India At 77
“This year our nation is going to celebrate with great fervour, the 500th birth anniversary of the iconic women warrior Rani Durgawati. We will also be remembering the premier of ‘bhakti and yog’ Meerabai, ”— Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech reiterated a vision he has shared with the nation across a decade now, that of the “dream of a developed India by 2047”. He said, “it's not just a dream but a resolve of 1.4 billion citizens. To fulfill that resolve, hard work is essential, but our national character is the most significant force”. It must be that national character that keeps segments of the economy afloat in the most trying of times. Even as indices of industrial production show a slide in most sectors, as commodity markets grapple with supply glitches and wavering demand, some sectors of the economy ride at full throttle, among them automotive, the paints industry, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).
Please read our special report on the impressive first-quarter performance of listed Indian companies across sectors like banking, FMCG, automotive, and paints. State Bank of India, the nation's largest lender, saw its net profit surge by 178 per cent in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal and Hindustan Unilever witnessed a recovery in the FMCG markets. Among companies that are bucking the trend are Asian Paints, Titan Company and Jindal Stainless. Metals per se and stainless steel in particular are growing rapidly, egged on by the government’s renewed thrust on infrastructure building. Use of stainless steel in infrastructure projects is a new, but strong trend. In an exclusive interview with BW Businessworld, Jindal Stainless Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal, calls for policy incentives for this promising industry, especially curbs on imports from China.
Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on a windy August morning, the Prime Minister reminded a nation celebrating the 76th anniversary of its Independence of a history of women leaders who had led by example and left their footprints in history for their bravery and piety. Today of course, women race shoulder to shoulder with men, in almost all walks of life, including in business and industry, but even so, their brave strides merit cheering. Women Entrepreneurs Summit and Awards (WESA) has across five years, served as a platform for women entrepreneurs and industry leaders in the startup ecosystem to network, share their stories, and inspire other emerging women business leaders. This issue of BW Businessworld contains profiles of some of these enterprising young women who participated in the fifth edition of WESA. This edition also gives you a glimpse of the Techtors, or key players and stakeholders in the domain of technology, who participated in the fifth edition of Techtors under the banner of BW Disrupt.
Of course, we also bring to you all our regular columns and features. Happy reading!
