India vs Pak: Wickets & wounds

Every time the two play, as they will on Sunday in Asia Cup, the past loosens its grip for a moment. This doesn’t mean the question – should India play Pakistan at all – is answered. That question must endure Some questions arrive dressed as cricket. Others wear the cloak of diplomacy. But one returns … Read more

GST revamp: Goods and services tax not applicable on these post-sale discounts; here is what experts say

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) clarified that post-sale discounts offered by manufacturers to dealers, aimed purely at competitive pricing and driving sales, will not attract Goods and Services Tax (GST).In a circular, the board further explained that GST would, however, apply if such discounts are linked to specific promotional services carried … Read more

Lies we tell ourselves about extended reality

The interface welcomed her like always—with the exact tone she preferred, the playlist she hadn’t consciously chosen, and a simulated sky that looked suspiciously like her childhood memories. Tara smiled. She liked feeling known. Safe. What she didn’t realize? It wasn’t her reality anymore. It was hers, curated. As someone immersed in both the research … Read more

Chinese auto market: Govt unveils plan to ‘stabilise’ sector; emphasis on ‘cost surveys and price monitoring’

China rolled out a two-year plan aimed at easing turbulence in its car industry, where aggressive price cuts and trade disputes have weighed heavily on growth.State news agency Xinhua said the programme, covering 2025 and 2026, was issued jointly by eight government departments. It places emphasis on “cost surveys and price monitoring” while urging carmakers … Read more

Lord of the left

Marx called religion the opium of the masses. Shedding its ideological rigour, CPM has retreated from its progressive stand on women’s entry to Sabarimala and is now courting Ayyappa devotees through the Global Ayyappa Sangamam to bolster its dwindling Hindu vote share. In 2018, when the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment, declared unconstitutional the … Read more

China gold licences: Yellow metal’s largest buyer to ease rules; continues to diversify away from dollar reserves

China, the world’s largest consumer of gold, is planning to relax licensing norms for the export and import of the yellow metal, as the nation continues to steer away its reserves from the US dollar.According to a draft proposal from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the country plans to expand the use of “multi-use … Read more

Goa tourism fall

If you thought Goa was still India’s crown jewel of tourism, take a note of this fact and rethink. Foreign tourist arrivals have crashed by nearly 60% since 2019, and the buzz that once made Goa iconic is shifting elsewhere. The reasons aren’t hard to see. Sky-high taxi fares with cab aggrigators not allowed to … Read more

Real estate sector: Institutional investors infuse $80 billion since 2010; foreign capital dominates 57% inflows

India’s property market has pulled in almost $80 billion in institutional investments over the past 15 years, highlighting its rise as a favoured asset class for global and local investors, a report by Colliers and CREDAI said.Foreign investors have played the bigger role so far, contributing 57% of the total inflows since 2010. Yet, the … Read more

A close resemblance in the unusual mechanism of power transfer in India’s neighbourhood

Over the last three to four years, the incumbent heads of state in three of India’s neighbours have been deposed by large-scale protests, primarily led by young people. Moreover, in Sri Lanka, economic collapse and consequent violent protests forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign and flee to the Maldives in July 2022. In July 2024, … Read more