What ‘The Art of the Deal’ Reveals About Leadership Fairy Tales

2016 might be the year we recognized the impact of an often-derided literary genre: leadership self-help. It dawned on me on a recent visit to the University of Pennsylvania’s bookstore, where an alumnus’s book rested between newer releases on the prime real estate of the best-seller table: Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal.

The author — or, more precisely, the protagonist — stared proudly from the cover. “Trump makes one believe for a moment in the American dream again,” read a quote from the book’s New York Times review...Read more

Truth is the fuel of uncommon growth

Speaking one's truth creates growth and expanded momentum. What I have observed in others and myself is that from the courage to speak one's truth, no matter how different or roughly framed it comes out, new insights form. And, from them, new growth results.

When leaders feel safe to share their deepest truth out loud, it comes to life and nurtures thought and an open response instead of rattling around in their brain, where it withers unheard, unacknowledged and untested...Read more

The Case for Faith-Based Competitive Advantage

Few industries have undergone as much upheaval in the last decade as healthcare. Staying ahead of advancing technology, evolving regulation, and increasing customer advocacy requires continual organizational transformation. This might seem an unlikely environment in which a faith-based organization could flourish. But for Robert Henkel, president and CEO of Ascension Health, the delivery subsidiary of Ascension, religious identity and industry innovation work side by side...Read more

India seeks $15bn investment to double mining output

India expects to woo Rs 1 trillion ($15 billion) of investment over five years to double mining output and cut mineral imports...Read more

Tata, Yale form alliance for promoting research

Indian conglomerate Tata Group and US' prestigious Yale University have launched a collaboration that will focus on promoting research and its application in fields like network science, data science, healthcare and microbiome research.

Tata has committed to fund the alliance over five years.

However the company did not disclose the financial details...Read more

3 Cs can boost accountability in your workplace

How accountable are leaders and team members in your organization? How strong are players’ "commitments to their commitments"?

Accountability seems like it should be simple. People commit to goals, projects, results, service activities, values and behaviors, etc., then do what they’ve promised to do, the way they’ve promised to do it. Easy, right?..Read more

Leadership May Not Be the Problem with Your Innovation Team

Last November we published an assessment on HBR.org to help readers diagnose the extent to which their organizations create conditions that favor successful innovation. About 1,500 people completed the assessment, representing organizations across industries at different stages of maturity. Despite enormous attention placed on improving innovation effectiveness, 80% of participants thought their companies were underperforming on this front. Unsurprisingly, those working for older, larger businesses scored lowest in all four innovation conditions: constant energy, creative friction, flexible structure, and purposeful discovery...Read more

Eight Indian companies in Forbes Asia's Fab 50 list

For the sixth year in a row, India has contributed the second highest number of companies to the Forbes Asia’s 'Fab 50' list, an annual honour roll of the region’s best publicly traded large companies.

Among the Indian companies, Tech Mahindra, India’s fifth-largest IT services company with a market value of $7.2 billion, is the best performer on this year’s list. The other Indian companies include Aurobindo Pharma, HDFC Bank, Motherson Sumi Systems, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and three debutants - Bajaj Finserv, Eicher Motors, IndusInd Bank...Read more

World's First Self-Driving Taxis Hit Singapore

Earlier in the week, Uber made waves when the company announced that it would be deploying self-driving cars to assist in its operations in Pittsburgh before the end of the month.

This Thursday however, in Singapore, a relatively unknown startup named nuTonomy has pipped mighty Uber to the post with the launch of what could possibly be the world’s first self-driving taxi service...Read more

A Dedicated Team of Problem Solvers Can Help Big Companies Act Like Lean Startups

Most companies try to avoid problems. Experian actually goes looking for them. In fact, it has set up a specific unit – Experian DataLabs — to actively seek out unresolved problems its customers are having and use them as a launchpad to seek out new opportunities and create new products. In doing so, it has been able to act more like a startup than a global data giant.

Conventional wisdom says that you need to run a big company differently than a startup and there’s a lot of truth to that. But for large enterprises seeking to grow by exploring new lines of business, thinking more like a startup makes a lot of sense...Read more

Five Indian companies ranked among world's 100 most innovative

Five major Indian companies including Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma and Larsen & Toubro have been ranked among Forbes’s list of ‘The World’s Most Innovative Companies’.

