After the Pandemic, the Rate Hike Stranglehold

The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t quite gone away yet and the global economy faces several headwinds going forward into the rest of this year and the next. Some of it is due to the hangover effects of the pandemic and others due to new challenges arising out of those. The main challenges to global economic growth… Continue reading After the Pandemic, the Rate Hike Stranglehold

A Democracy Fraying @ 75

Just last year, I had written on the occasion of the start of India’s 75th year of independence, about the long, Sisyphean journey our country had taken to reach where we are today. And about the challenges that remain. I had written it also from the point of view of our own personal experiences as… Continue reading A Democracy Fraying @ 75

When Times Change, Technologies Change, But Brands Don’t

In my previous post on the Indian automobile industry, I had said that perhaps the time has come for the small, entry-level car in India to be reinvented. Runaway inflation in fuel prices as well as prices of vehicles have put these sub-compact and compact cars beyond the reach of ordinary, first-time car buyers in… Continue reading When Times Change, Technologies Change, But Brands Don’t

Let’s Get Digital Brands Growing

Regular readers of my blog probably know well by now that I don’t think the digital medium is suited to brand-building. At least not in its current form. I have written a few pieces on the subject already. And many might be wondering why I would even be remotely interested in writing about digital brands,… Continue reading Let’s Get Digital Brands Growing

Motown Caught Between Recovery and Slowdown

In the fall of 2020, we were relieved to see a recovery in the sales of passenger vehicles in India, as people clearly showed a preference for owning their own private transport in the post-lockdown phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. Companies were reporting better sales as the previous couple of years had seen a slowdown,… Continue reading Motown Caught Between Recovery and Slowdown

IFAFF Is What It All Amounts To

President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) plan for reviving ties with the Asia-Pacific region is a PR ploy to paper over large cracks in the region in the recent past. Right from the pivot to Asia announced by President Obama’s administration in 2009, which led to the creation of the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership (TPP)… Continue reading IFAFF Is What It All Amounts To

Brands Relaunching After a Long Hiatus.

There are many brands that we grow up with and are an intrinsic part of our lives. Some fade away into oblivion, but most stay around and strengthen their relationships with consumers. And even when we outgrow them, there is always another set of consumers to take our place. There’s a curious thing I observed… Continue reading Brands Relaunching After a Long Hiatus.

Growth Pangs Sans China

Since the 1990s, the world economy has been so used to growing along with China, that it’s almost impossible to imagine a world without the Chinese growth engine. That’s because the Chinese economy liberalized in the 1980s and began to trade and do business freely with the rest of the world. They became a member… Continue reading Growth Pangs Sans China

Possible Reversals Ahead for India Inc

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that corporate India has had a good run for the past few years. Ever since the generous tax cuts given by the government in 2019, in order to boost investment, that is. We have yet to see the investment commensurate with such tax breaks, but that their earnings have… Continue reading Possible Reversals Ahead for India Inc