Last month, Donald Trump secured a decisive victory in the US presidential elections, marking the start of a transformative new era in American and global politics. IMA ran a series of sessions of the India CEO and CFO Forums, across cities, examining the impact of this landmark event. We hosted three recognised authorities on the subject: Pramit Pal Chaudhari, Head of the South Asia Practice at the Eurasia Group; Suhasini Haider, Diplomatic Editor at The Hindu; and Ambassador Ajay Bisaria, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. These sessions delved into the implications of Donald Trump’s second presidency for geopolitics and the world economy. 
This podcast synthesises the insights we garnered from our three experts. 

Javier Milei assumed office, as President of Argentina, where the effects of fiscal irresponsibility, by populist Peronist governments, had reduced what was once a rich nation into the ranks of the third world, amid poverty rates of 50%. With inflation at 211%, practically no growth and reckless restrictions that created price distortions, Argentina has been in a miserable situation. 

It took both courage and radical reforms to change course. Mr Milei, a self-declared libertarian, believes in free markets, soft touch regulation and expresses his hatred for a big state. His main economic argument is simple: the public sector in Argentina is too big as it crowds out private initiative. In short, there are too many Argentines living from government handouts and public sector jobs, the economy has been overly regulated and that regulation in turn strangles private enterprise. This podcast explains.

Since the 1990s, neuroscience-related research has expanded significantly, uncovering the complex links between brain activity and decision-making.  By understanding the neural basis of decisions, business leaders can make more informed choices and create better contexts for each decision. Neuromarketing – which uses neuro- and cognitive science to identify customer needs, desires and preferences – can serve as a powerful tool in any CMO’s arsenal. Similarly, a key part of a CEO's role is to influence behaviour at various levels to derive results. Neuro-tools provide a powerful means of obtaining insights that enhance the ability of CEOs to orchestrate the required behaviours in the organisation. 

At a recent joint session of the India CEO and CMO Forums in Bangalore, Arvind Sahay, Director and Professor of Marketing & International Business, MDI Gurgaon, explored a range of neuro tools and their applications in business. This podcast summarises these discussions. 

Transfer pricing (TP) remains a critical area for CFOs to track and monitor, particularly owing to the ever-evolving nature of TP regulations and deepening enforcement by the tax authorities. Some of the important changes in India’s transfer pricing landscape include the growing use of data analytics, SEBI's new focus on royalty payments as a payout mechanism from India, a growing emphasis on TP to boost tax revenues, a focus on dispute resolution through the Vivad Se Vishwas (VSV) scheme and a higher threshold for department appeals.

At a recent India CFO Forum session in Bangalore, Fatema Hunaid, APAC Transfer Pricing Lead at Grant Thornton, shed light on recent developments in this area, focusing on regulatory changes, the use of dispute management mechanisms and some best practices for MNCs to follow while navigating this complex domain. This podcast summarises these discussions. 

India’s banking sector is quite literally the life-blood of its economy. It powers both industry and consumption and channels savings to more productive uses. Over the last decade, the sector has seen critical reforms, an intense bad-loan clean-up, several waves of consolidation and has undergone a continuous process of maturation, making it one of India’s most technology-centric industries. Looking ahead, the government is expected to catalyse further reforms and take forward the process of PSU-bank consolidation, aside from bringing important changes to other parts of the financial-services sector. 

At a recent India CFO forum session in Pune, Jaimin Bhatt, Group CFO of Kotak Mahindra provided a view for the banking sector and its role in funding industry. This podcast summarises these discussions .

Our recent, Q3 FY25 CHRO dialogue sessions in Bangalore focused on two criticallly important subjects: sustainability, and leadership imperatives in an age of digitalisation. Dr Sujiv Nair, Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Re Sustainability, kicked off discussions with insights on HR’s role in ESG. Next, Antony J Alex, Founder & CEO at Rainmaker, focused on how leadership styles are evolving in response to a changing world.

 This podcast summarises these discussions.

India is on the cusp of an energy revolution, taking bold strides toward achieving energy independence by 2047 and net-zero emissions by 2070. We are pleased to share our latest research report, Green Hydrogen: A Catalyst to India’s Energy Independence, which was developed in partnership with Ayvens, one of the leading fleet leasing companies globally. The report, along with this podcast delves into the transformative potential of green hydrogen in decarbonising industries, revolutionising transportation and addressing climate goals.  

As China grapples with the lingering aftermath of Covid-19, its economy is visibly slowing. A once-rapid growth path, driven by infrastructural spending an expanding workforce, is less certain. Coupled with geopolitical tensions and rising costs, China's role as a global production hub is changing rapidly. New stimulus measures have created excitement, but will they impact China’s medium-term growth prospects? Meanwhile, a fast-growing India offers major opportunities for businesses, including those pursuing a China+1 strategy, but its ability to absorb investment at scale remains an open question. 

At a recent online India CEO Forum session, Professor Michael J Enright, Director at Enright, Scott & Associates and Choueiri Family Professor, Northeastern University, explored the critical shifts underway, examining both China’s and India’s medium-term prospects, and the opportunities they present to business. This podcast summarises these discussions.

The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, launched in 2021-22 as part of the Make in India initiative, aims to strengthen India's manufacturing across key sectors. With an allocation of Rs 109 billion, the food processing PLI scheme leverages India’s agricultural resources to boost production, exports and reduce import dependency. It incentivises incremental revenue and capital expenditure, driving investments and capacity creation. 

We recently interviewed several member-companies that are participating in the food processing PLI scheme, to better understand their experience with the programme and any challenges they may be facing. This podcast summarises our findings, which hold lessons for similar programmes across sectors. 

Cybersecurity risks continue to rise, with a reported 20% of Indian users falling victim to cyber threats in the first quarter of 2024 alone and several high-profile cases recently coming to light. Scams are becoming more sophisticated, targeting even well-informed individuals. At the same time, with rising penalties for non-compliance, companies are under pressure to tighten their defences. 

At a recent cross-Forum online session, renowned cyber-security expert Amit Dubey shed light on the current cybersecurity landscape and outlined some best practices. This podcast summarises these discussions.