The 100 companies ranked on the list are based on their creative disruption, potential for innovation and investor interest. The companies also need to have seven years of financial data and $10 billion in market capitalisation...Read more

Mahindra & Mahindra gears up for the world’s most affordable electric SUV

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is said to have begun working on what is being pegged as the most affordable electric SUV in the world through its Mahindra Electric unit, formerly known as Mahindra Reva.

The compact SUV with electric powertrain has been codenamed S107, said people with knowledge of the matter. After the Verito electric version, this is the company's next major project in the space. The idea is to combine the strength of Mahindra's SUV expertise with that of Reva in electric cars. The company, which sells the E2O entry level electric vehicle, recently showcased the Halo sportscar concept...Read more

Centre to make operational 50 no-frills airports in 3 years

The government will make operational as many as 50 green-field and brown-field airports over the next three years as part of its plans to improve regional connectivity and make flying affordable for the common man, and at least 10 of these will be operational within a year, Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju said today.

"We are rough and ready because these are not finalised yet. We think in three years or so we can get about 50 new airports across the country. These will be no-frills airports...Read more

Ritual Questions Help Inform Effective Leaders

High-impact leaders are insatiably curious — about themselves, the people who work for and with them, and the world in which they operate and beyond. Inquisitive leaders are effective because building knowledge and wisdom are essential to professional success.

Naturally curious people ask lots of questions and take time to reflect on the answers. Even if you aren’t naturally curious, you can build this type of reflection into both your agenda and the agendas of your employees by asking so-called ritual questions (example: “What have I learned today?”). Although ritual questions are not widely used in organizational settings, they can be a simple tool for improving your leadership skills and style...Read more

Now get a Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo email address in Hindi

Startup Data Xgen Technologies has started a paid email address service in Hindi characters or Devanagari script, and plans to roll out free registration of such IDs on the lines of Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo soon.

"A few hundred IDs have been created till now on .bharat domain, which is available in Devanagari script. Anyone interested in Hindi script ID can visit our website and buy email package as per their need," Data Xgen Technologies Founder Ajay Data told PTI...Read more

To Reduce Complexity in Your Company, Start with Pen and Paper

Companies that grow face a predictable problem: over time, the business becomes way too complex for its own good. I see this a lot in companies that have moved heavily into what I call the “exploitation” phase of a competitive advantage, or the phase that comes after the initial launch and successful ramp-up. Chris Zook and James Allen have also recently tackled this issue their recent HBR article “Reigniting Growth"...Read more

Bennett University: A varisity that won’t just teach but help you start up

Being part of something new is full of excitement and anticipation, especially when you are surrounded by some wonderful talent and reputable mentors, and belong to an institution fully invested in your future.

At Bennett University, the first batch of 200 students can't wait to discover academic modules designed carefully for them, industry interactions lined up, the benefits of tie-ups with foreign universities the institution promises, and a 'hatchery' to help bring to fruition entrepreneurial ideas...Read more

What's the archetype of a next-decade leader?

“Does a leadership archetype exist? And if it does, how do I find more people who are genetically wired that way?”...Read more

I'm not a leader, I'm an instigator

This is the third in a series called Lead Human, which features interviews and profiles conducted by Elliot Begoun in search of answers to the question "What is it like to be a leader?" As he writes in his introduction to this series, "There has been some incredible wisdom and teaching shared on topics such as; the definition of leadership, how to lead, and what it takes to develop leaders. But, I have found little on what it is actually like once you get there"...Read more

IIT Delhi starts initiative to promote women entrepreneurship

The country’s premier institute for technology and management education, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, has started an initiative to strengthen women entrepreneurship in the country and promote an ecosystem that enables creation and sustenance of such enterprises by women.

Called Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Foundation (WEEF), this initiative of IIT Delhi, has been co-founded by Sarandeep Singh, who is also the programme director, and Aparna Saroagi...Read more

India readies plan to improve renewable power storage

KOLKATA: As lithium-ion batteries take centre-stage in the global pursuit for efficient energy storage systems, India has quietly readied a plan aimed at creating systems that can store up to 10,000 mw of intermittentlygenerated renewable power at a fraction of the cost the West will bear.

The about Rs 80,000-crore plan entails setting up hydel pump storage systems in several states over the next five to six years, said SD Dubey, chairman of Central Electricity Authority. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an Energy Conclave organised by CII in Kolkata on Saturday...Read more

How Superbosses Can Transform Your Talent Strategy

What did the renowned San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, who passed away in 2007, have in common with leading fashion magnate Ralph Lauren? Both are examples of what Syd Finkelstein, management professor at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business, calls superbosses: leaders who help their own subordinates realize their own leadership potential. The ability to attract and develop great people is a fundamental requirement for any organization, and in his book Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent (Portfolio/Penguin, 2016), Finkelstein explores why some people seem to have a knack for it...Read more

SBI approves merger with associates

The board of country's largest lender, State Bank of India , has approved the merger of its associate banks, along with Bhartiya Mahila Bank, with itself.

As per the approved merger ratios for each of the banks, the scheme provides for allotment of:
28 equity shares of Rs 1 each of SBI for every 10 equity shares of Rs 10 each of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur
22 equity shares of Rs 1 each of SBI for every 10 equity shares of Rs 10 each of State Bank of Mysore...Read more

India Post Payments Bank receives certificate of incorporation

NEW DELHI: The India Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB) has received the certificate of incorporation from the Registrar of Companies that will help it to roll out pan-India branches by September 2017, an official statement said here on Thursday...Read more

The 3 Preconditions for an Entrepreneurial Society

In 1985 Peter Drucker argued for a shift toward an entrepreneurial society, one where “executives in all institutions…make innovation and entrepreneurship a normal, ongoing everyday activity.” This intentionally broad view requires a fundamental change in mindset. Drucker was pushing us to think and act less like employees taking orders and more like free agents, alert and responsive to opportunities whether we work in a startup or in a large corporation...Read more

Forbes to host $1 million 'Change the World' competitions for entrepreneurs

Forbes will host two global 'Change the World' competitions for entrepreneurs under the age of 30 as part of its Forbes Under 30 Summit taking place in Boston later this year. The event scheduled October 16-19 2016, will see both, for profit and nonprofit competitions, Forbes announced on Monday.

“At an event that celebrates some of the world’s best young entrepreneurs, we’re proud to again host the world’s largest competition for young entrepreneurs of all types. The partners we have in this endeavor are fittingly world-class,” said Forbes magazine editor Randall Lane...Read more

Unilever acquires Blueair

Blueair, a world leader in air purifying solutions with acclaimed leading - edge filtration technologies and design, announced on Tuesday it has been acquired by Unilever.

Blueair founder Bengt Rittri said "The acquisition will enable even more people to protect their health by using Blueair air purifiers to remove indoor airborne contaminants such as hazardous PM2.5 sooty particles, allergens, chemicals and viruses"...Read more

Shine as a leader with strong facilitation skills

Ingrid wanted to position herself as a leader in her company. In her workplace, meetings often lost focus, and some team members remained silent while others never seemed to stop talking. She knew that boosting her visibility in meetings would help her get noticed more at work. She also realized that if she could keep meetings on track, her boss would see her as indispensable...Read more

How to Make the Other Side Play Fair

Everyone we ask says yes to the first question, but answers diverge in response to the second. Academics lean toward yes, but businesspeople and lawyers often hesitate. In legal disputes, contested insurance claims, and similarly adversarial negotiations, they point out, the other party is likely to open with an inflated claim or a lowball offer. If the other side’s position is unreasonable, these practitioners suggest, it makes little sense to be reasonable yourself...Read more

Tork Motorcycles to launch first electric bike T6X soon

The Pune-based family enterprise Tork Motorcycles is gearing up to launch the country's first electric motorcycle under brand T6X with a claim to offer 100 km travel on a single charge that can vroom at 85 kmph.

The Pune-based company, partly owned by entrepreneur Kapil Shelke and his father, and funded by two angel investors -- Ankit Bhati and Bhavesh Agrawal of Ola Cabs in their personal capacities -- has so far developed five prototypes of electric bike and the one it plans to commercialise is the fifth model called T6X...Read more

The Acceleration Factor

A company’s performance critically depends on its teams. And team performance, at every level, depends on the ability to accelerate — to operate at an increasing pace, doing in weeks what once took months, and doing in days what once took weeks. Accelerating teams don’t just get results more quickly — they gain the proficiency that allows them to take on new kinds of challenges.

All teams — regardless of their level of performance — set objectives, create a vision, allocate tasks to complement each other, and shed poorly performing people. Accelerating teams simply do these things faster and more effectively than lagging teams. With a few changes in everyday practice, any company can increase the speed and effectiveness of its teams...Read more

Mindfulness for Senior Executives

Harvard University social psychology professor Ellen Langer says organizations can make better decisions by setting the right context. For more insights, read the related article...Read more

Hindustan Copper Limited inaugurates country's first facility to produce nickel

KOLKATA: Hindustan CopperBSE -0.42 % Limited (HCL) has inaugurated the country's first facility to produce nickel, a metal for which the country is completely dependent on imports. The new facility--- Nickel, Copper and Acid Recovery Plant is located at the company's Indian Copper Complex (ICC) at Ghatshila in Jharkhand. Poised to be the only unit in India to produce nickel metal of (London Metal Exchange) LME grade, the facility was inaugurated by Balvinder Kumar, secretary, ministry of mines on Wednesday. The metal is primarily used to make stainless steel...Read more

Yara buys Tata Chemicals' India urea business for $400 million

Norwegian chemicals giant Yara International ASA on Wednesday announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the Tata Chemicals Babrala urea plant and distribution business in Uttar Pradesh for $400 million.

This will be on a debt and cash free basis, including normalised net working capital, the Nordic firm said in a media release issued on its website.

Yara president and chief executive Svein Tore Holsether called the acquisition a “significant step” in their growth strategy “creating an integrated position in the world’s second-largest fertilizer market.” India has strong population growth and increasing living standards, and significant potential to improve agricultural productivity,” he added...Read more

Listening Is a sign of respect

Listening is an important behavior that many of us fail to do well enough.

We fail to listen not because we don’t hear but rather because we don’t care to listen to what we are hearing. In short, we don’t like what we are hearing, so we tune out...Read more

What Is a Business Model?

Start with developing markets, and then work your way backward. For more, read "What Engineering a Reverse Innovation Looks Like"...Read more

Biggest spectrum sale coming soon

KOLKATA: India's biggest spectrum sale, starting September 29, is expected to see rational bidding with market leader Bharti AirtelBSE -0.51 % likely to spend $700 million to $1 billion for plugging 3G/4G spectrum gaps, said experts.

Second-largest carrier, Vodafone India and No 3 operator, Idea CellularBSE 1.78 %, they said, are likely to bid a maximum $2 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively, to cherry-pick 3G/4G airwaves amid slower data growth and profitability pressures driven by high depreciation and amortisation costs linked to previous spectrum purchases and rising interest payouts...Read more

First plane to be made in India may fly out of Maharashtra

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government is set to take concrete steps in the next 15 days to roll out what state officials say could well become the 'torch bearer' of the 'Make in India' initiative -the first 20-seater commercial passenger plane built in India.

The state will allot 46-acres of land in Palghar to Amol Yadav (40), a Jet Airways pilot, for building 20-seater commercial planes. No company in India has manufactured such an aircraft in India yet...Read more

How a product will be priced under GST

Here's an example of how much the Windows Operating system is priced currently with taxes factored in and how it will be priced under GST...Read more

The Next Wave of Hospital Innovation to Make Patients Safer

In 1999 the U.S. Institute of Medicine released what would become a touchstone report, To Err is Human, which estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die in hospitals each year due to medical errors that could have been prevented. It brought the idea of building a safer health system to the forefront of the public’s mind.

Since then, improving health care outcomes has become a central goal in everything from clinical training and research studies to government initiatives and political debate. Clinicians, hospitals, professional organizations, and researchers have made significant strides over the last decade and a half in improving patient safety. In many ways, patients today are safer than ever before. However, multiple independent reports have found that medical errors are still a pervasive problem, with recent research suggesting that preventable medical error is responsible for 3%–5% of hospital deaths, or 21,000–35,000 preventable deaths in the U.S. alone. While these figures continue to be scrutinized and improved, it’s clear that there is more to be done to make patients safer...Read more

Seven Indian companies in Forbes Asia's 'Best under a Billion' list

Seven Indian companies have made it to Forbes Asia’s 'Best under a Billion' list of the top 200 publicly traded companies in the Asia-Pacific region.

The annual list honours companies in the region with annual revenue between $5 million and $1 billion, have positive net income and have been publicly traded for at least a year. The top-ranked candidates were screened from among 17,000 companies, based on their sales growth and earnings growth in the past 12 months and over three years, and for the strongest five-year return on equity...Read more

How to Become an Ambidextrous Leader

A few pages into Lead and Disrupt: How to Solve the Innovator’s Dilemma (Stanford University Press, 2016), business professors Charles A. O’Reilly III and Michael L. Tushman present two lists of companies. At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be too much difference between them. Each features 27 companies, most with familiar names and long histories, such as GM, Siemens, and Lego...Read more

Winners of ET Startup Awards 2016

At The Economic Times Startup Awards 2016, the Nandan Nilekani-led jury bats for companies displaying both solidity and ability to scale up, choosing winners in eight categories....Read more

Sony Pictures close to acquiring Ten Sports for Rs 2,000 crore

MUMBAI: Television moghul Subhash Chandra's Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) is selling Ten Sports, which he acquired from Dubai-based Abdul Rahman Bukhatir's Taj Group in 2006, to Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) effectively leaving Indian sports broadcasting to Rupert-Murdoch's Star and the Japanese conglomerate Sony.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the development confirmed that SPN is close to acquire Ten Sports for about Rs 2,000 crore, a deal that will make sports broadcasting in India a duopoly of 21st Century Fox-owned Star India and Japanese giant Sony Corp-owned SPN...Read more

Monetising Innovation

Innovation is the key to survival, more so for a business organization. But how well does your company Innovate? Does your strategy recognize the need for Innovation? ICaM (Innovation capability Model) is a framework that answers to the Innovation needs of a business organization. Predicated on extensive field research, academic study and professional experience of experts, it delineates the critical Innovation Drivers that an organization needs to focus to stay innovative...Read more

Industry must gear up for GST era

The implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST)—which would replace the present indirect tax structure and remove its inefficiencies, such as multiple levies, cascading effect, and consequent compliance burdens—has been a top priority for the central government. The tax, expected to be implemented from April 1, 2017, aims to create a unified national market, thus boosting exports (in terms of cost competitiveness) and adding almost 2 percent to the GDP’s growth.

In spite of the significance of this tax reform, its implementation has been delayed due to multiple reasons, including the lack of support from Opposition parties in Parliament. However, with the reduced strength of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, following recent state elections, the chances of the government meeting the minimum requirement of two-thirds of the Upper House voting in favour of the bill has gained momentum. Thus, the hopes of GST becoming a reality have been revived again...Read more

To Innovate, Think Like a 19th-Century Barn Raiser

At 7 AM on May 13, 2014, a group of Amish community members gathered on a construction site in rural Ohio. Their goal was to erect a massive, multi-structure barn for a neighbor. By 5 PM that afternoon, a mere 10 hours later, the completed barn stood atop its foundation.

Barn-raising, a practice popularized by 19th-century U.S. farming communities, accomplishes several things. Most obviously, it quickly creates a barn where one hadn’t stood before. Less obviously — but perhaps more importantly — it leverages community intelligence to produce the best barn design possible, and also creates and reinforces collaborative connections crucial for success in farming communities. At the end of the process, the family that initiates the activity not only has a new barn to use, with the wisdom and insights of the broader community baked into the design, it also has new and stronger ties to the community that will help ensure its future activities are fruitful...Read more

India likely to become second largest steel producer by December

NEW DELHI: India is set to pip Japan to become the world's second largest steel producer by December this year, an official of Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) said...Read more

SBI to become a single entity by April 2017 with its subsidiaries

MUMBAI: It is not just the Goods & Services Tax (GST) that will be rolled out in April 2017, but even the country's largest lender State Bank of IndiaBSE -0.44 %, which started the process of merging all its subsidiaries with itself about three months back, would become a single entity by April next, indicating the speed at which the administration is moving to revitalise the banking system...Read more

Rajya Sabha passes GST Bill: How it will impact various sectors

UPDATED: India moved a step closer to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, as its Parliament's Upper House, the Rajya Sabha, approved The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 with 203 votes in favour and none against.

The GST, which is expected to be implemented from April 1, 2017, aims to replace multiple state and central levies with a single tax. Since the central and state taxes are likely to be subsumed under GST, it may result in fungibility of tax credits across intra- and inter-state transactions. Consequently, different industries may need to conduct a cost-benefit analysis in terms of applicable input and output taxes...Read more

The 4 Leadership Styles, and How to Identify Yours

We all want to be part of a great success story. To run, start, or play a senior role in a company that wins big or changes the course of its industry. To launch a brand that dazzles customers and dominates its markets. To be the kind of executive or entrepreneur who creates jobs, generates wealth, and builds an organization bursting with energy and creativity...Read more

The Best Platforms Are More than Matchmakers

The power of digital platforms to profitably disrupt industries continues to impress. Platform leaders like Amazon, Facebook, Airbnb, Uber and Google redefine user experience and expectations. Their ongoing success pushes incumbents to alternately revisit core business assumptions and seek regulatory relief.

What really makes them work? True platform innovators aren’t just market matchmakers using data-driven algorithms to drive better buyer-seller matches; they invest in new value creation. In platform markets, cultivating user capability becomes as strategically important as reducing transaction costs. Successful platforms empower their users...Read more

Verizon DMS partners with Airtel to expand India footprint

Verizon Digital Media Services has tied up with Bharti Airtel to launch new points of presence in four cities of Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and New Delhi.

"We are expanding our content delivery network in strategic markets that our customers care about, and we have found a long-term partner in Airtel Business," Verizon Digital Media Services Chief Technology Officer Rob Peters said in a statement...Read more

India on cusp of financial technology revolution

Global consultant Boston Consultancy Group (BCG) and software giant Google released a report last week stating that $500 billion will be flowing through digital payments in India by 2020...Read more

Until You Have Productivity Skills, Productivity Tools Are Useless

Back in the days of paper based planners, I depended on mine to help me stay on top of my to-do list and commitments. Making the switch to electronic tools was difficult and disruptive, and initially I didn’t want to do it. But once I had, I realized how much the software and gadgets helped me to kick my productivity into high gear.

But the truth is, it wasn’t the tools alone, it was also the workflow management process—or methodology—I applied to the tools. This is an important point that is often overlooked when people try new productivity tools, and when organizations introduce new tools to employees...Read more

10 places every entrepreneur should visit at least once

Gaining perspective through travel can be really valuable for entrepreneurs.

Kunal Desai, CEO of online investing and trading education site Bulls on Wall Street, spends roughly half of the year traveling, and has found that some destinations can be a great source of inspiration for one's own business.

We spoke to Desai, who recommended 10 destinations that boast innovation, networking opportunities, lower costs of living, or lower taxes - all of which are factors that can help entrepreneurs boost their own businesses...Read more

What it takes to be a Super 50 company

What is it that makes some companies great? What makes them withstand the darkest hours? What makes them rise, when some others are battling to face the tide? In essence, what truly gives some companies top billing? Forbes India has come up with its annual listing of Super 50 companies for 2016. While the fundamental approach of identifying these companies is the same as last year, we have gone one step further this time to spot some key traits. While these may not be the only winning formulae, we found that there is a thread of common strategies and direction which is followed by many of these companies...Read more

How mobile penetration in India will fuel digital payments

In country where a bank account is still a big deal, increasing smartphone penetration and adoption of mobile wallets by small offline merchants is set to grow the Indian digital payments market 10 times says a new report. Here's more...Read more

Persuadable : How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World

Drawing on evidence from social science, history, politics, and more, business consultant Al Pittampalli reveals why confidence, consistency, and conviction,are increasingly becoming liabilities—while humility, inconsistency, and radical open-mindedness are powerful leadership assets...Read more

Professionalize a Startup Without Stifling It

Insurgent companies are full of foundational stories and most of them involve heroics. They recall the times when the original team of hard-charging entrepreneurs did the impossible to deliver on the company’s founding mission. They celebrate the all-hands-on-deck moments when the factory shut down or a key order got lost in shipment. This is remembered as a “time of heroes” — a period of incredible energy and growth, when job descriptions mattered less than who had the best idea...Read more

How GST will impact various sectors

The proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) aims to replace multiple state and central levies with a single tax. Since the central and state taxes are likely to be subsumed under GST, it may result in fungibility of tax credits across intra- and inter-state transactions. Consequently, different industries may need to conduct a cost-benefit analysis in terms of applicable input and output taxes...Read more

From July 31, 15 banks to roll out unified payment interface

NEW DELHI: At least 15 banks, both from public and private sector, are ready to roll out the unified payments interface (UPI) starting July 31. The UPI system is a kind of e-payment which can be authenticated using mobile phones. Existing bank apps can be UPI-enabled or have UPI apps. Customers can have a single virtual identity for a bank account through which they can make and receive payments digitally...Read more