The new governments reluctance to lose control over the public sector banks is nothing new  the previous administration too had made it clear that the public sector character of these banks would

Banking contradictions

Business Standard

The Indian economy has reaped the benefits over the last few years of continuously falling interest rates. The benefits have flowed mostly to borrowers  both corporate and retail  as abundant money

Dilemma for savers

While some parts of government are hell-bent on reducing the prices that consumers pay for services, others are taking the more rational view that people have to pay a fair price for the services they

A fair increase

Its difficult enough to set up a power project in a country where the biggest buyers, the state electricity boards (SEBs), are bankrupt. Whats making things worse is the growing confusion over what

Alternating currents

The Securities and Exchange Board of Indias (Sebis) final order against Samir Arora, former chief investment officer of Alliance Capital Management Fund, bars him from dealing in securities for five

Test case

The governments new dredging policy that perpetuates the monopoly of the state-owned Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) is quite amazing in this day and age, considering that the policy in most

The old mindset

The stagnation in fertiliser consumption since 2000  following a perceptible deceleration in the 1990s  is a cause for concern. It has already impacted crop production. The farm output growth

The case for organic growth

Azim Premjis foray into Kolkata is probably the best news coming out of the city for a long time. While Wipro will have 6,000 people in its Salt Lake electronics complex once the facility begins

Return to Eden

Throughout 2003 and so far in 2004, the rupee has been appreciating against the dollar. For a variety of reasons, the demand for dollars in India is now less than their supply. 


Taxing choices

If youve wondered why Indias politicians dont instinctively favour policies that help create wealth, the secret is now out: few of them invest in the stock market. 


Money in mattresses

Showing a rare unanimity, all political parties have gone to the Election Commission for the third time in as many general elections and complained about opinion and exit polls. 


Pols scared of polls

Many recent headlines on the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector have been singing a dirge. The US backlash, contract delays, high employee attrition rates and question marks over quality at

BPO's next phase

Though the countrys citizens typically dont vote on the basis of economic vision statements, theyd be terribly confused if they did  since the vision documents of both the BJP and the Congress are

Convergence of ideas

The ruling National Democratic Alliances election manifesto cannot be faulted for lack of ambition. 


The market and Keynes

In December 2001, when Enron filed for bankruptcy, the government had a good chance to resolve the impasse over the Dabhol Power Company (DPC), with the largest shareholder bankrupt. 


Still tangled

You have to give the government full marks for enthusiasm  it manages to pull off a coup by selling six issues in the stock market to raise around Rs 14,000 crore in barely a months time, and

And pigs will fly

The latest figures of the Index of Industrial Production are evidence that industry too is turning buoyant. The provisional estimates for the 11 months of 2003-04 (April-February) has increased to 6.7

Good growth pattern

0The report that a mutual fund has been illegally switching money invested with it by a provident fund into equities, raises several concerns. 


Predictable problem

An investor in Hindustan Lever would have earned a return of less than 2 per cent if he had bought the stock a year ago. 


A growth lever?

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is trying its level best to stop the flood of dollars pouring into the country. 


Problem of plenty

As Indians stroll down to the polling booths today in the first phase of the countrys 14th general elections, many voters will wonder what exactly they are voting for. 


Many convergences

Incisive columns and editorial comment by top opinion leaders

Page 326 - Editorial Comment