http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/ Knowledge@Wharton is an online resource that offers the latest business insights, information, and research from a variety of sources. Content includes analysis of current business trends, interviews with industry leaders and faculty, articles based on the most recent business research, book reviews, conference and seminar reports, and links to other websites. en-us Copyright (c) 2007 The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00:00 EST Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:25:11 EST http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/globals/images/katw_white.gif http://Knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/category.cfm?cid=9 125 45 Knowledge@Wharton Law and Public Policy Research Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4723 At a recent conference in New Delhi, speakers reiterated that the ability of a nation to use its knowledge capital would be a key factor in determining its success. Given India's demography -- more than half its population is below the age of 25 -- harnessing its knowledge capital assumes even greater significance not just for the country but also for the world.&nbsp;However, India's problem is its size and complexity, experts say. Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:43:17 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4713 Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of India's Planning Commission, is a key backroom player in pushing through economic reforms in the country. A participant at a recent meeting of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI), Ahluwalia said in a teleconference that the dominant impression in India is that things are changing, and the changes&nbsp;are for the better. Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:33:56 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4703 For the past few months, foreign investors and Indian industry alike have been complaining of the decision-making standstill within the nation's government. The policy paralysis came to an end last week,&nbsp;when the government unveiled a host of reforms designed to reinvigorate the Indian economy and promised that more are on the horizon. But with some members of the ruling political party pitting themselves against the changes and the opposition showing signs of greater coalescence, there could be more strife ahead. Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:50:15 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4702 The Indian government recently announced a slew of reforms, including a long-awaited decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail up to a level of 51%. In this op-ed, Johns Hopkins University professor and Wharton senior fellow Ravi Aron writes that the move will not only lead to a greater variety of available products and more consumer choice, but also penetrate deep into the hinterland of Indian economic activity and do much to improve the country's &quot;shunned sectors&quot; -- infrastructure and logistics. Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:49:38 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4699 Yet another major scam has surfaced in India. According to a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), allocation of coal blocks without auctioning them has led to a loss of US$33 billion to the national exchequer. This is more than the highly-publicized scam involving the licensing of telecom spectrum for 2G wireless in 2008. But, while political skirmishing continues in Delhi, the CAG appears to be on less sound ground this time, according to some. Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:44:36 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4680 Indian IT firms are increasingly coming under pressure in the U.S. from critics who say they take away jobs from Americans. With some policy makers advocating restrictions and protectionist measures, the&nbsp;companies are now also facing legal hurdles on issues like visa usage and taxation. Experts suggest that the roadblocks are occurring because the laws are open to varying interpretations. Are Indian firms getting the short end of the stick? And can measures by industry body Nasscom help to address negative perceptions in the U.S.? Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:20:56 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4679 The already beleaguered Indian government has been beset by a new set of scams. With necessary reforms put on the back burner and policy making suspended, critics contend that India's leaders are missing in action. While the new scams are unlikely to lead to midterm elections, the events have left the government unable to function effectively in breathing life into the slowing economy,&nbsp;experts say. Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:07:35 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4673 Fifteen years ago, Dilbur Parakh co-founded Aseema, an NGO that focuses on providing quality education to children living in Mumbai's slums, as an informal program with just US$100 in start-up costs and a borrowed classroom. The organization has since grown to working with 1,400 children ranging in age from two to 17. It has also successfully launched a products division, selling goods made by the children. Although Aseema is evolving from a one-woman show to a more business-like entity with a focused strategy, distinct divisions and specialized staff, Parakh says the organization remains committed to growth that preserves the quality of its programs. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:03:32 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4671 The growth prospects of the Indian economy depend to a large extent on how&nbsp;the country&nbsp;tackles certain issues of intellectual capital today. The concern largely centers on the much-debated demographic dividend, or the rising proportion of working-age people in India. The recent One Globe 2012 conference in New Delhi emphasized the role that industry needs to play in teaching and training the next generation of India&rsquo;s workforce. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:47:45 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4664 India has its own legal system, regulations and heritage. It is difficult for an American lawyer to chart his way through that maze. The way to&nbsp;do that&nbsp;is to tie up with an Indian legal firm, says Morris DeFeo, a partner with the Crowell &amp; Moring corporate group. DeFeo is head of the law firm&rsquo;s India and MENA (Middle East-North Africa) practice. But both sides of any partnership must accept that they have much to learn from each other, notes DeFeo in this interview with India Knowledge@Wharton. