Page 2 - Subhomoy Bhattacharjee

Taxi aggregators shift revenue model, but vehicle numbers a cause of worry

A zero-commission model relies on increasing numbers of taxis entering the market, but states' data shows that new taxis are growing at a slower rate than is required

Biggest govt staff relocation begins at new Central Vista buildings

In a historic reshuffle, ministries set to leave Raj-era buildings for new spaces rising along Kartavya Path

What passengers expect from airports beyond just air safety measures

In India, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) decides on the tariffs an airport could charge from the passengers

Assam's new gun licence push could shift India's arms seizure map

Illegal gun seizures are rising steadily in North and East India even as Assam's new arms licence policy could alter demand dynamics near the Bangladesh border

With no hiring guidelines, municipalities largely run on contractual staff

Of the 4041 statutory towns in India with an estimated staff strength of close to 75 lakh employees, hardly any have the right to recruit for themselves

Coal demand softens as monsoon arrives early, stocks pile up at mines

An early monsoon, subdued heat, and tepid power demand have left coal miners with large pithead stocks, prompting a rethink of coal evacuation plans and long-term supply linkages

North East sea-road link via Myanmar back in focus as ties with Dhaka fray

India looks to fast-track a long-pending multimodal corridor to the North East via Myanmar, bypassing Bangladesh, amid rising regional tensions and shifting geopolitical equations

Operation Sindoor: How a Covid-era change to spending rules came in handy

During Covid, the government increased the Contingency Fund limit from ₹500 cr to ₹30,000 cr, a measure that made it easier for the expenditure dept to disburse funds without Parliamentary approval

Import ban, shipping restrictions on Pakistan to start showing impact soon

Most shipments from Dubai take about nine days to reach Indian ports; thus, the shipping ban as well as the indirect import ban will only start showing up by this weekend, say experts

Parameswaran Iyer to represent India at IMF vote on fresh tranche to Pak

Subramanian's sudden exit from the IMF has raised questions in policy circles

Six month left, Krishnamurthy Subramanian's term cut short at IMF

Subramanian, who took up the IMF post in November 2022, represented India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. As of May 3, the IMF's website lists the position as vacant

Growth hits a green wall: Can Indian factories outgrow environmental norms?

A Supreme Court stay on eased green norms has stalled large-scale construction, reigniting a long-running clash between industrial growth ambitions and environmental safeguards

India sweetens oil block bids with lease reform, arbitration freedom

Expanded definitions, arbitration rights and lease flexibility mark major policy shift as government tries to revive interest in nearly exhausted oil exploration blocks

Ajay Narayan Jha steps down from Finance Commission with 6 months to go

The former finance secretary was appointed secretary, expenditure, in the Ministry of Finance in October 2017 and remained in office until February 2019

ED leads finance ministry pack, but conviction rates offer cold comfort

The finance ministry houses a dozen or so investigative agencies but the large pendency of cases in various courts and tribunals raises questions about where their efforts are headed

Govt looks to increase RRTS lines, but funding, viability questions remain

Even though the cost savings in time-value metrics are significant, the RRTS routes are yet to find a viable public-private financing model

A string of airports in Gangetic plains aims to change the face of travel

These airports in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal could also provide logistics services and help bring down notoriously high freight charges out of these states

More R&D, easier labour laws needed to counter Trump's tariffs, say experts

Providing more incentives to Indian industry to blunt the impact of the tariffs is unlikely to help, as will be any retaliatory measures; instead, lowering duties on intermediate goods will do more go

PM Modi's Sri Lanka visit aims to counter China's growing influence

Investment in the Port City, seen as a micro version of the Dubai International Financial Centre, is, however, not a priority for India

Rail passengers pick other options as space crunch hobbles ease of travel

The Railways has an ambitious plan to use land parcels to create holding areas for passengers but many of those spaces have been encroached upon, putting pressure on platforms and leading to stampedes