Can EMs forsake growth for happiness?

March 31, 2012 6:00 am by Anjli Raval

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The growth map, growth rates, China’s growth: markets and policy makers are obsessed with growth. Is there more to life, even for the rapidly growing emerging markets?

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which has a population of 700,000, is the only country in the world that measures its progress by how happy its people are. Thirty years after the country developed this unique development method, Jigme Y Thinley, Bhutan’s prime minister, is in New York to convince the world that rather than growth, happiness and well-being are better measures of progress. Who’s listening? Continue reading »

Tags: GDP growth, happiness Posted in Global | Permalink

Malnutrition: why EMs should care

February 17, 2012 10:55 pm by Anjli Raval

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Discussion on emerging market growth usually centres on how factors such as inflation, industrial production or even corruption can affect the economies of these countries.

However, a report released this week offers a timely reminder at how malnutrition, an obvious symptom of poverty, is eroding the economic prospects of developing nations, from India and Bangladesh to Peru and Nigeria, which are only just recovering after the fall-out of the financial crisis. Continue reading »

Tags: food prices, health, Malnutrition, poverty Posted in Global | Permalink

New York’s Indians: tune in, move on

November 11, 2011 5:37 pm by Anjli Raval

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Our occasional series continues with Anjli Raval’s observations on the changing nature of Indian radio stations in New York.

If you want to hear how life has changed for the Indian population of New York City, turn on the radio. Continue reading »

Tags: The Diaspora Digest Posted in Asia, India | Permalink

Experian: Taking a bite out of the Columbian credit pie

May 3, 2011 7:39 pm by Anjli Raval

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Experian, the world’s largest credit checking company, took another step towards boosting its presence in Latin America on Tuesday following a deal to buy Columbia’s Computec for 736bn Colombian pesos ($400m).

With many Latin American countries enjoying strong economic growth on the back of soaring commodity prices, banks have been stepping up their lending to the continent’s growing middle class. As lending rates have grown, so has demand for credit checks. Continue reading »

Tags: consumption, credit, M&A Posted in Colombia | Permalink

South Africa: Sasol’s mixed fortunes

March 9, 2011 4:53 pm by Anjli Raval

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Sasol, the South African petrochemicals group, is suffering mixed fortunes. While the global leader in converting natural gas and coal into liquids has made headway in its bid to build North America’s first plant of this kind, on the other side of the globe, its project in China appears to be stalling. Continue reading »

Tags: commodities, oil & gas Posted in South Africa | Permalink

Indian bottled water: just the tonic

February 21, 2011 3:00 am by Anjli Raval

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As Indians get wealthier they don’t just want better quality meat, fish and vegetables. They also want cleaner water – and this is spurring growth in sales of mineral water as well as fierce competition for a share of the market.

Both domestic and international players are slugging it out, with Indians currently spending about $330m a year on bottled water, analysts estimate. The packaged water market constitutes 15 per cent of the overall packaged beverage industry, which has annual sales of at least $2.6bn, Deepak Jolly, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola India said. Continue reading »

Tags: consumption, food & drink Posted in India | Permalink

London headlines

February 11, 2011 5:34 am by Anjli Raval

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*Defiant Mubarak refuses to resign

*US lawmakers revive China currency bill

*India and Pakistan to restart peace talks

*M&A activity to surge in China and India Continue reading »

Posted in Global | Permalink

Indian inflation, still a threat

February 10, 2011 2:27 pm by Anjli Raval

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Indian policymakers should breathe a little easier this week as food inflation eased on moderating prices of fruits and vegetables. But analysts still question whether the country can control inflation while maintaining ambitious growth targets.

According to figures released on Thursday, India’s food price index stood at 13.1 per cent for the week up to January 29, down from 17.1 per cent recorded for the week before. Continue reading »

Tags: central banks, commodities, inflation, interest rates Posted in India | Permalink

India: 1.2bn people and counting

February 9, 2011 10:58 am by Anjli Raval

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India is in the last phase of a year-long census of its billion-plus population. Every citizen over the age of 15 has had their photograph and fingerprints taken by 2.5m census-takers who have travelled the length and breadth of the country to more than 630,000 villages and 5,000 cities.

The government calls it the world’s largest administrative exercise. It will use the results to issue identity cards to every Indian and improve the distribution of public services. But the results should also help businesses resolve one of India’s great frustrations: there are huge commercial opportunities in the country, but it can be infuriatingly hard to quantify them. Continue reading »

Posted in India | Permalink

US exports to India for jobs at home

February 7, 2011 3:15 pm by Anjli Raval

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Gary Locke, the US trade secretary, has come to India with a business delegation days before the country’s largest air show hoping to promote exports of leading US technologies and services related to civil aviation as well as defence, homeland security and ICT.

While India’s interests have been restricted to fighter jets and other military hardware in recent months, the country has also seen a slew of deals between domestic airlines and big industry names including Boeing and Airbus. Now the US wants a slice of the cake, not least because India is expected to become one of the top five civil aviation markets in the world over the next five years, according to US trade mission paper for Locke’s visit. Continue reading »

Tags: aerospace, FDI Posted in India | Permalink

India’s sugar dilemma

February 3, 2011 1:31 pm by Anjli Raval

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As Cyclone Yasi pounds Australia, one of the world’s top sugar exporters, concerns over decreasing global supplies have deepened. But short supplies are not just restricted to Australia.

Shares of sugar manufacturers in India rose after sugar prices in the international market soared to a 30 year high, coinciding with the latest food inflation numbers. All this means the average Indian consumer is continuing to feel squeezed.

Posted in India | Permalink

India: bad for business?

January 27, 2011 8:32 am by Anjli Raval

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It’s no secret that doing business in India can be onerous, right from the simplest task of securing a visa to getting regulatory approval for land acquisition. Even government ministers speak of the burden of red tape.

And now, a new survey has crowned India as the most over-regulated country in a survey on Asian business and politics by Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC). Continue reading »

Tags: corruption, regulation Posted in India | Permalink

East India Company: $100m plan

January 26, 2011 9:55 am by Anjli Raval

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India’s Mahindra Group has acquired a minority stake in the East India Company, the British colonial brand relaunched last year as a global luxury goods company by the Indian entrepreneur Sanjiv Mehta.

The East India Company, established in 1600, was once responsible for 50 per cent of global trade. Now, Mehta alongside Mahindra Partners, the private equity arm of Mahindra Group, hope to resurrect the empire-building corporation taking the new luxury goods brand across the globe. Continue reading »

Tags: luxury, retail Posted in India | Permalink

Falling FDI pinches Indian outsourcers

January 25, 2011 12:01 am by Anjli Raval

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Indian outsourcers have been quick to downplay the effects of the global financial crisis on the sector. But new data shows that the country’s much lauded $60bn IT industry was hit hard in 2009 – and continued to suffer last year.

An Ernst & Young report released on Monday shows that the number of new Indian software and IT services investments was down 36 per cent in 2009 from the previous year, the biggest decline in foreign direct investment in any sector. The numbers for 2010 were even grimmer. Continue reading »

Tags: FDI, IT Posted in India | Permalink

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