Cover Story
- While retail chains fret, cash and carry businesses are gung-ho.
- Kishore Biyani met BT Editor Chaitanya Kalbag on May 23 for a candid conversation in which the retail tycoon explained why he is selling parts of his empire. The sale of the Future Capital stake was announced on June 4. READ BIYANI'S EXCLUSIVE FULL INTERVIEW
- Retail in India is a complex business, where a stockpile of cash is a big advantage. A new store takes time to stabilise and break even, so companies must balance the number of stable, profit-making stores and new ones. A fat pile of cash can make the ride shorter and smoother.
Indian companies can draw lessons from two books that celebrate frugal innovation
Indian companies too can draw lessons from these two books that celebrate frugal innovation.
Manmohan Singh's Myanmar visit will improve economic ties
Manmohan Singh's Myanmar visit will improve economic ties, says Akash Banerjee, who travelled with him to Naypyidaw.Does Google offer advertisers a better return on investment than Facebook?
Comparisons are being drawn between Facebook and Google, although one is a search engine and the other a social network. As things stand, Google is far ahead in the race for advertising revenues. In 2011, its total advertising revenues stood at $36.5 billion, over ten times more than Facebook's $3.1 billion.Reasons for persistently high food inflation
The reasons for the persistently high food inflation of the last few years have been much debated. Many ascribe it to the rising incomes of Indians, which is leading to greater consumption and pushing up prices.Inadequate whistle-blowing policies hindrance to checking corporate fraud
Perhaps one of the biggest deterrents to whistleblowing about corruption in Indian companies is the fact that current laws do not guarantee protection of the whistle-blower's identity.Review: Samsung SIII and Sony A77
The SIII pips other Android phones with its 1.4 GHz quad-core processor which has a 1GB RAM, and some intelligent features. Space missions are no longer the preserve of governments. On May 22, for the first time, a private company launched a spacecraft, which docked at the International Space Station three days, six hours, 11 minutes and 23 seconds later.Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore on team's success in IPL
Venky Mysore, CEO and Managing Director of Kolkata Knight Riders Sports and Leisure Pvt Ltd, speaks about his team's recent victory in the fifth edition of the IPL, the challenges of building a successful team and the tough decisions he had to take after coming on board.Petrol price hike: Who said what
The hike will further widen the gap between petrol and diesel cars. Something needs to be done to balance the demand for both types of vehicles, says R.C. Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki, to CNBC-TV18Petrol price hikes won't help cut subsidy burden much
Petrol does not account for more than 10 per cent of the total fuel consumption in India. The big question is over how the government plans to deal with the prices of diesel, LPG and kerosene, which it controls.White Paper on black money falls short on several counts
The white paper spells out the government's options and strategies to curb the problem, but makes no startling revelations or radical suggestions.
Companies selling breast implants are getting a boost
It may have received some bad press of late following reports of serious defects in implants made by a French company, but breast augmentation is a booming business in India. In fact, it is the third most common aesthetic surgery procedure in the country today.Qualcomm deal shows Bharti Airtel is serious about broadband wireless
Qualcomm announced in May that Bharti Airtel had picked up a 49 per cent stake in Wireless Business Services, the chipmaker's BWA licensee here in India. The deal shows Airtel is serious about broadband wireless.A close look at IndiGo - India's only profitable airline at present
When every other airline is struggling, how does IndiGo thrive? Photo editor Vivan Mehra takes a close look at the operations of India's only profitable airline.Political paralysis takes India's GDP to a nine-year low
Latest government figures show India's industrial output for April at a meagre 0.1 per cent. Despite high hopes that RBI could cut interest rates again, it alone cannot restore confidence in India's economy, writes Shweta Punj.Air India-Indian Airlines merger: A study on how not to merge two entities
From being a market leader on domestic routes in 2001 - the operation was called Indian Airlines then, before it merged into Air India - to becoming an also-ran today, Air India makes for a case study on how not to merge two entities.Auction proposals: JS Sarma brought more gloom than before to telecom regulation
Former Trai chairman J S Sarma is unlikely to be flooded with greeting cards this Diwali from the industry he regulated for three years. He is equally unlikely to fret over it.Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on competition, future and more
In an interview to Business Today, Steve Ballmer recounts the journey, why the $70-billion Microsoft is looking stronger than ever before, and how he intends to tackle Google.New breed of brokers make home buying experience smoother than before
A new breed of brokers is making the home buying experience cleaner and smoother than before.Why rupee fall is of no help to exporters this time
Exporters should have benefited from the depreciation of the rupee. But the sheer volatility of the rupee in the last few months has in fact hurt those who hedged the currency and made long-term planning extremely risky for all.
Understanding other cultures in a globalised business world important
In a globalised business world, understanding other cultures is essential. Explicit cultures define every aspect of what needs to be done, implicit ones prefer not to spell out everything. Task-oriented ones prioritise tasks and goals; relationship-oriented ones do not.
How the ultrabook measures up against the traditional laptop and the tablet
Intel's idea behind Ultrabooks was to provide a device which is as convenient to carry around as a tablet while being able to do much more.
Readers views on Business Today June 10 stories
India's growth story has myriad aspects. Your cover story, Desi Boys (June 10) highlights the crucial point that if India's economy has gathered strength, it is not merely due to liberalisation and the entry of foreign players.
Roundup: Events of the fornight
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was still awaiting a debt waiver package from the Centre, but the IPL win was enough to send her into a celebratory mood. Biggest deals in the past 30 days
The other deal is that of Ybrant Digital Limited, an Indian digital marketing services company, promoted by its Chairman and CEO Suresh Reddy. 'Biyani has very big plans in the food sector'
When Biyani, a true-blue entrepreneur who built a retail empire, had to sell a controlling stake in his flagship Pantaloon Retail store chain to the Aditya Birla Group, it must have been a very tough choice to make.
Nine common myths about investing in this market
Rahul Oberoi dispels nine common myths about investing in this market.
Companies investing in programmes that address emotional issues among staff
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} It pays for companies to invest in programmes that address emotional issues among staff. Inappropriate employee behaviour can be a problem. It lowers productivity, raises attrition rates, and creates an unhappy workforce.
Round up: People who made news last fornight
Starring: Dilip S. Shanghvi, Karti P. Chidambaram, C.B. Bhave, Franz Heukamp, Madhavan Menon
