Cover Story
- 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
- This Monsoon Budget is not a downpour, instead it is more like a drizzle. After the decisive Lok Sabha elections, there was hope that the Budget would reflect equally decisive reform steps.
- Given the Budget’s silence on a number of key issues, Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla has had to spend most of his time after July 6 explaining the unstated details of the Budget strategy. In a candid interview with Puja Mehra, Chawla elaborates on the Budget’s growth gamble.
- The Finance Minister is confident of introducing a uniform goods & services tax (GST) across states by April 2010. Whilst the benefits are plenty, the task is a challenging one.
- The commitment to introduce the new Direct Tax Code signifies the government’s vision to keep tax laws simple and promote tax certainty and improve the quality of tax compliances.
- Whether GST is implemented in 2010 or gets delayed further, the momentum seems to be building irreversibly towards its introduction. This would be by far the biggest story on the indirect tax front.
From the Editor
When Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee says that his Budget was a victim of over-expectation, he was right. We love the new mitsubishi outlander
The contender to the reigning soft-roader is finally here. And we love it! Out with the drab, in with the colour. This seems to be the message with a new generation of designer sneakers. To flee Delhi for Jodhpur is to discover a land of forts and royals. And for this reporter, an opportunity to test the new Volkswagen Passat. When it comes to the Rs 50-lakh sedan market, it’s a face-off between three German powerhouses. Who’s going to come out on top? Khakis are everywhere this season, in a dizzying array of styles. For a taste of China, in more ways than one, Taipei is just the ticket. If you thought that music can be best enjoyed in your living room, think again. In fact, why don’t you let your music take you for a drive?What's new in your world Launchpad
your mini-magazine at the front with everything you need this month, including the best luxury buys, rajasthani cuisine, songs to drive to, vikram baidyanath’s laptop, the true name of mt. everest, nokia’s new phone, prasad bidapa on etiquette, and six bob dylans. What’s new and what’s happening this month. Every issue we ask a prominent businessman about the books that made them the people they are today. This month: Shailendra Singh, Joint MD, Percept Limited.Vikram Baidyanath, CEO of Baidyanath group
He drives BMW 3 Series (325 i) and drink rose water find more!Sound like you know about mt everest
You thought you knew all about the world’s highest mountain. Time to do a checklist. When it comes to the Rs 50-lakh sedan market, it’s a face-off between three German powerhouses. Who’s going to come out on top? Dear Readers, if I can begin this Drive issue with an appeal to my fellow drivers, a simple three words—please give way. Posh Mayfair restaurant Taman Gang comes to India. Supermodel and star of Fashion, Mugdha Godse is currently single and enjoys being wooed. How is a brand that’s synonymous with safety going to make any headway with perhaps the least safetyconscious driving public in the world? For years, Skoda was a joke of a brand in Europe and North America. But in its second innings, the car company has shed its old image and acquired a new, swish one. Stunning good looks, unadulterated power and oodles of charm make the Ducati 848 the most desirable sports bike to have hit Indian roads yet.No bull, just wine good wine in good company
The company in which you have a bottle of wine makes a difference to its taste. The price isn’t directly proportional to the level of enjoyment you can extract from it. Far from the madding crowd, Wildflower Hall in Shimla is a tribute to colonial pleasures. There’s little match for the decadence of a Brazilian churrascaria. We went to Wildfire in Gurgaon to see how it’s done. This monsoon, take advantage of the great spa deals that are on offer, both at destination spas across the country or at the best spas in your city. The Chairman and MD of Raymonds has many fast cars, jets and yachts to choose from, but if he had to choose, he'd pick his 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo. The monsoon mayhem shouldn’t deter you from getting all things precious. Celebrate the season with these brand new buys. Can Nokia's latest N97 really beat the iPhone? The great reward of a road trip to the hills is arriving in one piece. Digital in Devanahalli
The first in a series profiling entrepreneurs that look beyond the metros, BT features Comat Technologies, which gives rural people quick access to digitised documents and also trains them for jobs. Nandan Nilekani makes the move from the most prestigious position at India’s most prestigious company to bagging his most prestigious and challenging contract yet. Rahul Sachitanand tells more. Can this man save GM India?
Karl Slym, the General Motors India MD, is a tornado of activity, delivering vehicles to consumers and starring in media campaigns. Will this be enough to save his company? Kushan Mitra & Rishi Joshi find out. Put Railways on the fast track
Consider taking up the construction of dedicated freight corridors on these routes (about 11,500 km double line; approximate cost Rs 1,50,000 crore) as a national project funded by the Government of India, to be completed in 10 years. 
