Category Archives: Economy

India: A Telling Corruption Study

Posted on December 8, 2011 by

Transparency International (TI) has published their annual survey of corruption perceptions — how corrupt various countries are perceived to be. As usual, India does not fare well. What’s particularly disturbing, though, is what the data now reveals. TI publishes two … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Doing Business in India, Economy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Brazil’s Population Growth Rate Fell Faster than India’s: Why?

Posted on August 30, 2011 by

A recent National Geographic article grabbed my attention: Brazil’s population growth rate fell sharply in the last three decades. The article started with a list of names: Jose Alberto; Murilo; Geraldo; Angela; Paulo; Edwiges; Vicente; Rita; Lucia; Marcellino; Teresinha. These … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

India’s Population, the Decennial Census, and me

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

For a country where a quarter of the people are still illiterate in any language, India conducts a pretty decent ten-yearly census. 2011 is a census year, and the provisional results are out for some of the main indicators. (The … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business in India, Economy, General | Tagged , | Leave a comment

India’s Population: Explosion and Demographic Dividend

Posted on January 21, 2011 by

Recently, my friend Bhaswati Mukherjee, the Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands, sent me a copy of a speech she made.   “You may find it of interest,” she wrote. I did. Bhaswati and I are old friends; we  were at school … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business in India, Economy | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Dolls’ clothes and E-readers: What does it all mean?

Posted on December 12, 2010 by

Two things happened recently that made me think about convenience, competition and change, and where electronic markets are taking us. First: I got an e-reader, specifically, a Kindle. Second: We bought clothes for a doll. BOOK-LOVERS AND E-READERS At first, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, General | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Asia: Upward Wage Pressure

Posted on October 25, 2010 by

There’s an atmosphere of uncertainty, even gloom, about employment in the US. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in California for September 2010 was  12.4% and there’s no immediate sign of improvement. So the document that landed in my email box … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Doing Business in India, Economy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Growth and inflation in Asia

Posted on March 10, 2010 by

IMA Asia‘s notes always provide a useful perspective, given that Asia is likely to be the region that will lead the world out of recession. What they’re saying now is that “2010 is set to be a bumpy, complex and … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Economy, General | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Bt Brinjal and the Great GMO Debate

Posted on January 25, 2010 by

India’s considering legalizing genetically modified brinjal – the vegetable otherwise known as eggplant or aubergine. (Or baingan or kathirikai.) It’s a popular vegetable in Indian cuisine. In October 2009, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) recommended approval for transgenic eggplants … Continue reading →

Posted in agribusiness, Doing Business in India, Economy, General | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Naan Dog at Narita

Posted on November 23, 2009 by

Yesterday, at Narita airport in Japan, I encountered an interesting new product: The Naan Dog. I was intrigued. It spoke of innovation, globalization, and adaptive palates all at the same time. The Naan Dog product was clearly fusion, though I … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Economy, General | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Versace and Video-games

Posted on November 12, 2009 by

Two news items caught my attention recently. Versace, which opened a store in Mumbai in 2006, is looking to expand in India. It opened a second store in Delhi, reportedly one of their largest outlets worldwide. And it’s trying for … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Business in India, Economy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment