Editor-In-Chief’s Note: Some Happy Tales

The Indian corporate sector has of late, been in the news for all the wrong reasons. A series of industrial houses have made newspaper headlines for controversial dealings, bad loans, succession blues and turf wars. This is not how it used to be.

Industry is an important component of nation building. Even Mahatma Gandhi, known as a votary for the rural economy, had acknowledged as much. As a publication tracking business and the economy, we have chronicled many such stories.

In this issue, we take a look at a conscientious captain of the Indian industry - Adi Godrej. As a leader, he is known to speak his mind. He has a point of view, be it on the Goods and Services Tax (GST), demonetisation, or the GDP. Godrej is the patriarch of the Godrej group and in a rare interview with BW Businessworld’s Mumbai bureau chief Clifford Alvares and senior special correspondent in Delhi, Himani Chandna, he opens up like never before on an array of issues, ranging from those of national importance to ones that were plaguing his group.

In the candid chat, he admits that the group’s once famed plan to “grow ten times in ten years” was a tad too ambitious. The cover story also looks at the various verticals of the group and how they are gearing up for the challenging times ahead. An engrossing read, all in all.

In the season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), corporates have also been in the news for owning cricket teams. Indeed, the IPL has also spawned a trend of leagues in various other sports. While the IPL did well, the jury is still out on whether the newer leagues will make money a la cricket. We therefore, bring to you a special coverage of the expanding sphere of sporting leagues. Senior associate editor Ashish Sinha and correspondent Ruhail Amin, look at the growing universe of sporting leagues and the crucial role of broadcasters therein.

Deputy editor Suman K. Jha speaks exclusively with Vijay Goel, Union minister of state (independent charge) for Sports and Youth Affairs. Goel champions public-private-partnership in sports. He says that the increasing participation of private players would further the cause of sports. In other segments of our magazine, we carry Jha’s interviews with Union Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India chairperson, M. S. Sahoo. Jha also speaks exclusively with the Shriram Brothers, who say that competence alone would drive family-owned businesses.

This issue of BW Businessworld also carries an exhaustive report on Piramal Enterprises by senior associate editor, C. H. Unnikrishnan, along with an interview with company chairman Ajay G. Piramal. We, dear reader, bring to you, a comprehensive coverage of various domains of the economy, be it the corporate sector or the government, and we await your feedback. Happy reading!