For the past several centuries the world has made much of its progress on the back of the relationship between citizens, governments and businesses. From the time of the Magna Carta, when aristocratic barons seized privileges and rights from the monarchy, businesses have had the upper hand in the relationship. As agents of innovation and… Continue reading How Illiberal Politics is Impacting Business and Economies
The Indian government just presented the Union Budget for 2020-21 a few days ago, and this one was more anticipated than those in years gone by for the simple reason that the current slowdown in the Indian economy is unprecedented. In this Indian budget special edition of the Owl Wisdom Podcast, I examine the highlights… Continue reading Does India’s Budget 2020 Rev Up Growth: Owl Wisdom Podcast
It's not a New Year resolution, but I thought it might be a good idea for me to attempt podcasting in 2020 as a way of adding another dimension to my blog. And in keeping with the tradition of my blog, the podcasts too will be written at the intersection of business, economics, politics and… Continue reading Five Highs and Lows in 2020: Owl Wisdom Podcast
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Over a year ago, I had written a post on identity politics as it exists around the world, including in India, and in it I had referred to an excerpt from Francis Fukuyama’s new book, Identity, that I happened to read online on Quillette. I had then said that I would like to read the… Continue reading A Paean to Thymos
Let me start by confessing that I am embarrassed that it has taken me a year to read the books that I had bought last year, and write about them. There has just been so much to read through the year, that I kept putting off reading the books that I had bought at last… Continue reading When Lady Courage Wields Her Pen
I am sure nobody was surprised when news of India’s Q2 GDP trickled in a few days ago. It was anticipated that the slowdown will be worse than the previous quarter. In fact, I was surprised to hear business news channels breathing a sigh of relief that GDP growth rate hadn’t come in at 4%… Continue reading Made-in-India Slowdown Made to Benefit the Haves
You would think that the new digitally powered economy – some of it, internet based – would be more productive, since they depend so heavily on computers and information technology. Not true. Several studies, including those by David Autor and others, show drop in productivity in the US, and especially since the late 1990s. Many… Continue reading Why the Sky Is Not the Limit in the Intangible Economy
President Trump’s recent set of policy gaffs in the Middle East have led to the start of a new conflict in the region. That between Turkey and the Kurds of Northern Syria, of which Trump remarked “it is between the two of them… it has nothing to do with us”. As if he could wash… Continue reading Costs of the West’s Misadventures in the Middle East
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent vice of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” - Winston Churchill Just as there is a lot of talk about brand purpose these days, there is also a lot of discussion about capitalism and more importantly, what kind. Ever since the… Continue reading Capitalism Waiting for a Future
Peripatetic Perch 