IMA Insights

Real estate in China constitutes a fifth of GDP and is weighed down by a combination of untenable debt and scant demand. It is now clear that the trajectory of growth, over the course of the last two decades in China, can now no longer be sustained. A combination of debt, price deflation and demographic debility has begun to express itself in economic trends.

In the early 1980s, China’s GDP per person was about the same as that of India; now it is ~13,000 USD. However, there are reasons to suggest that it is unlikely to break out of the middle-income trap in a hurry, something that very few countries have managed to achieve. One could therefore argue that the Chinese marvel is over. This podcast provides a perspective on these issues.

Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) involves disclosure requirements of a company’s non-financial performance, including but not limited to its environmental, social, and governance practices. It is intended to provide stakeholders with more than just numerical scores. In fact, it is the wholesome perspective on a business’s impact towards the environment, society and ethical dimensions.  

This podcast explains.

The way currency markets function is that they are self-enforcing. An increased demand for a particular currency tends to drive up its value, and as expectations set in about further gains the demand only increases. This is the imperative that creates short-term volatility. In the longer term, however, the key factors that investors look towards, include economic growth and stability, with effects on consumption, employment levels and market confidence. Inflation and price stability, are also important. 
This podcast presents Adit Jain's thoughts on the outlook for the rupee. 

India’s debt market, is still nascent. It has the promise of enormous growth if the various barriers constraining it are eventually addressed. This requires a multi-pronged approach that includes policy reforms, developing the infrastructure, incentivising participation from domestic and foreign investors and, most importantly, educating them on how it works and why it is important from a portfolio diversifying perspective. Going forward, the market for debt must be wide and deep as it should be a vital source of capital and, consequently, economic growth. 

The factories of the future will consist of machines, packed in a complex format, producing precision goods with practically no human intervention. Previously, this was considered within the realm of science fiction. Now, that is no longer the case.

Analysts suggest that private consumption in India will touch USD 6 trillion by 2030. Perhaps, this might seem optimistic but the reality remains that the growth anticipated over the coming 5 to 7 years would certainly be brisker than that demonstrated over the last decade. 

As strategists work through their outlook for 2030, they must recognise the fact that India’s rural market opportunity is poised to undergo alluring changes. The transitions taking place are hastening rural market transformation and leading the charge is the growing acceptance of digital technology, e-commerce and online banking. Everything in business begins with connectivity. If you can reach customers, then you have a market. On this score India’s performance over the last 7 years is unprecedented.

The rural market opportunity, just as the India potential, has been spoken about for two decades. But, this time around, it seems real. This podcast explains

Generative AI has been hailed as a game changer that will impact and even enrich our personal lives. It is also expected to affect the way we manage businesses and possibly every function within an organisation. The ability of organisations to adopt AI will play on their competitive ability even if the technology is still in its infancy and the entire scope of its applications has not yet been explored.
At recent India CEO and CFO sessions in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai, Amit Dubey, a leading Cyber Security Expert, helped acquaint us with this revolutionary technology, its future applications and how companies may leverage generative AI in the years ahead. The attached paper offers a brief summary of the session along with a fuller commentary on the subject,

The US dollar has long been the world’s dominant currency and accounts for the bulk of central banks’ foreign currency reserves. Lately, however, the dollar’s share in ‘allocated' global reserves has dipped sharply. Geopolitical conditions have sparked discussions on 'de-dollarisation.' While the dollar's supremacy is likely to persist, alternative settlement systems could challenge its widespread role in the future. This podcast explores the diversification away from the dollar, in light of emerging bilateral settlement systems. 

A rapidly shifting business landscape, driven by automation, digitisation, and artificial intelligence, has impacted organisations across sectors. Technological transformation has resulted in shorter career horizons and rising attrition rates. To address these challenges, organisations need to adopt new approaches to talent management and career development.

At a recent India CEO Forum session in Chennai, Krish Shankar, who recently retired as Group Head of Human Resources at Infosys, shared his views on tackling today’s people challenges, and the benefits that come from building a strong and effective organisational culture.  This podcast offers a brief summary of the session along with a fuller commentary on the subject, 

The culture of organisations is what ultimately sets it apart from the competition. It frequently characterizes its competitive place and is the backbone of a winning strategy. It attracts talent and builds goodwill amongst employees, vendors and customers. In the final count, it is the key thing that companies must focus upon.

The attached paper explains.