Cover Story
- All is not well with the IITs, the country's finest technical education chain to which millions of youngsters have aspired since the 1950s. Hasty expansion, faculty shortage and falling student standards are taking the sheen off India's best engineering brand.
- More than one lakh students come to Kota, the mecca of IIT coaching, every year. The lure of some coaching centres is such that students even have to take an entrance test to join these institutes.
Smartphone apps that help in calculating tax
Browsing the smart phone on your way to work is all you need to get smarter with taxes. These clever apps help organise, save and plan for all eventualities. Those with dry skin end up applying excessive amounts because of easy wearing out. They must try thicker and denser scents with base tones of tobacco and musk and re-apply thrice a dayHow to build and manage a good reputation using the social media
Tulika Tripathi, MD, Michael Page India, tells you how to build and manage a good reputation using the social media. After all, the first thing most prospective employers do today is hit the search button.Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos has the chops to take on the big boys
The new Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos may be a mid-range phone, but it has the chops to take on the big boys. Biolite Campstove: A campstove that can charge your phone via USB while cooking your dinner at an outdoorsy getaway? When you're constantly on the go, use these extremely handy apps to ease your frenzied travel schedule.
Tips on how to perfect the art of holding chopsticks
Pick up the first chopstick with the middle finger and thumb. Have the broad end of the chopstick lay on the point where your thumb and index finger connect, and freeze. The after-dinner drink is believed to aid digestion and reduce alcohol absorption. A guide to four such spirits.Tips on good food, drink and workouts
Head straight to your refrigerator and stock up on these superfoods that help you sleep right at night and stay alert during the day.LOUIS XIII Rare cask is an ultimate drink for cognac lovers
The ultimate drink for cognac lovers, the tasting notes of this over 100-year-old cognac include fig, dried fruits and even a hint of tobacco.Cloudy Bay 2012 finds the perfect partner in the humble McEgg burger
The Cloudy Bay 2012 may be one of the most exquisite white wines in existence, but it finds the perfect partner in the humble McEgg burger.Di Napoli at Mumbai's Nariman Point is a good power-lunch option
Great food and no drinks make Di Napoli at Mumbai's Nariman Point a good power-lunch option. At Courtyard by Marriott's Evviva, business travellers can enjoy a laid-back meal after a day of hectic parlaying with clients.
Logitech promises the Ultimate in sound with new personal sound systems
Ultimate Ears, which found its origin in a Van Halen concert, is finally in town with a range of high-end earphones and boomboxes
Of dance and DJs - The Sunburn Arena
A big chunk of the credit for electronic dance music's newfound popularity, at least within the country, can be attributed to Sunburn Arena. Watch dials, much like the prologue of a classic text, set the mood, build the drama and keep your senses engaged. Let's look at dials that serve their purpose, and brilliantly.Humor Me's satire 'Dinner for Pricks' brings Broadway to your doorstep
Humor Me's high-society satire 'Dinner for Pricks' brings Broadway to your doorstep.
Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite broadcast industry expanding at a scorching pace
The substantial investments DTH companies have made in infrastructure have also added to their costs, while the slow pace of switching over from analog to digital has kept revenue down.Economic benefits of the Golden Quadrilateral project are already visible
The benefits of the Golden Quadrilateral highway project that connects the four metrosare manifold: better movement of products and people, more choice of locations for initiating industrial activity, reduced wastage for the agriculture sector, and a decrease in vehicle operating costs and time.Why Emirates Airline make for a better choice than Air India for travelling abroad
For the embattled Indian national carrier, Air India, it is another jolt. Official data in the second week of April revealed Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates Airline flew more passengers in and out of India in 2011/12 than Air India and its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, together.Fall in gold prices will help bring down India's current account deficit
The slump in gold prices could not have come at a better time for India. Lower crude oil and gold prices will help bring down the current account deficit, which will improve the country's investment rating.Infosys must bring back Narayana Murthy to return to a high growth
Its co-founder has to return to the board again but as a mentor, with a specific task to remould leadership, says T.V. Mohandas Pai, a former board member of Infosys.News that you may have missed last fortnight
Food inflation, the bugbear of policy makers, declined to 8.73 per cent in March from 11.38 per cent in February.Inflation at 40-month low in March: Who said what
We expect this trend to continue and this should give more space to the RBI for considering a cut in the policy rates, says Naina Lal Kidwai, President, FICCI and Country Head, HSBC India, to wire agencies
Small pharma cos are making a big difference in niche areas of health-care
India is the world's third-largest pharmaceuticals market in terms of volumes, but competition is stiff to grab a slice of the rapidly growing business. Several small pharma companies are making a big difference in niche areas of health-care.Karnataka polls: Bellary emerges from Reddy brothers' shadow, readies for change
As the district emerges from the shadow of the Reddy brothers, it faces the sobering aftermath of illegal mining. But with the ban on new leases lifted, Bellary is readying for change.Parle diversifies beyond ubiquitous Parle-G biscuit
Parle may be synonymous with the ubiquitous glucose biscuits for many, but competition has been nipping at the biscuit manufacturer's heels. With an increasing number of biscuit makers jostling for a share of the pie, the third generation of Parle's Chauhan family has turned to the snack market to stay ahead.Afghan mining law will throw open a bonanza of opportunities for India
Afghanistan is sitting on an estimated $1 trillion of mineral wealth. With the Afghan parliament expected to pass a new mining law soon, mining companies from Britain to China are making plans to unearth the country's massive mineral deposits after international combat troops pull out by the end of 2014.Why Power Finance Corporation wants to turn into a bank
The past few years have been challenging for the power sector and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) does not want to stay dependant on it alone. The company's changing client profile is also an emerging challenge.KFC takes on McDonald's with a cheap potato burger
Global fast food giant KFC launches a cheap potato burger exclusively for India just as rival McDonald's had done earlier. Industry watchers believe it is a belated effort to measure up to rival chain McDonald's 'Happy Price Menu' launched in 2004.Banks are missing out on the big opportunity of funding small enterprises
Despite a push by the government, banks are still shying away from lending to small and medium enterprises. A recent study says that as much as 78 per cent of funding for MSMEs comes from informal sources or is self-financed while only the remaining is met by banks and other institutions. Special: Best SMEsHow first BJP govt in Karnataka squandered its chance to boost growth
The first BJP government in South India has squandered its chance to boost growth. The political merry-go-round has resulted in poor governance and uncertainty, dragging down the gross state domestic product.Demand in India for Bitcoins is largely from speculators
Demand in India for Bitcoins, a virtual currency maintained by peer networks, is largely from speculators - as it is worldwide.Medium-sized global consulting and accounting firms are holding their own
Medium-sized global consulting and accounting firms are holding their own and infusing fresh life into their Indian counterparts.
An app for fashion conscious
Load your smartphone with the brightest fashion apps in the market to walk the talk of a style maven who is at the top of his game.Why ties will always be in vogue
They are the go-to accessories for well-groomed men who want to make a statement with a knot. Here's why ties will always be in vogue.BT More explores the cult of suits
From the staid sophistication of the dapper ad men from the 80s to the avant-garde cut of the modern day dandy, a suit has gone from boring to bling. BT More explores the cult of suits.
Vijay Thadani, Co-founder & CEO, NIIT shares notes on his leadership style
Vijay Thadani, Co-founder & CEO, NIIT shares his leadership style.
Careers: Why more law graduates are going into litigation
Litigation in India is increasing, and many more young lawyers are taking to active practice than before. Corporate litigation, challenging the govt's tax and tariff demands or taking on fellow corporate houses over alleged breach of contract, is rising, and litigation-related work is thereby offering better opportunities.
BT More's definitive guide on eating seafood
Can't tell your scampis from shrimps but love eating seafood? Refer to our definitive guide to crustaceans, molluscs and other produce of the sea.
People who made news last fortnight
Starring: Anisha Singh, Meera Sanyal, Caroline Hurley, Kalyana Raman Srinivasan, Daniel Sennheiser and Liu Thai Ker
Business Today-Yes Bank Best SME Awards was a memorable occasion
The fourth Business Today Best SME Awards, presented by YES Bank, was once again a memorable occasion.
Important events to look forward to in May
Each year, 2000 of the most prestigious watch companies and craftsmen specialising in clocks and watches, jewellery, and precious stones, congregate in Basel, Switzerland, to exhibit and release their latest horological developments and design advancements.
'The dramatic expansion in IIT slots has triggered an explosion in seat-seekers'
The dramatic expansion in IIT slots, plus the democratisation of technical education with reservations for scheduled castes, tribes and other backward classes, has triggered an explosion in seat-seekers. Alongside, there is a great need for more and better faculty, a clamour for more research and innovation, and competition from private as well as "regional" engineering colleges in places like Surathkal, Manipal, Trichy and Pilani. 'Your cover story on car sales was worth reading'
Your cover story on car sales (Ain't No Time to Disco, April 28) was worth reading. It has analysed quite well how and why India's car market flipped over leading to sales falling for the first time in a decade
Eurobonds can help in solving the euro crisis
The solution for the euro crisis, for which Germany is partly responsible, can be summed up in one word: Eurobonds.
