Episodes
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Javier Milei assumed office, as President of Argentina, where the effects of fiscal irresponsibility, by populist Peronist governments, had reduced what was once a rich nation into the ranks of the third world, amid poverty rates of 50%. With inflation at 211%, practically no growth and reckless restrictions that created price distortions, Argentina has been in a miserable situation.
It took both courage and radical reforms to change course. Mr Milei, a self-declared libertarian, believes in free markets, soft touch regulation and expresses his hatred for a big state. His main economic argument is simple: the public sector in Argentina is too big as it crowds out private initiative. In short, there are too many Argentines living from government handouts and public sector jobs, the economy has been overly regulated and that regulation in turn strangles private enterprise. This podcast explains.
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Since the 1990s, neuroscience-related research has expanded significantly, uncovering the complex links between brain activity and decision-making. By understanding the neural basis of decisions, business leaders can make more informed choices and create better contexts for each decision. Neuromarketing – which uses neuro- and cognitive science to identify customer needs, desires and preferences – can serve as a powerful tool in any CMO’s arsenal. Similarly, a key part of a CEO's role is to influence behaviour at various levels to derive results. Neuro-tools provide a powerful means of obtaining insights that enhance the ability of CEOs to orchestrate the required behaviours in the organisation.
At a recent joint session of the India CEO and CMO Forums in Bangalore, Arvind Sahay, Director and Professor of Marketing & International Business, MDI Gurgaon, explored a range of neuro tools and their applications in business. This podcast summarises these discussions. -
Episodes manquant?
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Transfer pricing (TP) remains a critical area for CFOs to track and monitor, particularly owing to the ever-evolving nature of TP regulations and deepening enforcement by the tax authorities. Some of the important changes in India’s transfer pricing landscape include the growing use of data analytics, SEBI's new focus on royalty payments as a payout mechanism from India, a growing emphasis on TP to boost tax revenues, a focus on dispute resolution through the Vivad Se Vishwas (VSV) scheme and a higher threshold for department appeals.
At a recent India CFO Forum session in Bangalore, Fatema Hunaid, APAC Transfer Pricing Lead at Grant Thornton, shed light on recent developments in this area, focusing on regulatory changes, the use of dispute management mechanisms and some best practices for MNCs to follow while navigating this complex domain. This podcast summarises these discussions.
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India’s banking sector is quite literally the life-blood of its economy. It powers both industry and consumption and channels savings to more productive uses. Over the last decade, the sector has seen critical reforms, an intense bad-loan clean-up, several waves of consolidation and has undergone a continuous process of maturation, making it one of India’s most technology-centric industries. Looking ahead, the government is expected to catalyse further reforms and take forward the process of PSU-bank consolidation, aside from bringing important changes to other parts of the financial-services sector.
At a recent India CFO forum session in Pune, Jaimin Bhatt, Group CFO of Kotak Mahindra provided a view for the banking sector and its role in funding industry. This podcast summarises these discussions .
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Our recent, Q3 FY25 CHRO dialogue sessions in Bangalore focused on two criticallly important subjects: sustainability, and leadership imperatives in an age of digitalisation. Dr Sujiv Nair, Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Re Sustainability, kicked off discussions with insights on HR’s role in ESG. Next, Antony J Alex, Founder & CEO at Rainmaker, focused on how leadership styles are evolving in response to a changing world.
This podcast summarises these discussions.
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As China grapples with the lingering aftermath of Covid-19, its economy is visibly slowing. A once-rapid growth path, driven by infrastructural spending an expanding workforce, is less certain. Coupled with geopolitical tensions and rising costs, China's role as a global production hub is changing rapidly. New stimulus measures have created excitement, but will they impact China’s medium-term growth prospects? Meanwhile, a fast-growing India offers major opportunities for businesses, including those pursuing a China+1 strategy, but its ability to absorb investment at scale remains an open question.
At a recent online India CEO Forum session, Professor Michael J Enright, Director at Enright, Scott & Associates and Choueiri Family Professor, Northeastern University, explored the critical shifts underway, examining both China’s and India’s medium-term prospects, and the opportunities they present to business. This podcast summarises these discussions.
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The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, launched in 2021-22 as part of the Make in India initiative, aims to strengthen India's manufacturing across key sectors. With an allocation of Rs 109 billion, the food processing PLI scheme leverages India’s agricultural resources to boost production, exports and reduce import dependency. It incentivises incremental revenue and capital expenditure, driving investments and capacity creation.
