Business Today readers' feedback on the magazine's coverage

The All-powerful Businesswomen

This refers to your special issue on The Most Powerful Women in Business (September 27, 2015). I believe that India Inc must be congratulated for their effort to tackle the glass ceiling that existed in the country. In this regard, the small-yet-important steps taken by PSUs must also be appreciated. I do believe that the list should have included only self-made leaders, not women who have merely taken over their family enterprise. As opposed to them, others have carved out a niche for themselves without any support system which is an exemplary achievement in this country. I believe that going forward, unless women join India Inc in much larger numbers, our growth story will remain muted and lopsided. Today, we see companies like Flipkart coming out with extremely women-friendly policies. Such steps could have hardly been imagined a decade or so ago. These awards are a testament to the wonder women in India Inc. Yes, there are many challenges ahead too, as the Graphiti (Indias Gender Gap) showed. Still, I believe that these women are laying a strong foundation for the coming generation. - Madhavi Shukla, New Delhi

The special issue on Indias most powerful women was a brilliant read. It was heartening to read the stories of so many women who made it to the top. Given that even now, despite all these success stories, most offices are still dominated by men, I believe India Inc should work towards more inclusive policies. The government must mandate the companies to have a minimum of 40 per cent of women workforce and companies that hire only women should be given special incentives.

Chinese Crisis Can Help India

This refers to your story Tough Ask (September 27, 2015). The recent fall in Indian markets has been largely attributed to the Chinese crisis (if we can call it so) but I believe that the fall has largely been due to internal, and not external factors. Our manufacturing numbers, along with IIP and exports have remained muted for quite some time now. And little is being done to address these numbers. While Make in India is being enthusiastically promoted, there isnt much happening on ground. Similarly, Digital India and Skilling India continue to remain lofty ideas. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Indian economy, and its fundamentals, came out largely unscathed during the 2008 recession. However, in 2015 the situation seems grim to say the least but this is an opportunity like no other. In fact, I concur with the writer that the situation in China should be used to bring investments in the country and re-focus on our manufacturing and infrastructure sector. Unless these two sectors are made stronger, every successive growth story will be superficial in nature and vulnerable to the slightest headwinds.- Mahesh Brijnath, Kolkata

Refurbished Phones an Untapped Market

This refers to the story on refurbished gadgets (September 27, 2015). I have never understood the craze for absolutely new mobile phones, especially since most of them see prices fall more than 50-60 per cent in a year. In such a scenario, I believe that buying refurbished phones is a great idea, although I am not sure if buying old laptops is a good idea, since they have a ceratin shelf-life. Refurbished phones were available earlier too, but the fact that they now come with warranty and are backed by companies make them much more credible. A similar trend has been visible in the case of second-hand cars too, with companies launching their own showrooms. Given how consumption patterns are changing, such companies are a great initiative. They allow a much-larger audience to enjoy contemporary technology at relatively affordable prices.- CN Vasudevan, Chennai