The years of burning cash to get traction are over: players across sectors are busy cutting costs and looking for efficient distribution models as they focus on renewals instead of growth.

With the 26-year-old civil war coming to an end in Sri Lanka, India Inc. is on the threshold of a never-like-before opportunity to do business with the island nation.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, presenting Union Budget 2009-10, risks it all in his gamble for growth. He does have a few aces up his sleeve, but they may not be enough. Puja Mehra tells us more.Pranab fails to package See special coverage

We are never happy about losing people but we have to be realistic. Citi is a favourite hunting ground for talent, says Mark Robinson.

Resolve, right men and revenue are the three Rs that can set the economy on fast track. Here's how fixing the three Rs can help the UPA redeem itself as an economic administrator of excellence. Puja Mehra writes.

The initial relief of electing a stable government rapidly converts into great expectations from the UPA government. Can the two—the market rally and big-bang reform—move in tandem in the days ahead?

Dalal Street is in celebratory mode, but it may be a bit early to pop the champagne.

The Indian rich not only emits much more CO2 than the poor, he is a more ineffi cient consumer of energy than the rich in developed countires, fi nds a Greenpeace survey. Here is how worrisome the situation has become and what to do about it.

For the first time since the dotcom bust, infotech majors face the prospect of decline in revenues and profits. What does this mean for the future of IT services, tech jobs and tech stocks?

If Indian IT services gets its act together, it could grow by six times by 2020. That’s a big if.

Forecast of a near-normal monsoon has raised hopes that India’s agricultural growth might stay on track and prevent the GDP from slipping under six per cent.

P. Chidambaram—who during his various stints as finance minister has come to be seen as the champion of economic reforms in the country—communicates reforms to his people and, in fact, implements them. He is one politician who can sell good economics as good politics. N. Madhavan visits his constituency, Sivaganga, to test the hypothesis.

While global giants such as China have seen a drop in FDI, foreign firms continue to plough money into India.

A book on India and China—and not on India vs China—that is practical and incisive.

3G services could go a long way in driving broadband penetration in India. But the challenge is to ensure that the common man can afford the services.

Dubai gorged itself on a decade-long construction boom that has imploded now. A recovery will mean giving up its opulent habits and focussing on real drivers of growth.

Two decades after entering India, Microsoft is changing tack. Though its renewed push has coincided with the economic slowdown, the changes in the company’s strategy are for the long term. Rahul Sachitanand reports.

Getting the highways sector back on track can be the surest way of beating the slowdown.

The fortnight’s burning question. Is the performance of UPA government on economic matters better than the NDA government?

Stagnant urban demand, collapse of export markets and relative rural prosperity are drawing companies to the countryside. Which means that the slowdown has not impacted the rural markets as much as their urban counterparts, reports Tejeesh N.S. Behl.Reform to Re-farmOn the farm trailColour of money