We recently interviewed several member-companies that are participating in the food processing PLI scheme, to better understand their experience with the programme and any challenges they may be facing. This podcast summarises our findings, which hold lessons for similar programmes across sectors.
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Cybersecurity risks continue to rise, with a reported 20% of Indian users falling victim to cyber threats in the first quarter of 2024 alone and several high-profile cases recently coming to light. Scams are becoming more sophisticated, targeting even well-informed individuals. At the same time, with rising penalties for non-compliance, companies are under pressure to tighten their defences.
At a recent cross-Forum online session, renowned cyber-security expert Amit Dubey shed light on the current cybersecurity landscape and outlined some best practices. This podcast summarises these discussions.
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Donald Trump’s mandate, coupled with the fact that the Republicans are expected to control both the Senate and House, will give him ample sway over Washington. The fear propaganda tom-tommed by the Democratic party and the liberal media on Trump’s operating style, intended to raise alarm, fell to the wayside.
In his previous term, he cut taxes and deregulated the economy. The momentum of growth that America witnessed over the past four years is largely accountable to his policies. Often forgotten the fact that Mr Trump funded research for covid-19 vaccines, even if he dithered in urging Americans to take them. He displayed potency in his dealings with China something that the Obama administration failed to do. The Abraham accords that brought about diplomatic engagement between Israel and the Sunni monarchies, is the critical reason why the middle-east has as yet survived a bloody conflict.
Mr Trump will cut domestic taxes and impose import duties on countries with whom America suffers a serious trade imbalance. That might affect Indian exports and visas for IT companies and they need to be prepared. This podcast explains.
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Today’s world economy is marked by volatile financial markets, high interest rates and geopolitical tensions. Both the global and the Indian economy face heightened uncertainty as market fluctuations and policy shifts redefine economic interactions.
At recent India CEO Forum sessions in Delhi and Mumbai, Adit Jain, IMA’s Chairman and Editorial Director, highlighted some key economic risks and opportunities, emphasising the need for strategic planning to navigate market volatility and geopolitical challenges. This podcast summarises these discussions.
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The impact of US monetary policy spreads across the entire global economic architecture. Fund flows to emerging markets are directly proportional to interest rate differentials. This is logical, as investors seeking higher returns, move funds out of the United States. More recently, the Reserve Bank of India defied market hopes, leaving interest rates unchanged. Logically, therefore, we should expect greater stability in the value of the rupee, as in the values of the other emerging market currencies. The half per cent point reduction now places the Fed fund rate to be between 4.75% and 5%. The shift in the Fed’s stance towards monetary easing, suggests that inflation is firmly under control, or so the central bank would like to believe.
This podcast explains.
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Sri Lankans, exasperated with corruption and crony capitalism amongst the ruling and business elite, voted for fundamental change. This constituted the basis of the support that drove the victory of Anura Kumara Dissanayake, an outsider from a Marxist political party, in the recently concluded presidential elections. Mr Dissanayake promised to renegotiate the terms of the IMF bailout, eliminate corruption and bring back money siphoned offshore by the previous ruling family – the Rajapaksa. Despite these endearing promises, Mr Dissanayake’s ability to deliver is either limited or completely lacking.
Clearly, India may have been better-off with a Premadasa victory, as relationships with him and his party are believed to be strong. Be that as it may, Mr Dissanayake may quickly discover that things are quite different when you are in government and actually have to make compromises vis-a vis as an activist.
This podcast explains.
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IMA recently published its ‘Vision 2030: India’s Growth Frontiers’ report, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving the country’s economic transformation. This report aims to provide strategic insights and recommendations to navigate what is undoubtedly an exciting and dynamic environment, while decoding the nuances of India's economic journey in the years ahead. Given the sheer length of the report, we will be sharing bite-sized extracts from the study over the next few weeks.
The final episode of this series examines how infrastructure spending has been, and will remain a key driver of growth in the coming years. -
The world economy is today delicately poised. America has avoided the recession that analysts have been projecting for over a year, but recent data indicate that it could be at a tipping point. China, meanwhile, is plainly amidst a slowdown while India continues to grow at a fair clip and the Eurozone presents a mixed bag. Guiding the forward view is a highly volatile geopolitical environment, marked by upcoming US elections, a potentially full-blown war in the Middle East and, for India, a new crisis in Bangladesh.
