Cover Story
- The chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla, comes across as a very modest, self-effacing person. He spoke candidly and disarmingly about his empire, his business philosophy, and the way he runs his work and his life.
- Over the years Kumar Mangalam Birla has tinkered with the business model, while growing the Aditya Birla group about 20 times. He keeps restructuring and fine tuning, all the while monitoring the strategy closely. Will his constellation be in alignment with his goal?SPECIAL: The Birla Biz Model His core team:Ajay Srinivasan | Himanshu Kapania | Santrupt Misra | Debu Bhattacharya
How AXON is putting HCL Tech in the big league
The story is about how an acquired company transformed the acquirer. The acquisition of AXON by HCL Tech had its share of drama. But, once the two companies came together, HCL Tech was pulling AXON into every deal by deploying high-priced consultants. That helped the IT firm in reporting a significant revenue growth.Cooking technology that turns agricultural waste into money
Pune-based First Energy has developed cooking technology that turns agricultural waste into money.The sugar industry stares at an unprecedented glut
The sugar industry stares at an unprecedented glut - all because of excessive state control. The years ahead could well see the sugar industry in a deeper crisis if production rises further and government policy remains inflexible.Five auto manufacturing hubs compete for investment
With the emergence of Gujarat, India now has five large auto hubs followed by Chennai that is often called the Detroit of South Asia. The others are Pune, Pantnagar, and the NCR. As the competition between them is intense, states woo investors with facilities and incentives that avoids concentration of labour in one location.Rating agencies want to diversify
Like any listed company, a rating agency must deliver consistent revenue growth and keep its shareholders happy. Many in the industry argue that, given the lack of a sizeable debt market, agencies look beyond their core business and end up grading business schools, IPOs, MFIs, real estate projects and even hospitals. Is the lack of a vibrant debt market in the country spelling trouble for the industry?The entire process of preparing environment impact assessments has been corrupted
Inept and dishonest environment impact assessments tip the scales against Nature. Not only are there numerous many instances of faulty environment impact assessments, but the routine manner in which the government clears them is also alarming.CAG report indicts civil aviation and hydrocarbons sectors
The recent CAG reports on the civil aviation and hydrocarbons sectors reflect that dubious decisions plague India's governance. The auditor general has brought to notice that the country is shackled by an archaic superstructure that is not in sync with an economy on the threshold of crossing $2 trillion.
Hyundai's new small car Eon can give competition to Maruti
Hyundai will launch its new small car Eon today. Dubbed as Maruti Alto's competitor, the car has already created a lot of buzz in the market and is expected to hurt Maruti Suzuki more than its striking workers.German car giants gung-ho on Indian car market
German car giants at the Frankfurt Auto Show were gung-ho on India.
Religare Enterprises' Sunil Godhwani admires N.R. Narayana Murthy
Religare Enterprises chairman & Managing Director Sunil Godhwani shares his leadership style.
Reader's view on Business Today articles
Your cover story (The Takeover Man , October 2) put in perspective the growth of M&M in the last two decades under Anand Mahindra and the trials and tribulations he faced in implementing his ambitious goals.
People who made news
Starring: Divya Narendra, Vinod Jain, Ashok Soota, N. Srinivasan, Srini Koppolu
Is corporate environment is becoming more open to pink slip disclosures
If you are fired or sidelined, should you openly air your feelings? Davidow outlines how overconnectivity can be lethal
Davidow outlines how overconnectivity can be lethal.
Professionals build not only muscle tone at gyms, but also contacts.
The exclusive club is so yesterday. The ambitious young professional has found a new hangout to make friends and influence people, share corporate gossip, and learn about new job openings or upcoming contracts: the upmarket gym.
Should you invest in fixed deposits or debt funds?
With interest rates rising, should you invest in fixed deposits or debt funds? How different things work
After his successful anti-corruption campaign, Anna Hazare declared he will wage a similar one for the citizens' right to recall elected representatives.The rise of Gmail's popularity
Gmail indeed dominates the e-mail world. In India, Gmail's growth and popularity have been astounding. RBI approves Axis Bank's revised plan to acquire Enam Securities, allows Enam shareholders to receive Axis Bank sharesGlobal food prices are rising again
Global food prices are rising again, raising concerns about their impact on poverty, overall inflation, and the fiscal health of developing countries, says a World Bank report.Private equity investors train their eyes on the Indian fashion and luxury space
Private equity investors train their eyes on the Indian fashion and luxury space.Hero MotoCorp ad tops the list
In August, ahead of the festive season, auto brands jostled for attention in the BT-TAM top 10 mostwatched ads list, with Hero seeking to establish its new identity and Tata Aria burning the track with some racy James Bond-like moves.Quotes from business and political leaders
If the demand is actually captured and work provided, the budget may go up several times… Jairam Ramesh, Rural Development Minister, on the annual allocation for MGNREGA, in Business StandardIndia's and the world's most talked about CEOs (September 2011)
In September, the focus on business honchos receded as media outlets became preoccupied with Anna Hazare. Among CEOs, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata was the most-discussed.Do you expect a reworked Lokpal Bill to be passed in the winter session?
An overwhelming majority of respondents has replied in the negative. Not surprising considering the way the government initially sought to push through its draft of the Lokpal Bill, completely ignoring the viewpoint of civil society.India is an economic powerhouse, says Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's Alex Thursby
On a recent India visit, Alex Thursby, CEO for Asia Pacific, Europe & America, ANZ, spoke to BT's Rajiv Bhuva about the financial chaos in the West and its implication for Asia as well as of ANZ's larger India plans. Edited excerpts of the interview:For how long the RBI will continue with its rate hike cycle
Unless the government supports it on curbing inflation, RBI will have to kill the high-growth momentum. In the war on inflation, there are limits to what RBI can achieve without government support.
International employee mobility increases despite slowdown fears
An Aon Hewitt study reveals international employee mobility continues to increase even in a global economy gripped by slowdown. 
