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How Maruti bounced back after its labour strife of 2012

Maruti has bounced back by focusing on little villages, small customers and tiny gains in factories. The big things are a cleansing of the workforce, capacity building and R&D.

Advantages of online life insurance

Today, several life insurance companies are offering online term plans with highly competitive pricing. Several insurance players also offer great discounts online. You may expect savings of 20% to 30% on premium payments on online term plans.

Meet the Indians behind the great turnaround at SAP

SAP has traditionally had little presence in the database management area, but Vishal Sikka's team changed the architecture that was in vogue for decades.

Traditional forms of healing in vogue once again

More people in India are now opting for integrative health-care. The growing popularity of traditional forms of medication indicates a move towards a natural philosophy of life with focus more on yoga, natural foods and chemical-free foods.

Independent regional filmmakers turn to crowdfunding to make movies

More and more indie filmmakers, particularly in regional cinema, have started reaching out to people through social media or online crowdfunding platforms such as Wishberry and Catapooolt. These platforms charge a fee that differs from portal to portal.

Entrepreneurs eye profitable ventures in home-based medical care

Big investors are getting into home health care, using technology and the cloud, and trying to set benchmarks. Their success depends on getting the combination of service charges, delivery efficiency and market response right.

Amusement, theme parks are mushrooming despite hurdles

Despite some hurdles, amusement and theme parks are becoming big business across the country. Market intelligence firm Euromonitor notes that 153 amusement parks have come up in India between 1984 and 2013.

L&T has always believed in investing a little ahead of time, says CEO says

L&T CEO and Managing Director K. Venkataramanan says the firm is looking at newer areas like sub-sea and deep-water projects. On the mergers and acquisitions front, the company has been a little conservative.

Business confidence has improved marginally with pickup in economy

The latest Business Today-C fore Business Confidence Survey for the October-to-December 2013 quarter found sentiment among corporate leaders had improved marginally compared to the previous quarter with stray signs of a pickup in the economy.

Fund managers see market sentiment improving, equities rising in 2014

Market sentiment is improving with fund managers predicting a sustained rise in Indian equities this year, finds the fourth edition of the BT Morningstar Asset Allocation Survey.

How Krishnamurthi Venkataramanan is striving to boost growth at Larsen & Toubro

The CEO says one of his main goals is to boost L&T's international business. The plan is to increase the contribution of overseas markets to 25 per cent of revenue from 15 per cent in the next three years.

Commodity futures trading hit by NSEL scam, MCX hurting most

Multi Commodity Exchange's turnover has plummeted by 69 per cent since April 2013. Although it is still the biggest player, it has been losing market share to rivals in the current financial year.

How an integrated grid will help power-starved southern states

In the past, the southern states found it difficult to buy power from states with surplus power in the rest of the country, as they were in different transmission corridors. The southern grid faced a power deficit of roughly 5,000 MW during the summer of 2013.

Why foreign retailers are still wary of going solo in India

India has opened the door for global retailers, but they still prefer joint ventures. One reason retailers are reluctant is the tough regulatory environment in the country. To begin with, foreign retailers have to pay multiple taxes to set up shop.

Tech resolutions 2014

It's that time of year again when we all pledge to change something about ourselves. While making our New Year resolutions, it is important to keep in mind that technology is all around us. Here are some basic tech resolutions that most of us can connect with.

AAP's economic thinking is influenced by both left-wing and centre-right ideology

AAP's economic thinking is influenced by both left-wing and centre-right ideology, among other schools of thought. The heart of AAP's economic policy will lie in vesting crucial decision making in to the hands of the common man.

How big a hurdle is the Minister for Environment and Forests

It is widely believed that Jayanthi Natarajan's recent ouster as Minister for Environment and Forests (MoEF) was due to her ministry's tardiness in giving environmental clearance to industrial projects. Just how big a hurdle is the MoEF?

Manmohan Singh: Point, Counterpoint

I want to assure you that there is no reason to despair about our present or worry about our future. I am confident you will see the evidence clearly in the next few months, says Manmohan Singh, PM, at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Delhi

Short Circuit

The Kejriwal government's power tariff cut runs counter to India's efforts to rationalise energy prices.

Business Today Managing Editor on key stories in Feb 2, 2014, issue

Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party has 31 committees making recommendations and, to be sure, some good inputs will come through, but what AAP really, really needs today is smarts in economics, writes Business Today Managing Editor Josey Puliyenthuruthel.