State vs the Market in a Pandemic Economy

Big government is what The Economist told us to expect at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. It anticipated greater government intervention, of course, as there should be in the case of a health emergency that Covid-19 has turned out to be. But it also anticipated government mandates, use of contact-tracing as a… Continue reading State vs the Market in a Pandemic Economy

Peter Drucker and Today’s World of Work

While reading an article by Theodore Levitt titled Marketing Myopia, I came across a reference to Peter Drucker’s Principles of Management and Concept of a Corporation and I thought I must read them. Principles of Management was not available on Amazon India, but there was Practice of Management, also by him. Concept of a Corporation… Continue reading Peter Drucker and Today’s World of Work

Elections in the Midst of a Pandemic

In my last blog post on India, I had written about the three Es that we will have to watch out for in 2022. This article is on the first E: elections, with those on the economy and on engineering economic reforms following in subsequent months. The Omicron variant has set off the third wave… Continue reading Elections in the Midst of a Pandemic

How Brands Can Propel Business Strategy Forward

In my last blog post on brands, I had written about brands having the ability to affect and influence companies’ operations at the corporate level, not merely at the marketing level. That is, if brands are used to determine and guide a company’s direction. If used strategically and imaginatively well, brands might even help reinstate… Continue reading How Brands Can Propel Business Strategy Forward

Coming Soon: The Revolt of the 90%

As we come to the end of the second pandemic year, we are being forced to confront the same old ugly reality: rising inequality. Come to think of it, we have had to live with this for the past couple of decades and more. And despite two massive crises of a global nature – the… Continue reading Coming Soon: The Revolt of the 90%

Geopolitical Tensions, a Red Herring

The last thing the world needs, as it struggles to control the pandemic and revive economies, is another war or attack on another country’s sovereignty. Yet, for the past couple of months all one has been reading and hearing in the media – particularly international media – is about geopolitical tensions coming to a boil.… Continue reading Geopolitical Tensions, a Red Herring

The Three Es of India to Look Out For in 2022

It’s been a while since I wrote on the Indian economy and since our second quarter GDP news was released just a fortnight ago, I thought it might make sense to consider this news as well as other issues looming on the horizon. Which is why this piece is not so much about the Q2… Continue reading The Three Es of India to Look Out For in 2022

Why COP26 Is a Missed Opportunity

Going by the past record of UN Climate Conferences, the latest one that concluded in Glasgow a few days ago was no different. It was a repeat of the same old discussions, the same sticking points, the same contentious issues, and finally the usual watered-down statement that is palatable to all. That is because it’s… Continue reading Why COP26 Is a Missed Opportunity

China’s Debt Crisis Reflects Deep Problems Within

In this month’s Owleye column, only the second since I began writing it last month, I would like to focus on China and its huge debt crisis, which leads to several other problems within its economy. While the debt crisis in China isn’t new (the earliest news reports of its looming debt problem surfaced in… Continue reading China’s Debt Crisis Reflects Deep Problems Within

Building, Managing and Measuring Brands

In one of my recent blog posts, I said I would like to read David Aaker and Kevin Lane Keller and I am glad to say that I have just finished reading Aaker’s Building Strong Brands that I ordered from Amazon. A lot of it was familiar territory to a seasoned advertising professional like me,… Continue reading Building, Managing and Measuring Brands