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:11:24 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4658 MIT economists Abhijeet Banerjee and Esther Duflo approach global poverty much as a medical researcher might set about finding the treatment for a disease: They believe in conducting small, randomized trials to see what works, what doesn't and why. Their book, <em>Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty</em>, explains this approach. Last week, the <em>Financial Times</em> and Goldman Sachs named it the best business book of 2011. Knowledge@Wharton spoke with Banerjee and Duflo at a conference in Goa, India, about their concepts and how they can help rescue millions from destitution. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:19:22 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4640 The new Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has signed an agreement with the separationist Gorkha Janmukti Morcha political party of the hill regions to set up a Gorkhaland Administrative Tribunal. This paves the way for greater autonomy in an area that has seen much violence over the past few decades amid calls for the region to secede from West Bengal. Meanwhile, demands for statehood or more autonomy are growing in other parts of the country. Are smaller states or administrative regions more efficient and the answer to a growing problem? Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:53:30 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4637 When citizens don't demand accountability from the government, it breeds corruption and inefficiency -- that's one of the core beliefs of the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, a Bangalore-based NGO. The organization is working on a systemic approach to strengthening urban governance through education and empowering citizens. Its biggest challenge, however, could be the slow pace of change. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:09:35 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4629 A conventional practice in many parts of the world is to own foreign assets, particularly those that are not core, through a chain of subsidiaries, many of them registered in tax havens. One of the advantages is that the deal does not attract capital gains tax. The Indian Revenue department has, however, challenged this. The tax authorities have claimed US$2 billion in the US$11.1 billion Vodafone acquisition of Hutchison Essar. The world is watching, says Ajay Vohra of New Delhi-based law firm Vaish Associates in an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:09:12 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4594 Robert Blake, U.S. assistant secretary of state for South Asia and Central Asia, has a deep understanding of the Indian subcontinent. According to Blake, who served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi from 2003 to 2006, the U.S. and India are &quot;increasingly working together to address some of the world's biggest challenges.&quot; In a conversation with India Knowledge@Wharton during the recent Wharton India Economic Forum, Blake spoke about the U.S.-India strategic partnership and the significant business opportunities that&nbsp;will arise from the growth that is currently taking place in India. Thu, 05 May 2011 14:48:27 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4582 India has just won the Cricket World Cup. Everyone -- from industrialists to state governments and the country's cricket board -- is going to great lengths to reward the cricketers for their success. The adulation will likely encourage a generation of schoolchildren to participate in the sport and view captain M.S. Dhoni as a role model for coolness under pressure and good citizenship. But cricket dominance&nbsp;is not enough, according to Ignatius Chithelen, managing partner of New York-based Banyan Tree Capital Management. There must be adequate investment in other sports, too. Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:02:34 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4581 This year's Union Budget in India was expected to lift the restrictions on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. That didn't happen, and even as other reform measures are being cleared by the Union Cabinet, there has been no movement on retail. One reason is the opposition from the country's millions of mom-and-pop retail outlets. Another is that some big Indian chains would like the protection to continue. But FDI in retail could help curb food inflation, some experts say, and&nbsp;it's time for the government to bite the bullet. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:56:56 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4566 Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States in January produced business deals worth US$45 billion. Earlier in the month, investment commitments were 10 times as large -- totaling US$450 billion -- at a four-day &quot;Vibrant Gujarat&quot; road show in Gujarat. Meanwhile, the investment theme was almost absent at similar events in Maharashtra and Punjab, and another for overseas Indians. What's driving the deals in Gujarat? The state's example may offer a lesson in strategic positioning, business planning and execution, experts say. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:24:29 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4569 India's problem with rising prices is reverberating across the nation's kitchens and boardrooms. The good thing about the country's challenges with inflation is that nobody is in denial. The government realizes that short-term policy responses, such as raising interest rates, are not enough. As stock markets and investment flows recoil, the big worry is that tighter credit could stall India's growth story. Well-calibrated policy moves would help, with the central bank and the government acting in concert, experts tell India Knowledge@Wharton. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:24:29 EST Law and Public Policy http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4555 In early December, India's <em>Outlook</em> magazine said it had unearthed 800 new secretly recorded conversations of lobbyist Niira Radia that are part of some 5,800 such conversations involving politicians, businessmen and journalists. Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata recently persuaded the Supreme Court to place privacy restrictions on state investigators in the Radia tapes case. In the fallout, Tata also finds his group's integrity questioned in a public wrangle over telecom spectrum allocations. India Knowledge@Wharton explores the legal backdrop for privacy and speaks with experts from Wharton and elsewhere about how companies can best protect and manage their reputations. Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:39:12 EST