Star literary agent Andrew Wylie&rsquo;s move to exploit the ebooks business created a brief but significant flutter in the clubby world of global publishing.

Day of The Jackal

Business Standard

There are cars. And there is the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport.

Fast perfect

Obama meets PM. Sarkozy meets PM. Medvedev meets PM. Wen meets PM. Cameron already met PM. That makes all five heads of permanent Security Council states guests of India within a year. Good thing we did some housecleaning for the Commonwealth Games.

Imperial summitry

Designer diyas and ceramic candles, floating rangolis studded with crystals, online prasad and puja thalis, poker sets that cost over a lakh.

Making light of it

About 435 years after the East India Company was first established, it&rsquo;s more than a little surreal to see its doors opened for custom in London&rsquo;s Conduit Street. The second coming of John Company is courtesy the efforts of a Marwari from Kolkata, entrepreneur Sanjay Mehta, who has reinvented it as a gourmet food store after a 135-year lull in its fortunes.

Company Bahadur

I drive a Hyundai Santro and am looking to upgrade to a sedan. My budget is a maximum of Rs 9.5 lakh. I am looking for a petrol car and have shortlisted the Tata Manza, Ford Fiesta, Maruti Suzuki SX4, Hyundai Verna and the Volkswagen Vento. My daily driving is 15 km within the congested lanes of Chennai and one long drive every six weeks. I have done some homework, but still can&rsquo;t take a final decision.

Sedan impact

Equestrian sports might be the domain of the privileged, but the proliferation of riding schools in India could change that.

Getting their spurs on

The marriage business gets bigger and the Big Day gets grander in form and scale, taking on an identity of its own.

Match this!

There is something about Sunil Gavaskar. Time and again, he takes defiant positions, takes on the establishment, and yet continues to thrive. His battles with the cricket administration in his playing days are well-documented. And there has been no end to hostilities even after his retirement. Nevertheless, Gavaskar continues to be a part of important committees, chairing some of them, and remains a much-sought-after commentator.

Runs and run-ins

An unlikely Punjab connection, an interest in gems, a pin-up girl, a quiet presence, an admission that it&rsquo;s the husband who makes the first peace move after a fight.

The other half

Shailendra Singh has played golf at some of the world&rsquo;s best courses.

Been there, done that

Last year when Carlsen played the first Nanjing Super GM, he knocked off an incredible 8 points from 10 games. This time, he's managed to stay comfortably in the lead from round one although he won't achieve the same score again. Carlsen has done enough to retain the number one ranking, assuming no outright disasters at the finish.

CHESS #650

It&rsquo;s going to be a hospitable winter in New Delhi as four important world leaders come calling.

Calling cards

Puducherry-based luxury leather brand Hidesign, in which Louis Vuitton holds a 20 per cent stake, is set to launch its eyewear brand in the next quarter. Also on the cards is a range of jewellery, handbags etc along with designer Rohit Bal.

Q&A: Dilip Kapur, Founder & President, Hidesign

Dell has managed a coup by knocking off HP (Hewlett Packard) from the No. 1 position in the Indian personal computer market, after six years.

Dell checkmates HP

It is a market which every automobile major is eyeing. The hatchback market in India, which is growing at 35 per cent annually, has quite a few superstars &ndash; Maruti Suzuki&rsquo;s Swift, Hyundai i20, Volkswagen&rsquo;s Polo, the Skoda fabia and Ford&rsquo;s Figo.

Toyota raises the pitch in hatchback market

E-books are gaining momentum worldwide. But Indians are yet to join the wave &mdash; all things connected to this new world of authors and the Internet.

E-readers: Getting down to content

Downloading music and streaming videos on the Internet and mobile handsets may soon be pass&eacute;. With the government allocating 3G spectrum, content providers are ready with new services.

Of original scores and live gigs, mobiles set to hum a new song

The Direct Taxes Code (DTC) will allow the government to tax a portion of the interest paid on debt by companies. Thin capitalisation rules, which help tax authorities reclassify part of the interest paid on debt as dividend and deduct tax on it, may come under General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR).

Interest paid on debt by firms may be taxed

India tends to treat the first Test as a warm-up, which costs us dearly.

First Test fiascos

This is the year when some sporting stars might walk into the sunset.

Time to call it a day?

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