Cover Story

Cold property
A clutch of realty IPOs hangs fire as investors lose their appetite for the underperforming sector.

2010-07-25

From the Editor

What emotion assailed you when you walked into the first home you owned? Most people would list one or more of joy, pride, fulfilment, security - and relief.

BT More

My stuff

Fawaz Gruosi, Founder and President, de Grisogono

Designs on life

As custom becomes key, luxury brands are breaching new frontiers in the world of limited edition automobiles.

Consumables Depot

Join us as we traverse the world with a fork and a glass, tracking developments in the world of food and drink.

Golf's own country

You're almost tempted to pull out ancient hickory shafted clubs from the last century when you tee it up at Northern Ireland's 'links' golf courses. And why not? Ulster's 95 courses have it all, and to brim it off, the Guinness is forever on tap.

In the pink

Sunshine, long considered a powerful source of Vitamin D, is under scrutiny as researchers compare its benefits with medication.

Barefoot in the park

Runnerwriter Charlie Norton discovers the joys of barefoot running. He finds that it's not only about putting your best foot forward, it's also about freeing your mind, body and spirit.

What's new in the racing world

Fast cars, bikes and boats. Racing tidbits from around the world.

Manual: Do it yourself guide

A scrape on your car needn't put a dent in your day, or spirits; here are some handy tips to put you out of your misery. Start from scratch.

Track and wield

Check the desirability quotient

Bohemian rhapsody

Actor Jeremy Irons' 15th-century medieval castle in County Cork, Ireland is a quirky bohemian retreat. Learn enough to bandy about the details even if you cannot afford a visit.

The French Kiss

Enough of couture and fragrances. The French have far more to offer, and India, for one, can't get enough of their skincare treatments. That's because the products are largely based on hydrotherapy, which is ideal for our skins.

Letters

New Stars in the Sky

When low cost carriers appeared on the Indian aviation scene in the late 1990s, they heralded the start of a trend towards cheaper air travel.

Leadership Spotlight

Leaderspeak with Ashok Soota

Here is a small Q&A with Ashok Soota, Executive Chairman, MindTree.

Utility

Your eyes are drying for a break

If you spend hours staring at a computer screen, it's time to prevent eye fatigue.

People, place and products

Here is take on people, places and products doing the rounds these days.

Book

Unleashing the potential

The message is that companies should offer customised work experiences.

Technology

Guard your privacy online

Online privacy, and the lack of it, is something that goes beyond Facebook.

Money

Why aren't you e-Filing?

It's time to debunk the myths that keep people from using this easy, efficient and eco-friendly mode of filing tax returns.

Tax

The easy way to file tax returns

With the deadline around the corner, it's important to know how to do the job with ease.

Career

Fitting in as a fresher

Across India Inc., employee attrition is the highest for those at the entry level, and within the first year. Landing a job is tough, fitting in can be tougher.

Features

Ranbaxy's new glow

Two years after it slammed into a US regulatory wall, Ranbaxy Laboratories, under its Japanese owners, is working the hard way to be back among the stars.

Funny thing, success

SAB TV laughs its way to the ranks of the Top 5 Hindi GECs, getting close to flagship Sony.

Juggling training and pina coladas

Koenig Solutions sits on a gold mine, offering a package of offshore tech certification and tourism to trainees from Europe to Africa.

What next?

With phone operators busy readying 3G offerings in India, BT looks at what you can expect before the turn of the year.

Profiting from Europe's pain

Indian outsourcers gun for public sector contracts in Europe as governments scramble to cut costs and rein in debt.

Getting a handle on poverty

Hand in Hand's goal is to help millions of entrepreneurs bloom.

Special

"Becoming global is not an option, becoming global is a business necessity"

As hopes of an economic recovery brighten — despite clouds over Europe — the Indian BPO industry is looking decidedly upbeat.

60 minutes

"India might be able to leapfrog credit cards"

After taking two Silicon Valley technology companies public over a span of 10 years (1990-2000), Carol Realini  had decided to settle in the ski-resort city of Aspen. But a trip to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, opened her eyes to a huge opportunity.

Corporate

Godrej's rediscovery of India

They say they touch more consumers than any other Indian company — and it's not just with soaps, locks and cupboards.

The roller-coaster man

After lying low for most part of the decade, Manoj Tirodkar is back with a bang with two big deals in 2010.

Breaking away from the past

Puneet Dalmia has injected into his group a strong appetite for growth - something it lacked for six decades.

Columns

India's next mega market

While margins of 20-30 per cent in low income housing may not seem attractive to traditional real estate developers, they make inherent business sense for corporates used to tighter margins.

Lending to people, not paper

New companies such as MHFC and MAS Financial Services, and longer term pioneers such as Dewan Housing Finance and Gruh Finance, are among the few housing finance firms who serve home financing demand from low income, informal sector customers.

Real Estate

Low cost, big dreams

It may not have the glamour of mobile phones or airlines but no-frills housing is beginning to get off the blocks and promises to be a big, big business.

It's dull at the office

The commercial real estate market is in the doldrums, thanks to a huge supply overhang.

Infra

Recovery still fragile and patchy

Two years after the property bubble burst, developers are back with cleaner balance sheets and projects that range from no-frills homes to swanky towers. But customers are not biting.

Focus

Two cheers for oil reforms

Subsidies on LPG and kerosene are not only desirable but can also be made viable, argues Kirit Parikh.

IRDA's ULIP salvo

Days after being anointed the ULIPs regulator, IRDA has rung in far-reaching policy changes for over two crore unit holders.

China's Yuan red herring

Financial markets globally were cheered by China's announcement recently — and its action later — that it would make its currency more flexible.

Review and technology

Nokia's latest, and a very loud flat panel TV.

Changing Track

Rajiv Dube, for long President for passenger cars at Tata Motors, has decided to move out of the Tata Group and join the Aditya Birla Group.

Well Said

Contractionary policies, if followed by many industrialised countries simultaneously, could provoke a double-dip recession. We have much greater risk of deflation than inflation.

Cleaning Raju's Augean stables

Maytas cleans up its books but is left with a low profitability construction business.

"Hotel rooms will become cheaper"

Dan Lynn, Asia-Pacific Head of US travel company Expedia, was on his first trip to India recently to understand the complexities of the online travel market here.

We respond to market trends

Britain's biggest footwear brand, Pavers, is a relatively new entrant in India but is ramping up aggressively.

The Jabulani's Malayali heart

The Jabulani, the FIFA 2010 World Cup's official match ball, has been branded as "supernatural" and a "supermarket ball" for its unpredictable trajectory and balance.

Navi Mumbai's missing airport

The proposal for an international airport in Navi Mumbai has been shuttling government offices of Maharashtra and Centre for almost two decades now.

Herman-Miller Aeron

What can you say about a product that is considered an icon of modern industrial design?