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Mahatma Gandhi still remains big draw
New Delhi, Jan 30 More than six decades have passed since Mahatma Gandhi was killed, but his philosophy and thoughts continue to attract people from across the world.
India has much to be proud of
Soon after the Indian National Congress, at the forefront of the country's independence movement, adopted the 'purna swaraj' or complete independence resolution at its Lahore convention on New Year's Day in 1930, Mahatma Gandhi called for a day of celebration on January 26, which till 1947 came to be observed as Independence Day.
Recovery and Globality: The Commodities Chase
Jan 13 Although the fourth-quarter 2009 statistics weren't yet in as I wrote this, some predict that the U.S. economy may have expanded in the second half of last year by more than 3 percent. Europe appears to be lagging, but the economies of China, India, Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea, among others, are growing robustly again. The Great Recession of 2008 and 2009 may be over in most of the world.
Bicycles to scooters to small cars
Approximately a billion people, one-seventh of the world's population, have moved out of poverty in recent years and entered the marketplace en masse as consumers. These new consumers—still poor, but no longer merely surviving, as in the past—come mostly from China and India, but also from Brazil, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, and many other countries. If these low-income people were a nation, that country would have the world's third-largest population and tenth-biggest gross domestic product.
Developing infrastructure: trillions
This leads to the second point: infrastructure. Such migration, along with the urbanisation and industrialisation of the rapidly developing economies, has prompted increased investment in housing, roads, railways, electricity, and other infrastructure projects. To whatever degree this may have increased or decreased in specific countries during the recession, infrastructure investment is sure to rise in the years to come.
Opportunity: the 'next billion' market
All of these factors—the emergence of an unprecedented low-income consumer cohort, increases in infrastructure expenditures, and the growth of the global middle class—will keep pushing commodity prices higher.
Reviving Bangladesh's secular polity
The rekindling of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's secularism in Bangladesh will mark a dramatic transformation from the present doom-laden atmosphere of terrorism in the subcontinent as well as in the larger Islamic world.
Let us preserve a white Christmas for future generations
World leaders have just returned to their respective countries after hard bargaining at Copenhagen to arrive at a consensus on reducing carbon emissions.
Is the recession over for the Indian economy?
Are the clouds of recession lifting over the Indian economy as they seem to be over the rest of the world? That is the big question everyone is asking today, whether they be economic analysts or policymakers in the central government and the financial institutions.
Making right to education a reality through technology
The application of IT is fairly widespread by now in India in the private sector. However, when it comes to public governance, India has been a laggard in the utilisation of IT.
We need a new mission: Clean India
'Will you return to work in India?' I asked Aresh. Here was a teenager studying at one of the best schools in the world, at Winchester in Britain. With sports, extra-curricular activities and academics blended harmoniously in the curriculum, he was a future leader. 'No, the filth puts me off. I get sick!'
H1N1: Media causing undue anxiety
What started as an epidemic of swine flu in Mexico in March 2009 has now spread to 100 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been alerting countries for the past eight years to get prepared for a major influenza outbreak. It seems to have finally arrived.
Madan Lal Dhingra: A forgotten martyr
Madan Lal Dhingra was perhaps the first Indian freedom fighter to be executed on British soil. He died in London on August 17, 1909. It is strange that no one in the Indian government has paid any attention to the need to commemorate the event.
Sad for Yahoo, gain for Microsoft
A sad day for Yahoo! That's the consensus -- a rare one -- across both global technology and investor communities. Yahoo stock dropped 10 percent, Microsoft rose one percent. For once, the markets may have got it right. The decision to work together on their search engines is a big mistake for Yahoo, and a small gain for Microsoft.
24X7 news TV is murdering English
The English language has stood India in good stead before and after the success of the independence movement. Mahatma Gandhi wrote 'My Experiments with Truth', which remains a classic. And India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, created a worldwide awareness of the country's struggle for independence through a series of books, including his landmark autobiography, and in his interactions with world leaders.
Anand Model should be replicated for growth
Traditional growth models are the legacy of the industrialization era that started a couple of centuries ago. The approach meant leveraging lowest cost resources with an aim of maximizing benefits to the owners of the enterprise.
Expectations high on Budget
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee faces a tough job July 6 as he rises to present the first budget of the newly-elected United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, during which he will have to try and keep fiscal deficit under check while meeting the many promises made by the Congress party and its coalition partners during the elections.
Anand Model the replica for growth
Traditional growth models are the legacy of the industrialisation era that started a couple of centuries ago. The approach meant leveraging lowest cost resources with an aim of maximizing benefits to the owners of the enterprise.
No overdose, when money to be made
If there is a theory doing the rounds that the Indian team for the Twenty20 World Cup may be weary because of an overdose of cricket in the run-up to the tournament, there is another school of thought which believes, not without good reason, that the weeks of hectic action that they were involved in IPL-2 in South Africa have helped them keep their competitive edge razor sharp. The theories will be put to test shortly.
