The Union Budget for FY24 focused on capex-led growth, improving the quality of government spending, and providing a fiscal consolidation path. The budget was presented on 1 February, by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, against a crucial macro-political backdrop, with an expected slowdown in global growth, a smaller nominal GDP buffer and ahead of the general elections in 2024. Navigating the growth paradox amid an increasingly volatile global backdrop remains a key challenge for the government this year. But, what if growth slows down further in FY24, due to recession in developed markets ..read more

In the last full year Budget before Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third term, the government has announced a slew of measures aimed at appeasing India's middle class. The finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed various changes in the new tax regime to make it more popular. Out of five major announcements made under personal tax, proposals have been made for salaried individuals opting for new tax regime, change in tax slab rates and introduction of standard deduction. But the new math looks complex and puzzling, leaving a trail of chaos among tax payers trying to und ..read more

At a critical juncture of steep valuations and high volatility in stock markets, comes the Union Budget 2023. However, an analysis of the past trends shows that the Union Budget's influence on short-term market performance is declining. Budget day volatility has risen since 2019 and hit an eleven-year high in 2022. Expectations, as measured by pre-budget equity markets performance, are important in determining what the markets do immediately after the budget. Only twice in 30 years have the Indian markets risen both pre- and post-budget. Factors that will likely have the maximum impact on mark ..read more

Rashesh Shah, chairman and CEO of Edelweiss Group believes that the government needs to increase its spending through direct investments in projects and putting cash in the hands of people in the form of tax cuts or by reducing GST on products. Shah says that it is important to create a bigger four-year disinvestment target rather than yearly ones and create more avenues for asset sales. With nominal GDP expected to grow by 15-16 percent during FY22, Shah expects that it will provide the government with the window to increase its expenditures ..read more

Started in 1962, Borosil now has two listed firms: Borosil Ltd, which sells kitchen appliances and cookware, lab-wares and pharma packaging and the solar glass manufacturing renewables business. A fortnight back Borosil Renewables raised Rs 200 crore to double its capacity, and the group recently underwent restructuring earlier this year to chart independent growth for both the businesses. The company's managing director Shreevar Kheruka talks about the impact of Covid-19 on business, the ways the group is seeking to cut bad costs, how work from home is here to stay and what they did to m ..read more

Vineet Rai, chairman, Aavishkaar Group with an AUM of $1.1 billion talks about his journey with impact investing, creating businesses where people live in a bid to reduce migration to big cities, create jobs for them, improve livelihood, access to education and healthcare. He shares his insights on how Covid-19 has impacted the microfinance sector, fund raising and its portfolio companies across SE Asia and Africa. Rai believes capital activity will be back in 2021 with focus on climate change and agri-tech deals in India ..read more

The senior partner at Khaitan & Co, a dealmaker, and institution builder talks about how leaders of corporate India never had to step out of their homes to do big deals, his journey from Kolkata to building Khaitan & Co into one of the largest law firms in India, the changes that the Covid-19 pandemic brought about to corporate India, the art of deal making, and the future of the legal industry ..read more

Anand Kripalu, the managing director and CEO of Diageo India, the makers of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and McDowell’s, talks about how his middle-class values taught him to spend every penny carefully, never taking a loan in his life, why the Royal Challengers Bangalore team (RCB) is a fascinating part of Diageo’s business, and the negative perception around the alcohol industry ..read more

"Tiger" Tyagarajan explains why staying curious helps one become more humble and inclusive, in addition to driving diversity, building big teams, and a great career. The CEO of Genpact also talks about his unusual nickname, hiring people who don’t know it all, cultivating leadership, building a culture of learning, the changing workplace and cognitive diversity ..read more

In this episode of Capital Ideas, Ronnie Screwvala, the chairman and co-founder of upGrad, and the former CEO and founder of UTV Group, talks about coming from a lower-middle-class family, failing in college, his unusual surname, and why an entrepreneur must never have a Plan B. Screwvala talks to Manu Balachandran about starting with low capital, his transition from a toothbrush business to building one of India's multimedia conglomerate, self-conviction, and breaking glass ceilings. Read Forbes India's 9th October cover story on Ronnie Screwvala here ..read more