Opinion / The Economic Times
India's online gaming market faces uncertainty with the proposed Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025. The bill's focus on prohibition over regulation, particularly regarding real-money games, threatens to undermine the domestic gaming industry and investor confidence. Concerns arise over overlooking in-app purchases and the potential for creating black markets, hindering India's digital ambitions.
The government's new online gaming bill may halt online betting. It follows a pattern of stifling industries instead of regulating them. Earlier, commodity futures and forex markets faced similar fates. The move comes before a Supreme Court ruling on gaming legality. The court will decide on skill versus chance and GST issues.
Post-pandemic, India Inc. witnessed significant deleveraging, increased profits, and substantial cash reserves, fueled by tax cuts and lower interest rates. Despite improved capacity utilization and investment announcements, fixed asset creation has slowed. Private sector investment participation has increased, but promoter holdings have declined, indicating a need for greater private sector engagement in India's growth story.
Recent criticism from US officials, including Peter Navarro, regarding India's continued import of Russian crude oil is misplaced. India prioritizes its energy security. Discounted Russian crude benefits Indian consumers and industries.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited collaborates with Ericsson, Qualcomm, Cisco, and Nokia. They will establish training centers at Jabalpur's BRBRAITT. This initiative aims to create Telecom Innovation, Research and Training Centre. The focus is on 5G, 6G, AI, and cybersecurity training. This will boost local economies and equip India with a skilled workforce. India aims to lead in telecom innovation globally.
India faces challenges from US tariffs and Chinese export curbs. To counter this, the article suggests strengthening India's industrial base. It also suggests reforming government procedures. Lowering import duties and supporting nascent tech sectors are important. Unleashing the corporate debt market and promoting prompt payments are crucial. Investing in technology and reducing reliance on rare earth magnets are also needed.
The controversy surrounding the Election Commission's Summary Integrated Revision (SIR) highlights the unrealistic expectation of a flawless voter list. Achieving 100% accuracy in large-scale enumerations is impossible due to human error, respondent inaccuracies, and contextual constraints. The focus should shift towards building transparent, iterative, and credible processes for detecting and correcting errors over time to maintain public trust.
The India-US relationship has deteriorated, with disproportionate responses from the White House despite India's efforts to address trade concerns. Political imperatives in the US, rather than trade merits, seem to be driving the decisions, leading to a chill in relations and a hardening public mood in India.
India aims to transition from a global pharmacy to an innovation hub by reforming its regulatory landscape. The focus is on AI-powered approvals, adaptive trials, fast-track pathways, and a single-window digital platform. Creating public market access for biotech startups and incentivizing investment are crucial to compete with China's advancements in drug innovation.
ICICI Bank's attempt to increase minimum balance requirements may've signaled a shift away from mass-market banking. UPI's rise has diminished the value of CASA deposits due to faster money transfers and reduced float. Banks are now re-evaluating their strategies as the CASA era wanes, seeking innovative ways to build stable deposits in a fintech-dominated landscape.
The Prime Minister is pushing for GST reforms before Diwali, urging states to adopt the shared draft. Concerns persist regarding unpredictable tax rates and overlapping investigations, leading to numerous demand notices. The article suggests rationalizing rates, expanding the tax base, and adopting a nuanced approach to compliance, including preventing non-compliance and supporting taxpayers.
A Trump-Putin summit occurred in Anchorage. Discussions focused on the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump wants a peace agreement, not just a ceasefire. He puts pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky to make a deal. The summit aimed to de-escalate hostilities. Trump seeks assurances from Moscow. He hopes for a Nobel Prize. Further talks are expected in Moscow.
For those of you emitting a disapproving dad grunt at my treatment of the day India gained its hard-won freedom from a public-owned multinational company when my father was 7, let me defend myself by saying that to truly celebrate something like Independence Day, one should tap into its celebratory core, and less into its dutiful, commemorative aspect. Unless you're in school, of course, where a good brainwash is always rejuvenating for nanha munha to be rahi and desh ka sipahi.
Anyone from the upper middle class upwards cant be seen to move about without a flunkynfactotum its so dclass to lift a finger.
'A tariff,' explained the magus, 'is something that is imposed as a supposedly corrective measure to deter trade imbalances. For instance, Magog 1 can impose a 25% tariff on Og 1, whereby for every boulder weight of roots and berries and wood that Og 1 supplies, Og 1 has to accept 1.25 boulder weights of woolly mammoth from Magog 1.
An opinion expressed on a professional networking platform regarding the European Jewish Congress's stance on the Gaza conflict led to the comment's removal for violating community guidelines. It is about drawing parallels to post-Napoleonic France's 'plus royaliste que le roi' phenomenon, which criticizes the platform's perceived bias.
ICICI Bank's MAB hike controversy has brought the practice under scrutiny, questioning its appropriateness. Introduced in the 1990s amid deregulation, MAB aimed to boost bank income, but it disproportionately affects depositors, hindering financial inclusion and economic growth. The RBI's hands-off approach raises concerns about banks' freedom in setting MAB.
A community dog named Kalu, injured and maggot-infested, sought refuge with the author, revealing a larger issue of abandoned black Labradors, victims of superstition. Kalu's story highlights human selfishness and the resilience of street dogs, who offer valuable lessons if treated with respect. He ultimately chose the author's home for his final year, demonstrating love, trust, and dignity.
Challenging earlier theories, recent research suggests Aryans were traders, not invaders or migrants, drawn to India by its iron smelting technology. They exchanged horses for iron, influencing Indian culture through language, genes, and patriarchal customs. This exchange explains the presence of horses in Vedic texts and the spread of Indo-European languages and genetic markers in India.
India's e-truck scheme marks a crucial step towards decarbonizing freight, addressing fuel consumption and emissions. A long-term roadmap with electrification milestones, charging infrastructure tailored to freight, and supply-side regulations like fuel efficiency norms and ZEV mandates are vital. These measures will accelerate e-truck adoption, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen energy security.
International order faces strain. Trump's tariffs against Brazil highlight this. Brazil challenges this via WTO and BRICS. India's regional trade lags. Emerging economies like India must act collectively. They should defend rules-based systems. Sovereignty requires robust institutions and coalitions. Multilateralism is crucial. Climate, trade, and food security are linked. Emerging economies must set norms.