Business Today January 3, 2016

The job of the chief executive officer (CEO) in India has always been pretty difficult – and over the years, it has only grown more difficult. Till the early ’90s, very different skills were required to steer a big, listed company in India successfully because of the numerous government restrictions and regulations. Since then, many things have improved, while others have become much tougher. For example, economic reforms have ensured less government intervention and far more transparency in many markets. They have also ensured deeper capital markets, easier borrowing norms, and many opportunities to get into new areas of business, and also diversify away from maturing industries. You might still need multiple licençes to set up a new company or business, but certainly not anywhere near the number of licences…

4G: Will It Turn a Damp Squib? This refers to your cover story on 4G network (Battle Ready, December 20, 2015). It was a SWOT analysis of the intended participants of 4G spectrum in India, clearly indicating their outlook of drawing lines of business enhancement rather than building a platform for 4G operations. While 4G has more distinctive features to improve the ecosystem of telecom users, the limitations of these companies, both geographically and technologically, will be the determinants to match the increasing expectations of the clientele going by the shattered experience in the past with 3G network. The hidden costs in tariff structure, inept services, including inexplicable call-drops and the inefficacy of the TRAI in streamlining service delivery as per contractual obligations, still do not lend to turn optimistic.…

STAY CONNECTED WITH US ON www.facebook.com/BusinessToday @BT_India INTERVIEW “Any deal in Paris unlikely to keep global temperature rise in check” In an interaction with Business Today’s Sarika Malhotra, CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, Arunabha Ghosh, says that India’s leadership of the International Solar Alliance is an example of the country setting the agenda for action on climate change. businesstoday.in/councilonenergy-arunabha NEWS Start-ups Need to Learn More About Business Traditional businesses can also teach new-age companies a few lessons. businesstoday.in/startups-innovation PERSPECTIVES Indian Automakers Hail Stringent Emission Norms The auto industry is under fire for high pollution and being one of the largest contributors to environment degradation in urban areas. businesstoday.in/autoindustry-emission GST: A Major Gain for Manufacturers Government has proposed a three-tiered tax structure – low rate (12%), standard…

THE HAZE Beijing and Delhi both saw air pollution take centrestage. Beijing issued its first red alert over very high smog, and ordered closure of schools and industrial plants. Delhi with an even higher degree of air pollution is planning to restrict cars with even and odd numbers on alternate days. A DEFUNCT NEWSPAPER STALLS PARLIAMENT The High Court verdict that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi would have to appear before the Trial Court in the National Herald case saw the Congress disrupt Parliament. The National Herald was last published in 2008, before Young India Ltd, in which the Gandhis are major shareholders, took over the company publishing the paper. 3,23,700 CARS Number of Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda cars being recalled by the company in India in wake of the emissions…

17 CHANGING TIMES WHAT: Manufacturing Curiosity WHEN: December 17, Paris WHAT TO LOOK FOR: The UNESCO conference taps into the rapid changes being brought into manufacturing and distribution by the advent of big data, digital, algorithms and social networks. It will also deal with the impact of digital platforms on individual choices, and thereby consumption and demand. 15 SAFETY FIRST WHAT: Promoting Safe and Sustainable Supply Chains: Experiences from the Garment Sector in Bangladesh WHEN: December 15, Online Webinar WHAT TO LOOK FOR: The Webinar shares the experiences of signatories to the unique legally binding agreement signed in May 2013 to make garment factories safe. It will discuss how Bangladesh is ensuring that employees part of global supply chains work in safe environment and also the experience of companies working…

India has seen a significant number of tax disputes between the government and the corporate sector in the recent past, many of which have made headlines. According to numbers from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the total amount locked in tax disputes related to listed Indian companies was `2,18,897 crore in the last financial year. This amount is startling if we compare it with the gross tax revenues of around 4,90,618 crore during April-September 2014/15, accounting for 36 per cent of Budget estimates for the entire year. The aggregate number, taken out after looking at data of more than 2,000 listed companies, was 27.1 per cent higher than the 2013/14 figure, the sharpest rise since 2007. The overall magnitude of tax disputes in the Indian corporate sector is…