Specials News

Want to become a regional corporate giant: Milky Mist's T Sathish Kumar

It is a myth that a firm needs a corporate office in a high-rise in a major city like Chennai or Bengaluru, Kumar says. The Milky Mist corporate office sits directly above factory in a rural setting

Liberalisation gains petering out as India's inward-looking bias persists

India's global percentile ranking has improved modestly since 1991, but weak per capita gains and external vulnerability remain key drags

35 years on, govt remains firmly in the business of doing business

India's privatisation drive has remained slow, with the government retaining a significant commercial presence across key sectors.

35 years of liberalisation: How the reforms bus bypassed India's farms

Three decades after economic liberalisation, India's farm sector still faces deep structural constraints, from weak markets and investment to subsidy dependence and resistance to reform

35 yrs of liberalisation: Hyderabad's journey from IT hub to 'Future City'

Economic liberalisation, policy continuity and global investments transformed Hyderabad from a historic trading centre into a powerhouse of IT, pharma, GCCs and emerging technologies

After every difficulty, we emerged much stronger: ITC's Sanjiv Puri

In an interview at the company's headquarters in Kolkata, Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Puri speaks to Ishita Ayan Dutt about how liberalisation transformed the competitive landscape

India's space sector: Slow burn, hard-won successes - and then liftoff

From PSLV's breakthrough in the 1990s to Chandrayaan and private-sector reforms, India's space programme has transformed over 35 years

'In 1991, we faced both an economic as well as external relations crisis'

Saran says that India must shore up relations in its neighbourhood before it can aim for global leadership and that it must not succumb to pressure from the United States

35 years of liberalisation: India's workforce remains largely informal

Despite decades of economic reforms, informal and contractual work remains entrenched as weak manufacturing growth, small firms and skill gaps constrain formal job creation

Setting up NSE was the biggest reform in the capital mkts: Raamdeo Agrawal

Raamdeo Agrawal, cofounder and chairman of Motilal Oswal Financial Services talks about how reforms changed the equity culture in India

India Inc failed to ramp up R&D spends despite '90s economic reform push

Cumulative spending on R&D was just $7.2 bn in FY26, against $61 bn spent by Alphabet alone in 2025

How reforms in banking shifted from boosting competition to building scale

On July 21, 1993, RBI provided in-principle approval to HDFC and Unit Trust of India, or UTI (its lender later became Axis Bank), for starting banking companies

The economic reforms paradox: A few states dominate FDI inflows

Just seven states accounted for nearly 82% of all FDI equity inflows to India from January 2000 to March 2026

Will Turkiye COP bring countries back to the emissions discussion table?

The first of a 3-part series looks at how emission will be a major issue at the Antalya climate summit to be held in November

Gurugram's transformation: From tehsil town to thriving business hub

Gurugram's rapid rise after liberalisation shows the power of private development, but also highlights the need for better urban planning and public infrastructure

35 yrs of liberalisation: Tax system makes progress, but reforms unfinished

India's tax system has come a long way since 1991, but simplifying GST, clearing tax disputes and improving taxpayer services remain key priorities

Frugality, climate and K-pop: The new cultural economics of Gen Z

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are reshaping India's consumption culture around Jap-Kor influences, minimalism and frugality, posing a new challenge for brands

Bluechip valuation slump offers value bets amid weak investor sentiment

The BSE Sensex has fallen 6.8% since the end of September 2025, with its trailing P/E multiple down 10.8%

Wholesale changes have not happened in civil services: M Veerappa Moily

There is a pronounced tendency to centralise now… Centralisation will not take the country forward, either socially or economically, he said

The word control had become anathema for us in 1991: Sudha Pillai

Pillai tells that the CCI could have done more to curb concentration, and social protection should have featured more prominently in the reforms