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Private investment in infrastructure must go up

Loknath Das, , , , , ,

In addition to financial sector reforms, funding infrastructure through private sector participation needs reforms in the contracting mechanism.(AFP) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manifesto promises to spend Rs 100 lakh crore on infrastructure in the next five years. This can only happen if there is an increase in private participation, for which India needs to undertake financial sector reforms that encourage the creation of a pool of domestic long-term savings to be invested in infrastructure projects. The scale of investment targeted is more than what can be done through government…

Why you should rebuild your business as often as possible

Loknath Das, , , , , , , ,

Over the course of my company’s 15 year trajectory, we’ve never stopped rebuilding it. Rebuilding isn’t an option; it’s the only way forward. It’s how we adapt to market conditions, client requirements, and employee needs. A rebuilding mentality drives forward-thinking practices and ultimately ensures that we stay not just relevant but ahead of the curve. After years of focusing on a rebuilding strategy, I’ve distilled the approach into the following five rules: 1. Don’t give in to routine Businesses are born everyday. Everyday someone with a fresh idea or a…

BJP’s Record on Education Runs Afoul of Its Own Manifesto

Loknath Das, , , , , , , , ,

In their short social life and even shorter life in public memory, election manifestos perform a variety of tasks. Attempting to strike different notes at once, they sway between grandiose promise-making, novelty and a teaser of all good things that would unfurl post-elections. Intentions, promises and possible actions form common elements of the script that covers broad issues including foreign relations, defence and social security. While revealing an overall direction, focus and emphasis, manifestos also do the work of re-framing, re-naming and signalling. Given its crucial role in not just…

Foreign direct investment inflows fall amid pre-election uncertainty

Loknath Das, , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI: The flow of foreign direct investment into India is dropping and may suffer its first full-year decline since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. The reversal from strong numbers in Modi’s initial years in charge may indicate that investors are being deterred by the government’s recent protectionist policies and uncertainty about this year’s general election result. Inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) dropped 7 percent to $33.5 billion in the nine months between April and December 2018, compared with $36 billion in the year-earlier period, according to figures released over…

Letters: working together on mental health

Loknath Das, , , , ,

 Claire Murdoch: ‘Mental health is everyone’s responsibility.’ Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian As a mental health nurse since 1984, stories like this never get easier to read (“Suicidal children face long delays for mental health care”, News). One delay is one too many but context is vital too. Your article was based on a small audit from a single London hospital, using outdated information going back four years. There was precious little explanation about how mental health services are improving or what is driving demand for care. In London alone, the…

Shashi Tharoor: Trolling on social media BJP’s organised activity

Loknath Das, , , , , , , ,

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (File) Trolling of political opponents on social media is an organised activity of the BJP, said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday. He was speaking at an event, Netizens For Democracy, organised to discuss social media’s pros and cons. The event was organised by Citizens of Justice and Peace (CJP), All India Professionals Congress and some other resident groups at Bandra West. “Trolling is an organised technique of the ruling party. They have cells and there is an army of trolls who have multiple accounts. They get instructions,…