NE in the age of coalition politics
The new council of ministers, with a predominance of Congress representatives, shows a fascinating compromise that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi as well as their chief aides, not least Rahul Gandhi, have manoeuvred.
Tamil Tigers were mortals after all!
The dramatic collapse of the Tamil Tigers, accompanied by white flags and surrenders even as some suicide bombers kept exploding themselves, is a sad commentary on the politics of uncompromising mayhem the rebels pursued for so long in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka finally in peace?
The dramatic albeit gory footage of a dead Velupillai Prabhakaran with a bullet hole through his forehead marks the end of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a feared terrorist organisation.
Needed: PM with vision for new India
Nations get the presidents and prime ministers they deserve. With a national election just over, it is time to scan the prime minister that India needs and delineate the vision, values, principles and qualities he or she must possess.
Kings XI, Mumbai in must-win position
Centurion, May 11 Both Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab are in a must-win situation as they face each other in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Centurion Park here on Tuesday.
Indian hockey owes a lot to Dilip Tirkey
Dilip Tirkey is one of those rare gems that any country would be proud to have. Tirkey's milestone of becoming the highest capped hockey player in the world during the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia, last month went almost unnoticed. He equalled the world record of 401 internationals, held by former Dutch captain Joren Delmee.
Go for long-term vision
As the world's biggest exercise in democracy gets underway, there is a sense of expectation and anticipation. With an electorate of 714 million people eligible to vote, there is a tremendous opportunity for the people of India to elect a government that will deliver results and improve the growth trajectory of the country.
Sun will rise again with Oracle
Unlike IBM's failed attempt to acquire Sun Microsystems, the $7.4 billion tendered by Oracle to buy the Santa Clara-based enterprises solutions firm makes good sense for all three companies. It is also gives an honourable exit and hope of a new dawn for a setting Sun, in danger of being gobbled up and swallowed.
Elections as fiscal stimulus
In these times of financial gloom, the process of elections in the world's largest democracy is bringing with it some sort of silver lining for the economy as large sums of money are being spent by political parties and candidates to ensure victory at the hustings.
The Matriarchs of India
NEW DELHI — When the Indian composer A. R. Rahman accepted two Oscars for his work on “Slumdog Millionaire,” he saved his most effusive thanks for his mother.
'Slowdown beneficial for art'
Ramnagar (Uttarakhand), March 31 The economic meltdown is having a beneficial effect on the Indian art world by checking commercialisation of art, feels a group of artists.
Chill brings economics in from cold
Sydney, March 30 The global financial crisis has done wonders for the dismal science of economics. From Anchorage to Ankara the spooky talk about global warming has given way to debate on toxic debt and stimulus packages, job security and interest rates.
Growing demand of NRIs for PIO card
Regular NRI visitors to India are increasingly switching from a five-year visa to either a PIO (Person of Indian Origin) Card that allows them visa-free entry for 15 years or an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) status that allows them a life time entry and stay in India. This is the Indian version of the much sought after American 'Green Card'.
Compulsory Voting? Many agree
New Delhi, March 20 Voting should be made compulsory -- that seems to be the general consensus binding celebrities and common people alike as the country hurtles towards another election, though politicians themselves are divided.
India to be next big innovator
Economists have been predicting it, stargazers have been forecasting it, and now the technology trend watchers are saying it - the coming decade is surely going to belong to India.
Holi - a shared colourful heritage
Though I never see people as Hindus and Muslims, yet I would like to share that Tilak Raj Rustagi, a Hindu friend and colleague of mine, has since 1983 been coming to my place on Holi to smear the red gulal on my forehead as a mark of the festival's inter-faith harmonious spirit.
Price of terrorism: Sports at risk
Pakistan's most charismatic cricketer, Imran Khan, must be feeling let down by the gunmen who attacked the Sri Lankan team coach on its way to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore's upmarket Gulburg area on the third day of the second and last Test.
Survival without downsizing
News of downsizing is bad news for any employee. Though downsizing is a common strategy adopted by organisations to cut costs and keep performance standards high, during the current recession it appears to have become a survival imperative.
Did Bhabha hasten China's dreams?
Bangalore, Feb 25 Did Homi Bhabha, father of the Indian atomic energy programme, make a mistake by showing off India's nuclear achievements to Chinese prime minister Zhou Enlai during his 1960 visit to Trombay?
Slumdog: Importance of soft power
'Slumdog Millionaire', the quintessential underdog in this year's Oscars, has emerged as the unexpected winner with eight awards to its credit and the film - which is not an Indian film but definitely about India and its seamy underbelly - has caught the global imagination in an extraordinary manner.
Obama averts diplomatic disaster
Good sense seems to have prevailed in excluding India in general and Kashmir in particular from the mandate of Richard Holbrooke as the Obama administration's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Obama should not surrender to jehadis
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may have overstated his case when he said that George W.Bush was loved in India. But there was a reason for the accolade. Bush was the only American president who understood India's special place as a multicultural society in the midst of dictatorships and hobbling democracies.
