush Goyal said the government would digitalise 100,000 villages over the next five years.

No Country for Women

Like last year, women comprise 70 per cent of MUDRA Yojana beneficiaries getting loans for new ventures.

Tanked Outlay

The government is planning to spend Rs 1.08 lakh crore on pensions as compared to Rs 93,982 crore on capital outlay.

Not Aiming High Enough

With the largest chunk of the young population in an ageing world, leveraging education to create tomorrow's workforce is imperative.

No Josh Here

The question, in the Interim Budget's case, is not 'How's the Josh?' but 'Where's the Josh?'

Why RBI Gets It Wrong

The backward-looking household survey does not capture the full picture, thus leading to elevated inflation projections and consequent policy error.

At Any Cost

Chinese apps are going all out to capture small-town millennials from India.

Questionable Numbers

Is Indian GDP data going the Chinese way?

Bank Not Above Board

Why did the ICICI Bank board wait 10 months to act against its erstwhile CEO?

Ruing Their Situation

The Ruias may well end up as a benchmark of how business shouldn't be conducted by families desperate to retain control.

What Are They Hiding?

Transparency is critical to long-term success.

The Break-Out Zone

Old Speakers Made Smart

Amazon's Echo Input houses a four-microphone array for capturing your voice from anywhere in the room even when the music is playing.

Look No Further

The company's latest entrant costs Rs 10,000 less than its predecessor but still manages to live up to expectations.

A Heist Like No Other

1MDB, one of the biggest kleptocracy scandals in history, contains stuff Hollywood movies are made of.

Outstanding Golfing Action

The winning team prevailed with a combined score of 95 points.

Splurge In Style

Start the year with a celebration of self - go on a luxe vacation, sample gourmet food and indulge in Savile Row-quality clothes.

Behind Buybacks

Getting an assured sum for an old device sounds tempting, but one has to be aware of the pitfalls.

Waiting For Smart Carts

Self-checkout shopping baskets will be more than just a convenience. They will encourage buying.

Listen To The Beat

Heart rhythm abnormalities are a growing cause for concern, but a little caution and timely tracking of early warning signs should help.

Investment

Less Taxing

Here are the best options that you can use to optimise tax savings.

Money Matters

Managing your money can be tricky. Send your queries, and top-notch industry leaders will help you resolve any issue.

Money Today

Middle Class Bonanza

Zero tax on taxable income of up to Rs 5 lakh to provide relief to a big section of the tax-paying population.

The Hub

'All Our Products Will Be Made In India'

Michele Buck, the first woman CEO of the $7.5 billion The Hershey Company, is writing her company's India growth story by focusing on value-added chocolate products. In an interview with Ajita Shashidhar, Buck talks about the chocolate major's commitment to grow in emerging markets across the world and India in particular. Edited excerpts:

New Rider At IDFC First Bank

V Vaidyanathan, the new boss of the merged entity, has had a good run but now faces challenges and high expectations.

Milk and More

From dark chocolates and frozen snacks to cookies and cakes, the country's official milkman - Amul - is looking beyond dairy.

Government's Cash Cows

Despite the call for large-scale disinvestment, PSUs continue to bail out the government.

Fresh Designs

Innovative and disruptive strategies are helping Kalyan Jewellers beat competition; now, it wants to more than double revenues and the number of stores in five years.

Legal Fee Squeeze

Sectoral growth has not translated into growth in fees paid for professional and legal services.

Making The Cut

Value fashion retailers are reporting runaway growth by dressing up the masses.

Side-Pocketing Should Be Next Tax Focus

Now that mutual funds are allowed to segregate risky assets, tax implications in such cases should be well-defined.

FROM THE MAG

Game Of Throne

With global giants Amazon and Netflix pouring money to develop original Indian content and desi players not far behind, the OTT race has entered an exciting phase.

Leadership Spotlight

Leaderspeak

Under his leadership, Salesforce India has grown more than double year on year and expanded the team to 1,000-plus employees across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Editors note