Cover Story
- A look at the key announcements of this government's last Budget and a brief snapshot of its spends and earnings.
- Rural development, agriculture and social pensions all found prominent mention in the Budget announcements.
- The spending involved in implementing Budget proposals will throw the fiscal position off track.
- Can the Modi government fund the bonanza of sops for voters without wrecking the country's financial stability?
- The government has tried to apply balm on realty sector's wounds with sops ahead of the 2019 general elections. But that may not be enough.
- A lot of NDAs vision for the future is similar to BJPs 2014 manifesto.
Turbulent Times Ahead
RCom had been trying to conclude its Rs 25,000 crore 2017 deal with Reliance Jio, owned by Mukesh Ambani. Third phase of Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik scheme awarded airlines 235 routes to create a seat capacity of 6.9 million, the biggest seat addition so far. Many brands of widely used medicines such as Telmisartan, Rabeprazole, Vitamin C, Furosemide are just not available. If Goyal is to realise his dream, more than lip service is needed. Interim FM Piyush Goyal said the government would digitalise 100,000 villages over the next five years. Like last year, women comprise 70 per cent of MUDRA Yojana beneficiaries getting loans for new ventures. The government is planning to spend Rs 1.08 lakh crore on pensions as compared to Rs 93,982 crore on capital outlay. With the largest chunk of the young population in an ageing world, leveraging education to create tomorrow's workforce is imperative. The question, in the Interim Budget's case, is not 'How's the Josh?' but 'Where's the Josh?' The backward-looking household survey does not capture the full picture, thus leading to elevated inflation projections and consequent policy error. Chinese apps are going all out to capture small-town millennials from India. Is Indian GDP data going the Chinese way? Why did the ICICI Bank board wait 10 months to act against its erstwhile CEO? The Ruias may well end up as a benchmark of how business shouldn't be conducted by families desperate to retain control. Transparency is critical to long-term success.
Old Speakers Made Smart
Amazon's Echo Input houses a four-microphone array for capturing your voice from anywhere in the room even when the music is playing. The company's latest entrant costs Rs 10,000 less than its predecessor but still manages to live up to expectations. 1MDB, one of the biggest kleptocracy scandals in history, contains stuff Hollywood movies are made of. The winning team prevailed with a combined score of 95 points. Start the year with a celebration of self - go on a luxe vacation, sample gourmet food and indulge in Savile Row-quality clothes. Getting an assured sum for an old device sounds tempting, but one has to be aware of the pitfalls. Self-checkout shopping baskets will be more than just a convenience. They will encourage buying. Heart rhythm abnormalities are a growing cause for concern, but a little caution and timely tracking of early warning signs should help.
Less Taxing
Here are the best options that you can use to optimise tax savings. Managing your money can be tricky. Send your queries, and top-notch industry leaders will help you resolve any issue.
Middle Class Bonanza
Zero tax on taxable income of up to Rs 5 lakh to provide relief to a big section of the tax-paying population.
'All Our Products Will Be Made In India'
Michele Buck, the first woman CEO of the $7.5 billion The Hershey Company, is writing her company's India growth story by focusing on value-added chocolate products. In an interview with Ajita Shashidhar, Buck talks about the chocolate major's commitment to grow in emerging markets across the world and India in particular. Edited excerpts: V Vaidyanathan, the new boss of the merged entity, has had a good run but now faces challenges and high expectations. From dark chocolates and frozen snacks to cookies and cakes, the country's official milkman - Amul - is looking beyond dairy. Despite the call for large-scale disinvestment, PSUs continue to bail out the government. Innovative and disruptive strategies are helping Kalyan Jewellers beat competition; now, it wants to more than double revenues and the number of stores in five years. Sectoral growth has not translated into growth in fees paid for professional and legal services. Value fashion retailers are reporting runaway growth by dressing up the masses.Side-Pocketing Should Be Next Tax Focus
Now that mutual funds are allowed to segregate risky assets, tax implications in such cases should be well-defined.
Game Of Throne
With global giants Amazon and Netflix pouring money to develop original Indian content and desi players not far behind, the OTT race has entered an exciting phase.
Leaderspeak
Under his leadership, Salesforce India has grown more than double year on year and expanded the team to 1,000-plus employees across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
You Will See Better GST Collections
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in an interaction with journalists after the Budget, says income support can co-exist with subsidies. The Interim Budget has tied up the final threads of a much-needed basic social security net.Fiscal Reforms Hit Pause Button
The shift might be aimed at boosting disposable incomes of farmers, middle-income class and workers in the unorganised sector. The Interim Budget has delivered pro-growth impetus without giving way to populism.Focussed On Rural, Benefits Urban Too
Assured cash transfers to small and marginal farmers might become more inclusive, leading to a new form of universal basic income.