‘A vaccine against terrorism’
One thing for which the world would like to forget 2008 is the rise of fanaticism and religious terrorism. Though the world has lived with terror for years, it became more pronounced in 2008 with acts of terror linked to religion or belief system. The perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage targeted Jews for their faith.
India, Indians permeate everywhere
I am now convinced that India, Indians and all things Indian permeate almost every corner of the globe, influencing everyone and everything.
‘Ten issues India Inc has to contend’
What lies ahead for the Indian economy in 2009? This is the question looming large in corridors of the country's corporate world, as India Inc hopes the economy will transition from annus horribilis that 2008 was to annus mirabilis, which it hopes the New Year will be. A look at 10 major issues which the country's corporate sector has to contend with in 2009:
‘India's response to Mumbai mature’
New Delhi, Nov 17 India's reaction to the last month's Mumbai terror attacks shows the 'maturity of our political system' and it 'took world by surprise”, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said here Wednesday.
Recession and India’s silver lining
The gloom seems to be overwhelming. After the horror of the Mumbai terror attacks, the news on the economic front has been increasingly dismal. Fortunately, India appears to be better off than many other countries facing the repercussions of the global financial meltdown.
Soft-power diplomacy on Mumbai attack
New Delhi, Dec 13 Did someone expect a 'stronger' response from India after the November 26-28 terrorist attack on Mumbai?
Would US military policy be changed?
The new US administration is assuming office against the background of a growing global economic crisis and continued conflicts in different countries.
Needed: Revamp of national security apparatus (Comment)
The multiple terrorist attacks that ravaged Mumbai with the death toll overshooting 180 have led to a justified outpouring of anger and anguish across the length and breadth of the country. India is outraged. Period. This is not the first terrorist attack that India has experienced - Mumbai alone recalls 1993 and 2006 with bitter memories.
Recession is an opportunity for India
The near recession in the US and the global meltdown will, of course, have its impact on India's high-tech industry, as it is one of the greatest financial crises of our globalised times. But it also presents an opportunity for Indian services vendors to improve their market share, while forcing them to diversify and de-risk across sectors and geography.
A train and a resolve: Symbols of hope for South Asia?
History was made in South Asia last week by two seemingly different but yet inter-connected events that could become symbols of hope in a region that has been blighted by terrorism and discord for well over a decade.
India-France ties set to deepen
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will reach Paris on September 28 after his visit to the United Nations and his encounter with President Bush in Washington to possibly ink a much-awaited agreement for civil nuclear cooperation with France.
Will Bindra's blunt truths wake up Indian sports?
India's latest sports icon Abhinav Bindra told the country quite bluntly that it had no sporting ethos worth the name and that politicians, ministers, bureaucrats and others of the ilk should not be controlling sports bodies.
Can ‘Kinng’ bring NRIs home?
Will some NRIs head back to India after watching the latest box office hit, 'Singh is Kinng?' After watching the conscience pricking scenes during which the hero Akshay Kumar urges his friend to return from Australia to care for his old and ailing parents back home in Punjab, many NRIs will have to answer their consciences as to why they should not return.
India must be assertive in Afghanistan
The vehicle-borne suicide bomb attack at the entrance of the Indian embassy in Kabul and the resultant casualties have created a furore in the Indian national security establishment and the diplomatic community.
NRI investors, have your cake and eat it too!
NRI investors are watching the current bearish days on the Indian stock market with trepidation. From the peak of the bull run at over 20,000 on June 8, the Sensex has plummeted to less than 14,000 now. The rise in crude prices has fuelled inflation at over 11 percent and the recent monetary policies to curb demand have accelerated the decline of the Sensex.
Give me a Lalit Modi, please, instead of Allen Stanford
Trawling through the net, I came across pictures of Sir Allen Stanford getting out of a black chopper bearing his name and on to the Nursery Ground at Lord's. And then there was that amazing still of $20 million in $50 bills in plastic crate, which had been wheeled out after the Texan billionaire's announcements of his promises to boost English and West Indies cricket.
Will 'Sarkar Raj' usher in Ram Raj?
To all those unkind souls who thought that box office death by fire - 'Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag' - had a sense of finality about it, the filmmaker has some wisdom to impart. The vicious cycle of violence is never ending, thankfully. Varma's factory is humming again with high-powered equipment - the Family of Bachchan father, son and daughter-in-law in 'Sarkar Raj'.
Indian Premier League is here to stay
The numbers for the Indian Premier League (IPL) are not in, neither for the viewership nor the ones that balance the books. But be sure, when they are out, the former will be a cause for yet another party, and the latter a cause for some concern.
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Vayalar Ravi, who assumed office as Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs on January 30, 2006, was born in 1937 in Vayalar village of Kerala's Alappuzha district... 
The star exhibit in the National Portrait Gallery's current show, 'The Indian Portrait', depicts the 17th-century Emperor...