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COVER STORY
US Financial Bailouts :
Act II
-- N Janardhan Rao with inputs from Ch Srinivas
Despite the massive infusion of public money into the coffers of troubled Wall Street giants,
the banking industry is yet to show interest in lending. It is no surprise that the credit
crunch continues to escalate and economic conditions keep going out of control. Now a new ray
of hope emerges in the wake of the Obama administration's revamped financial rescue plan.
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
OPEC :
Losing Dominance?
-- N Janardhan Rao and PS Sarath Chandra
In the light of the current global economic recession and consequent decline in the global demand for oil,
neither OPEC nor any other non-OPEC producers could arrest the decline in the oil price.
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Executive Compensation:
Towards Better Transparency
-- N Janardhan Rao and PS Sarath Chandra
Wall Street's current system of `asymmetric compensation' needs to change, as it is not only less
transparent and less shareholder-friendly but also self-defeating.
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Indian Retailing :
The Private Label Offensive
-- Amit Singh Sisodiya and Imrana Moghul
The action is just getting hotter in the most happening private label space in India's retailing industry.
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Rate Cuts :
More on the Anvil
-- T Jyotsna
The Reserve Bank of India is resorting to massive and unprecedented cuts in its policy rates to stave off
the effects of the global financial crisis on the Indian economy.
INTERNATIONAL BANKING
German Bank Bailout :
Running into Trouble?
-- N Janardhan Rao and Siba Prasad Pothal
The German government's huge bank bailout package has so far not shown any fruitful results, and the
country's ailing banking sector is still fighting for survival. Can the so-called `bad bank' approach solve the problem?
CORPORATE STRATEGY
Citigroup :
Colossal Financial Collapse
-- N Janardhan Rao and V Ratna
After reporting bigger-than-expected fourth quarter losses, the beleaguered banking icon is realigning into
two businesses and ending its much-maligned financial supermarket model.
CORPORATE STRATEGY
Tatas : Facing Tough Times
-- Y Bala Bharathi and Sanjoy De
Since the beginning of 2008, the Tatas have been in deep trouble, following tight liquidity conditions,
a depressed stock price, and erosion in investor confidence.
CORPORATE STRATEGY
Nortel's Bankruptcy :
Beginning of the End?
-- Amit Singh Sisodiya and Sudesh Gonela
The Canadian telecom gear maker hopes to emerge financially stronger post-bankruptcy. However,
industry experts foresee feeble chances of a revival sans part sell-off or complete liquidation.
FINANCIAL MARKETS
Naked Short Sales :
The Naked Truth
-- Amit Singh Sisodiya and Imrana Moghul
Naked short selling raises its ugly head once again even as the capital market regulator tries hard to rein in
the abusive practice which is alleged to be behind the collapse of several of the Wall Street firms, including
Lehman Brothers.
FINANCIAL MARKETS
Indian IPO Market :
Living to Fight Another Day
-- R Venkatesan Iyengar
While the companies that either deferred or cancelled their IPOs in 2008 may decide to go public this year,
there is no gainsaying the view that 2009 will not be any different.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
China's Trade :
Crisis in Surplus
-- T Jyotsna
China's trade, reckoned as the engine of world trade and global growth, is facing a setback, with the
country's imports declining more than its exports. Ensuing trade tension with the US is also further adding to the crisis.
INDUSTRY
DTH in India :
Opportunity Beckons
-- Y Bala Bharathi and GP Mrudhula
As Direct-to-Home (DTH) is fast becoming a household name, year 2009 could prove to be more
action-packed than the previous year, with the next generation set-top box.
INDUSTRY
Power :
Light at the End of the Tunnel
-- Y Bala Bharathi and Sanjoy De
Indian power sector, which has been crippled by a number of problems, still casts light. And the vision of
`Power for All', though difficult, does not seem impossible.
TECHNOLOGY
Future of Computing :
A Walk in the Clouds?
-- Y Bala Bharathi and GP Mrudhula
Cloud computing, the present rage in online computing, has taken the IT industry by storm. It offers an
entirely new dimension to computing and promises to remarkably change the way people work and companies operate.
ARTS AND ARTISTS
John Updike :
Confetti of Words
-- GRK Murty
John Updike (1932-2009)—like Sarat
Chandra Chatterjee, the immortal wordsmith of India, who wrote 27
novels and numerous short stories and essays, presenting the
commoner's life almost with pathological accuracy, based on
his encounters with life as a country-youth that provided him with the
inspiration, ingredients and storylines for his
lifelike characters in the uncomplicated rural family settings of the late
19th to early 20th century Bengali society, and died of
cancer on 16th January 1938—drawing from
his suburban American living experience, had authored 28 novels and published
14 collections of short stories, all centering around
"the American small town, Protestant middle
class" and nine volumes of poetry and countless reviews on the
literary output during the second half of
the
20th century, and died of cancer on
January 27, 2009 at the age of 76, in Boston, US.
APOLITICAL
Darwin :
Natural Selection of Business Traits
- - grk
The world celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of the
birth of Charles Robert Darwin on
12th February. As a scientist, Darwin is revered as the inspiration behind the
freedom of thought in the given science. The world also celebrated the
one hundred and fiftieth year of the publication of his book The Origin of Species.
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