Cover Story

How Rajiv Bajaj created a quadricycle and why nobody likes him for it

Nobody likes the quadricycle. But its maker Rajiv Bajaj doesn't care. He never did, as he built a company in defiance of what others, including his father, thought.

Way you present yourself at work impacts your career prospects

Should the clothes people wear to work matter at all? Most agree that clothes do matter and there is a crying need for better grooming and dress etiquette at the workplace in India.

Book review: Seven Elements That Have Changed the World

How iron, carbon, gold, silver, uranium, titanium and silicon have affected history

Providing affordable handsets with web access key focus of manufacturers

There is no doubt that feature phones are becoming smarter to counter the growing popularity of cheaper Android devices. Android, meanwhile, is trying to eliminate the other big barrier for adoption of smartphones - language.

Will Jyothy-Henkel give consumer products giants a tough fight?

For Jyothy Labs founder and Managing Director M.G. Ramachandran, who had never tasted losses in his career, taking on Henkel India and its Rs 500-crore debt was a first. He turned the company around in two years. Henkel India revenue has since spiralled to Rs 1,100 crore.

Why websites specialising in group buying deals are struggling

Websites specialising in group buying deals are floundering. Some have closed, while others have been forced to change their business model.

Why Instagram has become a rage across the world

This online photo, and recently video, sharing network has become so popular it has a cult following big enough to sustain a new stream of photography, complete with its trademark square frames and film camera-inspired filters.

How Hewlett-Packard has consolidated its lead in PC and Printer market

By merging its PC and printer businesses, HP has consolidated its lead in both segments in India. But there is no room for complacency.

Scaling up new businesses remains a challenge for Videocon

The $5-billion Videocon Group is dipping into its oil and gas assets to tide over its debt. The group needs to hurry up and find other ways to financially support its new ventures - or get ready to sell more oil and gas assets, if the economy does not pick up.

Top six listed companies that have paid the best dividends in the past decade

A Business Today study of more than 6,000 stocks came up with a startling finding: only six of these companies have paid dividends of more than 30 per cent of their net profit in the past decade, as well as outperformed the benchmark index for eight of those 10 years.

Implementing Food Security Bill a formidable challenge

Critics say the bill is a hurried piece of legislation that rests on an already crumbling programme, the Public Distribution System (PDS), which has failed to provide food security, despite being in place for five decades.

RBI's priorities may see significant shifts under Raghuram Rajan

The youngest ever RBI governor, Raghuram Rajan, takes over at a very difficult stage in India's economic history. However, economists feel the new governor's initial statement suggests he already has some antidotes to the looming crises up his sleeve.

Ursula Burns on Xerox's transformation to a products and services company

Ursula Burns is the first African-American woman Chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company and she wears that badge with some pride. Her logic for that is simple: she needs to inspire others - and get some mileage for Xerox, the company she leads - by standing proudly in the limelight. In India late-August to attend Business Today's Most Powerful Women awards, Burns, spoke with Chaitanya Kalbag and Josey Puliyenthuruthel on Xerox's transformation to a products and services company and her personal journey. Edited excerpts:

Why India is stepping up efforts to improve ties with Iran

Iran gives 90 days credit to Indian oil companies and its crude is cheaper than that from Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It also accepts some payments in Indian currency.

Mumbai metro caught in dispute even before it starts operations

Mumbai Metro One, majority owned by Reliance Infrastructure, has told the Maharashtra government that a fare hike was required because the construction cost has jumped 84 per cent from the original estimates due to delays.

Indian-origin executives rise to take charge at global MNCs

The Indian economy may be struggling to retain its global footing, but Indian talent has no such problem. More and more executives of Indian origin are making a mark at the global level in multinational companies.

Stocks, currencies of emerging markets set to take a pounding: Shankar Sharma

First Global's Vice-chairman says India is not the only country experiencing a slowdown. Every single country in the world is sitting on a growth cliff, and has been doing so since 2008.

Currency markets are overshooting a little bit: Leif Eskesen

At a time when the Indian economy is facing its worst crisis in a decade, not many would suggest a tighter monetary policy. Leif Eskesen, Chief Economist for India and ASEAN at HSBC Global Research, wants the Reserve Bank of India to do just that.

NSEL crisis: Promoter Jignesh Shah shifts the blame on to its management

Sources say Shah is buying time not only to extricate himself from the NSEL mess, but also to cash in his investments. Some analysts believe FT could sell its controlling 26 per cent stake in the commodity exchange Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) as well.

Yatra.com's Dhruv Shringi shares his many firsts

Dhruv Shringi, co-founder & CEO, Yatra.com says being an article associate at Arthur Andersen taught him professionalism and how to take the initiative.

Case study: Branding strategies deployed at the 2012 Games in London

The case study also highlights how often unorthodox approaches of non-sponsor brands managed to steal the show through innovative use of social media and public relation campaigns at the 2012 Games in London.

'Policy makers don't view inflation as a problem or growth as fragile'

The trouble is that our policy dinosaurs don't view inflation as a problem or growth as fragile. The result is that investors, both domestic and foreign, who have to deal with the real economy, have lost confidence, writes Business Today Editor Chaitanya Kalbag.