A clutch of brokerages—foreign and Indian—has braved a volatile market and flagged off operations. With an upturn nowhere in sight in the short- to medium-term, can these new kids on the block surive?

BT speaks to 11 of the brightest minds on Dalal Street and gets them to identify their favourite long-term value picks in 2009. These stocks are only for long-term investors.

The Chairman of PFRDA, Dhirendra Swarup, talks about the new pension scheme that will offer safe and balanced growth.

Hiked: By India’s leading car maker Maruti Suzuki, the prices of popular A-Star, Swift, DZire and SX4 models, due to increased input costs and the appreciation of the Japanese yen vis-a-vis the Indian rupee. The price hikes range between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000. However, the company has left the prices of M800, Omni, Alto, WagonR, Zen Estilo, Gypsy, Versa and Grand Vitara untouched.

In 2009, pay packets at middle manager level will remain unchanged— barring for those who perform exceptionally well.

Shrimp and prawn farming, once big business in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, is on the verge of collapse. But the White Prawn may herald a new boom.

For the life insurance industry, one of the few bright spots in the economy currently, the slowdown has been a good time to refocus its priorities.

Rs 1,70,000 crore: This is the value of investment projects that have been shelved due to economic slowdown in India, according to CMIE.

The Satyam scandal does no favours for the IT services sector and for overall investor sentiment.

Air Asia’s Tony Fernandes has blanketed much of Asia with his low-cost airline. Policy environment willing, he could shake-up the aviation industry in India, too.

China’s runaway growth is losing steam. Business Today excerpts a recent review of the Chinese economy published in NCAER’s monthly newsletter Macrotrack to highlight how bad the slowdown really is and how it impacts India.

The Group Chief Executive and a board director of insurer Aviva Plc believes that the global financial crisis positions the insurance firms rather well.

Investor activism more than independent directors can keep managements in check.

43 billion: The number of text messages sent by mobile phone users around the world on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in 2007, 30 per cent more than the previous year.

Get set to cough up a lot more as premium if you want to insure yourself against terror attacks as insurance companies revise their terms.

Recognised: Infosys, as one among the top 20 global companies in the prestigious “Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises” (MAKE) study, 2008.

Ferguson offers insights into the Darwinian quality of finance and lessons for the present, says Chetan Parikh

This is the best time to alert readers about the 'Best companies to work for'—together with each company’s responses to many questions: Does it plan any pay cuts? Does it plan to increase headcount by March 2009? Did its headcount in December 2008 increase over the figure for 2007?

Congratulations on bringing out A great idea to fruition (The Best Advice I Ever Got, January 11).

Grooming talent systematically is one of the critical factors that has helped the company emerge a leader in HR practices.