Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. Critics of the Bric concept have marked its 10th anniversary with suggestions that its time has passed or even that it should never have been invented.

This goes too far. While Brazil, Russia, India and China are as much divided as united they do have common interests – and these interests are political as well as economic. Continue reading »

By Kingsmill Bond

Ten years ago the mood among emerging market investors was one of despair. After a series of crises, EM equities had gone nowhere for a decade.  All they seemed to offer was risk without reward.

The rebranding of the asset class as Brics was welcome and timed the bottom of the market perfectly. However, the cyclical upsurge in commodities has been so powerful that it has revealed a split in both emerging and developed markets: commodity producers – EM and DM – have outperformed in equities to such a degree that it is time to reorganise our labels. Out with the Brics and in with the Carbs. Continue reading »

By S.D. Shibulal, CEO of Infosys

A lot has changed since the Bric acronym was coined. Ten years and two economic recessions later, the centre of gravity of global economic activity has shifted, new markets have emerged and the global economy is more integrated than ever before. Advances in technology are redefining the way we connect and interact with our consumers. Sustainable consumption has gained centre-stage. The world as we know it today is quite different from what it was a decade ago.

But formidable challenges remain, notably in closing the gap between rich and poor by promoting inclusive economic growth. Continue reading »