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from Expert Zone:
India Markets Weekahead – Still time to tank up for a pre-budget rally
(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily of Thomson Reuters)
The Nifty has crossed 6,000 levels while the Sensex breached the psychological barrier of 20,000 to touch a two-year high -- triggered by an overdrive of government action, encouraging macro numbers, corporate results and no bad news internationally.
One of the biggest irritants for FIIs was removed last week with the announcement that the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) would be applicable only from April 2016.
The much awaited diesel price hike was announced through a "partial decontrol" which enables Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to decide on diesel prices, which were increased by 45 paise last week. Markets were expecting an increase of three to four rupees followed by a calibrated raise every month, but this decision of shifting the onus to the OMCs seemed politically correct.
from India Insight:
Rahul Gandhi takes first step in race to be India’s next PM
It's the news some Congress leaders have waited for with bated breath. On Saturday, spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi announced the party’s decision to make Rahul Gandhi its vice-president.
Pressure had been mounting on the “young emperor” from within the troubled party to take charge. For years, Gandhi had shown no inclination to do so. But with his formal promotion to the party’s number two position next to mother Sonia, the 42-year-old is ready to claim the throne of the world's largest democracy in the 2014 elections.
from India Insight:
‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ meets ‘Indian Idol’ in West Bengal
(Any career-destroying attempts at irony or humour are the responsibility of the author, and not of the chief ministers of Gujarat or West Bengal or any of their associates.)
Everybody's talking about how Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has fostered fair weather for businesses and investors in his state. Maybe he's making it too easy. In West Bengal, it looks like investors and business people must work a little harder for their returns. Take a look at that state's chief minister, Mamata Banerjee. She isn't just making business people and investors work for their profits; she's making them sing.
from India Insight:
Firing on LoC: Blame game and spillovers continue
Firing between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed region of Kashmir has left five soldiers dead (two Indians and three Pakistanis). In India, the issue became a front-page story with the media expressing outrage over reports that the body of one Indian soldier was allegedly mutilated by the Pakistanis.
The incident fuelled tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and Indian political parties have minced no words in their calls for retribution.
from Breakingviews:
India in depth: Crying out for corporate bonds
By Andy Mukherjee
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
India is crying out for corporate bonds. The country’s bank-dominated financial system is not well-suited to fund the $1 trillion infrastructure investment targeted by the government under its current five-year plan. Corporate bonds could be a helpful alternative, but the authorities are stifling the development of a genuine debt market.
from Expert Zone:
India Markets Weekahead – Company results key for market direction
(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily of Thomson Reuters)
Infosys stumped Indian markets again but for a change -- positively. Recent management comments had built expectations of underperformance which led to cautious to negative views on the stock. Institutional investors were light on Infosys whereas the more adventurous speculators were short. And we were all caught on the wrong foot when the company declared a revenue growth as well as a net profit much better than consensus expectations.
from India Insight:
LoC killings: Is a third-party probe the way ahead?
(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not necessarily of Thomson Reuters)
The death toll on the Line of Control in Kashmir is four since Jan. 6: two from India's military, two from Pakistan's. One thing is sure: neither side started it, judging by what you hear from both countries' armed forces and from media reports.
from Expert Zone:
Time to create a holistic mobile ecosystem
(Any opinions expressed here are those of the author, and not those of Thomson Reuters)
Mobile phones have transcended various phases of evolution since the time they began their journey. They have come a long way from being simple feature phones, which were meant for making calls and sending text messages.
from Ian Bremmer:
2013′s top 10 political risks
It was a close call at times, but we made it through 2012. Now we’re set to encounter a new set of risks ‑ but not in the world’s advanced industrialized democracies, which are much more resilient than feared. This year, with the global recession on the wane, attention shifts back to emerging markets, the economies that are usually the ones that pose the most political risk. You can read the whole report from my political risk firm, Eurasia Group, here, but an executive summary of this year’s top 10 risks, in video and text, is below:
10.) South Africa: Africa overall looks like it will continue its recent growth. But South Africa, one of the continent’s most complex and important economies, is floundering. Its dominant political party, the African National Congress, is resorting to populism to maintain its base among the urban and rural poor. That means more state intervention, more labor unrest and more assertive unions. We’re not predicting a fundamental political crisis, but the country is moving along a path that offers little reason for optimism.
from India Insight:
Interview: Satisfied with response from police, government: rape victim’s father
Five men accused of the rape and murder of the 23-year-old student appeared in court on Monday to hear charges against them.
Reuters’ Shashank Chouhan interviewed the rape victim’s father over telephone. Here are the excerpts:
