https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/policy-watch-pre-budget-blues-going-beyond-the-numbers
Pre-budget blues – fund allocations don't mean anything till basics are put in place
RN Bhaskar
This column will appear just a little time before budget announcements are actually made. And the purpose of writing this column is not to talk...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-lessons-for-india-from-alibaba-about-ecommerce
Alibaba, ecommerce have lessons for India
. . . but will India be willing to learn?
RN Bhaskar -- 21 January 2021
On December 24, 2020 authorities in China announced that they were investigating the Ant group which owns and manages Alibaba,...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-storm-clouds-gather-but-indian-punters-fiddle-merrily
Who is fuelling the fire in the stock market?
RN Bhaskar -- 14 January 2021
Indian stock markets are euphoric. Punters are predicting that the Sensex will cross 50,000 before Budget time. And they provide all sorts of reasons to justify...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-gold-mining-an-agenda-for-the-government
Gold mining IV
What the government should do?
RN Bhaskar
When it comes to gold, politicians, government officials, media and the general public can be quite misinformed to the point of hysteria.
Consider how – on 21 February 2020 -- an unsuspecting public...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/policy-watch-a-colonial-outlook-has-stunted-indias-gold-mining-sector
Gold mining – part III
India sabotages its own gold mining interests
RN Bhaskar -- 31 December, 2020
Basically, there are two types of corruption. There can be good corruption and bad corruption. In China, the state controls all resources. But the...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-a-sightless-government-isnt-even-aware-where-gold-is-and-in-what-forms
Gold mining – II
Gold mining II: The government does not admit where gold can be mined
RN Bhaskar -- 24 December 2020
Indians love gold. And India ends up importing around 700-800 tonnes of gold on an average (http://www.asiaconverge.com/2020/10/gold-smuggling-ii-a-cleanup-is-urgently-needed/). Each tonne...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-indias-blighted-vision-about-gold-mining
Gold mining – part I
Can India have better policies relating to gold mining
RN Bhaskar -- 17 December 2020
Last week, media headlines screamed out information about the ‘theft’ of 100 kg of gold kept in the CBI vaults. An inhouse...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-you-cant-just-snap-fdi-into-india
FDI inflows need nurturing, the soil needs preparation
RN Bhaskar
These columns have constantly written about the desperate need for investments. We wrote about this just last month (https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-invest-in-india-right-message-wrong-approach), It was immediately after Prime minister Narendra Modi addressed global funds --...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-the-spectre-of-corruption-rises-grows-larger-and-is-fed-by-indian-politics
Corruption grows larger, economy and legislation take a back seat
RN Bhaskar
In January 2020, alarm bells were already ringing. India had s slipped from #78 in ranking on corruption last year to #80. The ranking was on the Corruption Perceptions...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-diamonds-may-not-be-safe-for-investors-any-more
Diamonds no longer anyone's best friend any more
RN Bhaskar
The last couple of months have witnessed a barrage of advertisements seeking to lure jewellery buyers to diamonds. They talk about how natural diamonds are the safest items of jewellery, unique...