Stuck in the Slow Lane

It has been several months and quarters of agony for the Indian automobile industry, what with vehicle sales falling. The rapid growth rate registered in the 2004 to 2013 period seems to have sputtered to a slow growth, if that. Newspapers and magazines are suddenly full of news about falling vehicle sales and job losses;… Continue reading Stuck in the Slow Lane

Of Language, Myths, and Roland Barthes

What a delightful surprise, to read an author and discover that you have been speaking the language that he spent years studying, throughout your career. That was how I felt, having finished reading Roland Barthesโ€™ Mythologies. In what is probably his best-known work, Roland Barthes takes a microscope to popular cultural phenomena and analyses -… Continue reading Of Language, Myths, and Roland Barthes

A Made-in-India Economic Slowdown

While the news in and out of India in recent days has been, quite rightly, hogged by the Kashmir issue, I would like to draw your attention to the economic slowdown in India. There probably isnโ€™t a soul anywhere in the world who hasnโ€™t heard of Prime Minister Narendra Modiโ€™s invitation to foreign investors, โ€œMake… Continue reading A Made-in-India Economic Slowdown

From Gateway to China to Getaway Island?

The recent wave of protests in Hong Kong are making news headlines for a variety of reasons. From the draconian nature of the extradition bill proposed by Mainland China, to the intensity and massive turnout of the protesters, to the violent reaction by the Hong Kong police, everything was captured by television news channels. The… Continue reading From Gateway to China to Getaway Island?

Lockdown Valley

All my life I have wanted to visit Kashmir, but have been unable to go there. These are my thoughts as Kashmir continues to be in a state of lockdown after the Indian government's decision to revoke Article 370 which had guaranteed Kashmir its special status all these years. It is a travesty of the… Continue reading Lockdown Valley

Person Brands: The Importance of Being Ernest or, Scott

When one is thinking about brands, it is our favourite products or services that come to mind. Sometimes, a few companies. Rarely does one think of a person. And when one thinks of people, and I mean the well-known ones, we donโ€™t necessarily think โ€œbrandsโ€. It would be rather odd, if we did. But is… Continue reading Person Brands: The Importance of Being Ernest or, Scott