Cover Story
- Volkswagen, already top dog in Europe, China and South America, is ready for its big India push. Now that it has an indirect stake in Maruti Suzuki, here's why Indian carmakers ought to be worried.
- An estimated Rs 100,000 crore might be invested in the coming five years to expand production capacity in India.
- This year will see a slew of car launches, and not just at the top end.
- In the rarefied air of Rs 30-lakh plus cars, a new king has been crowned.
- The misfiring auto parts giant is counting on India to prime it back to growth.
- Six months after India's auto wonder rolled out, BT asked some of the first buyers what made them buy it. Love at first sight, with no tiffs so far? Well, minor ones…
From the Editor
The age-old debate on the separation between the church and the state is of special significance to us. How India is changing PepsiCo
Under Indra Nooyi PepsiCo wants to become a smarter and healthier food and beverages company. Here's the story on how India is at the vanguard of that transition.PepsiCo's India talent factory
The number of Indians rotated through the Indian offices of PepsiCo to the rest of the enterprise and other companies is spectacular."India is going to be our biggest learning lab"
Indira Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo, took time to speak with BT's Rohit Saran and Shamni Pande on why PepsiCo India holds the key to the transformation that PepsiCo is unleashing upon itself globally. Why adding 55 minutes to trading hours has become such a big issue between the stock exchange administrators and the brokers. Political calculations may have spurred the recent demand for new states but a study shows that states perform better economically after they break up into smaller entities. Should the once-a-year CAT be made flexible like the GMAT, with multiple attempts in a year, dates of choice and bankable scores? Most experts say yes—but in due course.The swelling cloud in the blue sky
Cloud computing is expected to be a $42-billion opportunity by 2012, and Indian IT services' top tier doesn't want to lose out on this great white hope. The negative emotion, if managed effectively, can bolster success. Eight years after Tata Finance came apart, the Tata Group is ready with the first phase of its second wind in financial services with a former group company CFO at the helm.Gaining rural currency (and remitting it)
India is the largest recipient of remittances in the world, and roughly 60 per cent of those go into rural areas. That's one reason why Western Union has spread deep and wide into the countryside. There is no doubt that MapmyIndia has some of the best maps, but Rs 2,490 for the software is a bit pricey, considering Google Maps (far from perfect, admittedly) is free.
Investment outlook for 2010
When a year has been as unbelievably good as 2009 was for the market, the New Year brings with it not just hope but also uncertainty. To quell investor anxiety, BT gets financial market experts to foretell how the different asset classes will fare in 2010. Letters
The economic headwinds set off by the downturn did take businesses for a rough-knuckled ride. TFC's magic wand
The Thirteenth Finance Commission makes some radical—but highly desirable and doable—prescriptions.India Inc. tops the leadership charts
The resilience of India Inc. during the economic downturn has won it the top position in a global survey of confidence in corporate leadership.'Cohort' Joins IIM-A Placement Jargon
There will no longer be a 'day zero' at IIM-Ahmedabad, when top firms come calling to recruit some of the brightest young management graduates. When problems between Paramount Airways and its lessor surfaced recently, many wondered whether another airline had hit a bad patch. Speaking to N. Madhavan, the Paramount Airways MD, M. Thiagarajan, though, strikes a defiant note. WorldSpace had filed for bankruptcy under chapter 11 of the US laws in 2008 after incurring debts of over $2.9 billion. The shutting of Indian operations, therefore, was imminent.Indians splurge on luxury without guilt
The economic slowdown has seemingly not affected the Indian consumers as much as their counterparts in Hong Kong, France or U.K. At least, their appetite for luxury remains healthy as ever. Railways. A white paper tabled by Banerjee in Parliament trashes Lalu's track record at the helm of the Railways Ministry asserting that his performance was actually "below par". The Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE) is all set to begin its new innings from February. Data trickling in from around the world indicates that most major economies have returned to positive growth in the second half of 2009. So, 2010 is certain to be the year of global economic recovery. Mukesh Ambani and K.V. Kamath get a place at the high table in an HBR study of long-term performance.Eating wisely for a greener world
A study shows how changing food habits of Indians will slow down the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the country by 2020. "I can only say that those who didn't give Zoozoos an award at Cannes are first-class idiots" Has Scientific Research in India Kept Pace with the Country's Economic Progress?
An elite panel attempts to answer this question, and more, in this discussion on Securing India's Scientific Future. Of bold investors and multi-asset-class products
Once full convertibility is in place and the 2011 Tax Code ends the distinction between domestic and global products, there is likely to be greater demand for global investment products. We should learn to do "More with Less" resources so that "More" people can participate in growth... India doesn't have a "forgetting curve" to worry about. Simply superb
Captain Gopinath's autobiography is a treasure trove of real life lessons in starting a business. BT-Ernst and Young deal watch
The Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals and Hospira Inc. deal for the purchase of the former's generic injectable pharmaceuticals business will benefit both parties. 