At recent joint sessions of the India CEO and CFO Forums across cities, Adit Jain, IMA India’s Chairman and Editorial Director, provided a medium-term view for the world economy, set in the context of an increasingly uncertain global politics. This podcast summarises these discussions.
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IMA recently published its ‘Vision 2030: India’s Growth Frontiers’ report, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving the country’s economic transformation. This report aims to provide strategic insights and recommendations to navigate what is undoubtedly an exciting and dynamic environment, while decoding the nuances of India's economic journey in the years ahead. Given the sheer length of the report, we will be sharing bite-sized extracts from the study over the next few weeks.
The third episode of this series looks at the shifting nature of household savings. -
It would be fair to say that India has been blessed with some of the world's most scenic places. Himalayan towns with magnificent views of the Great Himalayan Range, or lesser ranges like the Dhauladhars or the Pir Panjal are stunning from any benchmark.
The tragedy is that over construction of hotels has created concrete monstrosities. The lack of infrastructure leads to clogged roads and rubbish dumped in scenic forests and in the valleys. Over-tourism has deflated the life out of such places. This is a tragedy, as this podcast explains.
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At our recent Q2 FY25 CHRO Dialogues in Delhi and Bangalore, our second session was an open house, moderated by IMA’s Chairman and Editorial Director, Adit Jain, on two perennially-important issues: attrition and talent management.
This podcast summarises key takeaways from the discussions -
India's agriculture sector is crucial for the country’s food security. It also supports the livelihoods of over 40% of the population and strongly influences the growth of consumer markets. An abundant monsoon this year, and favourable policies on minimum support prices (MSPs) and import duties will likely ease rural distress in the short term. However, the sector faces major long-term challenges, such as fragmented farm holdings, sub-optimal cropping patterns, under-investment in machinery and scientific methods and (especially in certain regions) a heavy reliance on rainfall. It is evident what needs to be done to reform the sector, but the political will to implement difficult choices is often missing.
At a recent all-Forum online session, the first in our ‘Sector Spotlight’ series, Harish Damodaran, National Rural Affairs and Agriculture Editor at The Indian Express, offered a forward-looking view on India’s agriculture landscape. This podcast summarises these discussions.
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IMA recently published its ‘Vision 2030: India’s Growth Frontiers’ report, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving the country’s economic transformation. This report aims to provide strategic insights and recommendations to navigate what is undoubtedly an exciting and dynamic environment, while decoding the nuances of India's economic journey in the years ahead. Given the sheer length of the report, we will be sharing bite-sized extracts from the study over the next few weeks.
High-income households will double by 2030 and upper-middle-class ones will surge by 60%, driving significant consumption growth. Per capita income may rise from USD 2,860 in 2024 to USD 4,660–5,500 by 2030, fuelling a consumption boom.With a young population and low dependency ratio, India’s demographic dividend will drive increased spending, especially among millennials and Gen Z.By 2030, over 40% of India will be urbanised, with rural consumption increasingly mimicking urban trends due to rising aspirations and access to modern retail. UPI and the internet are transforming consumer behaviour, with digital payments projected to drive 90% of e-Commerce transactions.Volume growth, premiumisation and modernisation will dominate, with rising demand for premium goods in categories like cars, air travel, and luxury goods.Indian consumers prioritise cultural authenticity over westernisation, with local values influencing consumption patterns, even as they modernise.Mobility and the internet are blending regional traditions, with younger consumers open to experimentation across food, fashion, and leisure.
The second episode of this series looks at how India's consumer markets are transforming, reflecting broader shifts in its economy and society. For instance: -
US Treasury markets are suggestive of a cooling economy. Investors expect many rate cuts, as yields on bonds have refused to rise. Lower yields on long-term Treasuries, suggest that there is still a scramble to buy safe assets as volatility in riskier asset classes, specifically shares, will continue with further bouts of pounding.
Gold is in high demand – a situation that normally presents itself when other assets face trouble. It would be reasonable to assume that investors are no longer exuberant about market conditions, a phase usually associated as a forerunner to a correction. This podcast provides a perspective on commodities, markets and interest rates.
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