After 13 years of half-baked economic liberalization, how difficult is it to run a business in India? Comparisons with other countries would be useful, but are technically difficult. The World Bank’s recent publication “Doing Business in 2004”, bravely tries to […]
Doing Business: how difficult is it? Read More »
Most Indians hate George Bush\’s militarism in Iraq, and rooted for John Kerry in the US Presidential debates. Yet, despite major differences on whether the Iraq war was justified, the two have much in common on future action in Iraq.
Capitalists//The good news is that GDP in the first quarter grew by 7.4 per cent, well above expectations. The bad news is that the price of crude oil has crossed $50 a barrel. Call me a pessimist, but I think
Costly oil, slower growth Read More »
Capitalists make millions of out filthy commerce, while their left-wing critics starve, right? Wrong. We are witnessing a new phenomenon, the rise of left-wing capitalism. The prize example of this is Michael Moore\’s latest film Fahrenheit 9/11. A famous American
Rise of left-wing capitalism Read More »
The feel-good factor suddenly seems back again. Stock markets are booming, and foreign institutional investors are pouring dollars into India again. Despite a deficient monsoon, many forecasters predict GDP growth of 6-6.5 per cent. This implies that, with a normal
Power: India\’s Achilles\’ heel Read More »
The feel-good factor suddenly seems back again. Stock markets are booming, and foreign institutional investors are pouring dollars into India again. Despite a deficient monsoon, many forecasters predict GDP growth of 6-6.5 per cent. This implies that, with a normal
Power: India\’s Achilles\’ heel Read More »
The Census Commissioner has been castigated, rightly, for distorting the population growth rate of Muslims in the decade 1991-01. The correct rate is 29.3 per cent, not 36 per cent as originally announced. Still, why is the Muslim rate so
Muslims, learn from Bangladesh Read More »
During the Uruguay Round talks on trade in the early 1990s, India fought tooth and nail against two new trade rules proposed for the World Trade Organisation. One was to make intellectual property rights (patents, copyright, trade marks) an integral
Patents as a retaliatory weapon Read More »
I cheer the upsurge of microfinance in the last decade. Mohammed Yunus of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh first demonstrated the value or organizing poor women into self-help groups (SHGs), with the group guaranteeing repayment by any member. These microfinance groups
Microfinance: directed lending that works Read More »
Indian visitors to China are overwhelmed by skyscrapers, flyovers and expressways. China is leaving India far behind. Yet, in one unexpected respect, India is far ahead. Both countries have a proud architectural heritage. India\’s pride is the Taj Mahal, a
Democracy saves Taj Read More »
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