A recent RBI working paper is a welcome addition to the literature on this subject even if it doesnt explain markets to our satisfaction. Its not an easy taskas a review of Nobel wins can testify. Recall the theory-driven LTCMs collapse?

IPO-bound Ola Cabs saw its chief Hemant Bakshi resign after barely four months in the post. Whats up? Going-electric jitters? Its path will be under watch.

If it should be easy for employers to fire workers, then it should also be easy for employees to quit. By allowing workers to move freely to roles where they are most valued, the FTC is fostering a competitive and fair labour market.

An information asymmetry needs to be fixedand fast. Enhancing the skills of employees through AI training could improve the capacity of Indian IT service companies to compete on a more equal footing.

It shouldn't worry us as the money is merely shifting to other assets and isn't as stark a phenomenon as some critics suggest. Here's what the numbers say.

We need a clear picture of India's have-nots. Without an up-to-date database that's accurate, governments will find it hard to reach households in need of state support.

Leaders must take responsibility for what happens on their watch instead of trying to pass the buck. The rule spans all kinds of organizations, from armed forces and administration to businesses.

The rationale of insisting on auctions, as the Supreme Court did in its 2G-case ruling, has weakened as technology and global norms have evolved. The 2G muddle was value destroying. Indian laws should offer clearer guidance to regulators.

Interest rates will probably stay higher for longer not just in the US, but here in India too. It could restrain a revival in private investment and constrain what the government can spend.

The police crackdown on protests against the Gaza War in American universities should leave us aghast. What happened to the US as a champion of freedom?

The people of Bihar are undoubtedly politically sensitive, but they remain obstinate about voting on the basis of castes.

India suffers from what we can call a sizable international student deficit. More public investment in developing world-class institutions of learning would attract students and boost local economies.

Every Indian citizen must have access to quality public services and government schemes and benefits. In the most remote of villages too. For a developed India by 2047, we must empower our rural institutions as an imperative.

Our perception of a soul or even vulnerability to events beyond our control can be explained without magic.

Google rejected employee protests against its cloud service contract with Israel, sacking a bunch of protestors too, a departure from its more liberal past. But then, Alphabet cant afford disruption over crucial defence-sector opportunities.

Theres a fair chance that the rupee will come out as a weaker currency over time. So, every rupee you own will buy you fewer goods and services in dollar terms. Conversely, every dollar will buy you more things in India. And this is why investing in the international market is a smart idea

A fixation with trending topics like AI is discernible among CXOs. Boys with toys spring to mind. For India Incs leadership, its crucial not to let the prevailing buzz detract attention from substantive issues.

Indian corporates have led the way in ensuring transparent emission disclosures, but we need to also put in place guardrails that prevent misuse of carbon credits.

Opposition to the inheritance tax defies political and economic logic. It can only be justified on grounds of difficulty of collection and administration.

Our food safety regulator must extricate us from a dust-up over packaged masala mixes after Hong Kong and Singapore banned some exported from here. For India to be the worlds next big factory, we cant afford to let a reputation for lax quality standards set in

TCSs CEO reckons that call centres will be rendered redundant by customer call-taking chatbots within a year. Lots of Indian jobs will be hit. Will firms like TCS create new ones?

Yes, GE offloaded its fabled Crotonville CEO incubator. The idea of assembly-line CEOs doesn't work anymore.

Alas, a representative ringside view of Indian polls is impossible to get from overseas. But loud TV talk suggests that democracy alarmists should calm down and Indias electorate is more aware than it may seem.

Claims that wind and solar energy are now cheaper than fossil fuel-based energy are misleading as these refer to costs only when the sun is out or wind blowing but dont account for intermittency.

Patanjali has hurt the industrys credibility by linking Ramdev's reputation with the company's drugs rather than offering sound therapeutic reasons for promoting those. This was not necessary

As we devolve agency to AI agents for various tasks, we mustnt blow the lid off a Pandoras Box. Tech companies want to keep humans in control of AI actions, but such tech can also give agents autonomy.

We saw a post-covid reversal of both positive and negative labour-market trends. How and why so? An ILO-IHD report offers clues. Hint: We had a covid backslide and surge in broadly defined self-employment.

Elon Musks fiendish conundrum

Unlike 10 years ago, the Indian prime minister isnt promising major economic reforms. And that suits investors just fine.

The politics of redistribution has brought various versions of a UBI into focus. While people in deprivation clearly need relief, a UBI alone cant be relied upon to make poverty a problem of the past.

RBI has barred Kotak Mahindra Bank from issuing new credit cards and enlisting new customers through its website and app because of tech compliance failures. The private lender should get its house in order quickly.

While most economic indicators looked quite vibrant in the last two-three years, much of it can be attributed to base effects. A more comprehensive view of Indias economic performance before and after covid shows that there is still some distance to be covered.

A left-behind India could plausibly catch up with China as both seek an economic rebalance in the decades ahead. An Asian Century looks close.

Big decisions taken by big powers like the US that impact the whole world might well be different if the millions impacted overseas also had a vote.

A drop in voter turnout should put soaring temperatures under scrutiny as a factor. With global warming afoot and long waits in line a given for voting, India should consider sparing its voters such discomfort.

We mustnt adopt child-tracking apps. These violate privacy and could even set gender parity back. We should focus instead on inculcating a fine sense of responsibility.

The companys size achievements stand outits top-line crossed 10 trillion and annual pre-tax profit 1 trillionbut its small dividends are a reminder of the low yields of Indian equity in general. Could Indias biggest business help effect a big reversal?

An Indian shoe size system has been developed by researchers after a pan-India survey that involved taking 3D scans of Indians' feet to study how they are typically shaped. Are we going to get better shoe comfort if its adopted?

The latest effort by the US Congress to channel billions of dollars in aid to Ukrainian war efforts may be adequate for now, but that cant mask the fact that Kyivs American support has been wearing out. A change in the White House may even end US aid.

Policy emphasis, coupled with enhanced geopolitical influence, could bolster our space economy after the opening up of this sector placed it on an upward trajectory.

State-level curriculums should align with the National Curriculum Framework while incorporating state-specific elements, ensuring that all students receive a robust educational foundation that can satisfy national standards and suit local contexts.

We must recognize the mark left by our species on the planet. The role we have played justifies renaming the ongoing era.

Imagine a common ledger for all assets that embeds the rules and assures us high system integrity. It may be hard to implement but we must strive to make it work.

Vodafone-Ideas 18,000 crore follow-on public offer got subscribed over 6 times by the end of bidding. This relieves the worry that India will end up with a telecom duopoly.

As Indias finance minister has indicated, economic growth matters as a welfare enabler, above all. While politics has settled this point, how politics itself could shape our economic destiny is open to contest.

Reforms must take city-ward migration into account, enlarge urban supply and make use of rental vouchers for the needy.

We can afford a large welfare system and even a universal basic income, but the tax burden must be shared much wider. Our direct tax collections need to increase.

At a time of heightened tension with Iran and all the insecurity that comes with it, it has never been more important for Israel to defuse the anger of Palestinians living in territories under its occupation.

Modi's inflation-targeting RBI mandate is a case of good politics, one that can be a bigger vote winner than many leaders around the world may think.

First came the Ukraine war and then Gaza. Conflicts with geopolitical dimensions spell a danger unseen since the 1960s.