Cover Story

Hiring scandal: How corrupt recruiters are cheating jobseekers, colleges and IT companies

Business Today investigation reveals there are many worms crawling out of the information technology industry's recruitment can that has been prised open by one scandal after another. To address the malaise, placement officers will need to do more along with structural changes.

Career tip: How to get work done from people who do not report to you

The ability to influence those over whom a manager has no direct authority is a vital cog that keeps corporate wheels moving towards goal achievement.

Was Gali Janardhana Reddy who also dabbled in making steel ever serious about this business

Disgraced mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy also dabbled in making steel. Steel industry experts lament that critical projects fall by the wayside because governments tend to patronise non-serious players like Reddy at the cost of companies with proven track records.

Cooking shows get popular with India's Gen Next

Cooking shows are inspiring couch potatoes to enter the kitchen - and not just to fetch a snack but to actually cook.

Casual, fine-dining chains on a roll as restaurants become popular

With more Indians patronising restaurants, dining chains have them eating out of their hands. With all the big players gung-ho on expansion, fine and casual dining is expected to touch Rs 10,000 crore by 2015.

With Anil Ambani as an investor, DTDC plans global expansion

Global expansion is high on DTDC's agenda. The courier-turned-logistics company has earmarked $30 million on its balance sheet for the Australia and Pakistan joint ventures, the Yangon centre, and future acquisitions.

Premium paint products are becoming increasingly popular

Premium products account for a fifth of the country's Rs 13,200 crore organised decorative paints market - one which has been expanding at about 28 to 30 per cent annually for the last four years.

Special Economic Zones grapple with slow growth at the cost of myopic policies

Not all is well with the country's special economic zones. More than a quarter of the country's exports still come from them, but SEZs are grappling with a sharp slowdown in growth.

Satyamev Jayate wins over advertisers despite average ratings

STAR is said to have pre-sold around 80 per cent of the show's ad spots even before it went on air. It earned sponsorship revenues of around Rs 5.3 crore per episode.

How games for mobiles are being monetised

Mobile gaming is set to become a big market in India. Gaming app developers are trying out novel ways to make money from their products. Some pack in ads, while others shun them but charge users to download games.

Delhi airport charges: Dispute over steep hike grows, DIAL still wants more

DIAL says the 346 per cent increase allowed earlier translates into a return on equity of 16 per cent, far lower than the 24 per cent it needs to be profitable. So far, the company has been incurring huge losses.

Are automakers ready for rising diesel car demand?

India's auto market has changed rapidly in the last two years, with the share of petrol cars in total sales falling to 50 to 60 per cent from 85 per cent.

Why Indian infrastructure companies are losing on valuations

Policy uncertainties, project delays and high cost of funds have taken a severe toll on the valuations of Indian infrastructure companies.

What is holding India back from improving TV audience measurement?

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International luxury restaurant chains changing menus to suit local tastes

International luxury restaurant chains are changing their menus to suit local tastes.

Point-and-shoot cameras overloaded with redundant features today

Point-and-shoot cameras nowadays come overloaded with redundant features.

Review: Nokia City Lens and LG 55LM8600

Nokia City Lens city guide app that works even in india and a LG 55LM8600 'frameless' 3D smart TV.

Olympics is not only a sporting extravaganza, there is huge money riding on it too

It impacts many aspects of the host city's economy, and performance at the Games can be correlated to a participating nation's economic development, says Goldman Sachs' "The Olympics and Economics 2012" report.

Recovery still fragile in aviation sector despite Jet, SpiceJet profits

Two of the country's three listed airlines - Jet Airways and SpiceJet - have reported a profit for the quarter ended June 30. There has been some excitement in the industry because of this, but there is still reason for caution.

What India needs to do to prevent another grid collapse

If India is not to repeat the paralysing grid collapse that occurred on the last two days of July, every single link in the chain that is India's power system will need reform.

Chidambaram to push ahead with course correction for Indian economy initiated by PM

Chidambaram, according to both bureaucrats and independent tax experts, agrees with the changes initiated by PM Manmohan Singh. Thus he is likely to focus on ushering in a mindset change on the proposed legislation within the government rather than a significant overhaul.

Inflation pain will not go away soon even if govt, RBI act together to reduce it

Even if RBI and the government do work together effectively to reduce inflation, the pain won't go away for another six months. The current economy makes it harder for the government to act aggressively and RBI has made it clear that it cannot fight inflation alone.

Why unmanned space vehicle landing on planet Mars significant

The latest landing of an unmanned space vehicle on the planet Mars on August 6 was a giant step forward in space exploration. Here is why:

Base price for 2G auction: Who said what

There is no business case (for auctioning spectrum) even at Rs 1,650 crore (per MHz). Idea has been losing Rs 170 crore per quarter in new circles. So, there is definitely no business case at Rs 14,000 crore (for 5 MHz), Himanshu Kapania, Idea Cellular MD, in Business Standard

New Silk Route Partners CEO Parag Saxena on his leadership style

New Silk Route Partners CEO Parag Saxena talks about his leadership style to Business Today.

Career tip: Is a part-time MBA worth your money and time?

The utility of part-time MBA courses is debatable, unless they are company sponsored.

The story of remarkable transformation of Havaianas into a premium brand

Until the early 1990s, Brazil's Havaianas slippers were perceived as a poor man's product. In appearance, these slippers, made by Sao Paulo Alpargatas, are very similar to India's ubiquitous 'Hawai chappals'. A sharp drop in sales in 1993 forced the company to revamp the brand's image. Today, while it is still a product for the masses, Havaianas has come to be perceived as a premium brand as well.

Ensure your insurance plan is large to cover rising medical costs

Medical treatment costs have been rising steeply. Ensure your insurance cover is large enough to cover all contingencies.

Book review: 'The New Emerging Market Multinationals' can trigger soul-searching among MNCs

'The New Emerging Market Multinationals' analyses 39 cases of multinational corporations coming out of emerging markets.

Readers' forum Building India

The cover story (Deconstructing HCC, August 19) brings into focus the difficulties in investing and developing infrastructure projects, especially in a country like India.

Haagen-Dazs Case Study: Reader's response

BT receives many responses to its case studies. Below is the best one on Haagen-Dazs (June 10, 2012)