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AUGUST 12, 2007

COVER STORY


	The Great Indian Mutual Fund Illusion Positioned as instruments that are safe (safer than venturing on one's own into equities) and that promise attractive returns (more attractive than bank deposits), mutual funds are supposed to be the retail investor's best bet. Why is it then that 85-90 per cent of the assets managed by Indian funds are those of institutions and high net worth individuals? Retail Joe Skips the Party A dodgy mix of high-priced and dubious issues makes public offerings a less popular investment avenue for retail investors than before. Read More Stay Insured—-and Invested Investment plans that offer both protection and the promise of long-term returns are proving to be stiff competition for mutual funds. Read More When Greed is Good (or is it?) As the indices hit new highs with monotonous regularity, an increasing number of investors (and punters) are riding the gravy train. Will some fingers get burnt? Read More BT SPECIAL India's Most Investor-Friendly Companies Our fourth annual survey of companies that have delighted their shareholders the most. Read More

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REPORTER'S DIARY
Fishy Tales
Kolathur village, just outside Chennai, is fast emerging as the capital of the ornamental fish trade in India, Nitya Varadarajan reports from the spot. more...


	FEATURES


	Change Agent Hegave India its first world-class business school and now its only public health foundation. What makes McKinsey's Rajat Gupta a social entrepreneur and the only Global Indian(-American) of his kind? more...		Beyond Consumer Electronics Videocon Group's Venugopal Dhoot is thinking really big this time. He is diversifying into new areas such as SEZs, real estate, telecom, retail and semi-conductors. The target: more than treble group revenues to $10 billion over the next five years. more...



	Maximum Citi It has nudged ahead of the competition in the foreign banks arena, but there's more to Citigroup in India than just banking. more...		The Crisis In Two-Wheelers Rising interest rates have taken their toll. Sales in the first quarter are down 14.5 per cent, and every manufacturer is cutting back on production. more...




	Southward Ho It offers the unbeatable combination of big-spending and experimentative consumers, who have the appetite and the wallet to spend. Some smart marketers are finally waking up to its lure. more...		60 Minutes Randall Stephenson, Chairman & CEO, AT&T, speaks to BT about the company's plans in India. more...






	FROM INDIA

	FROM OUTSIDE INDIA
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	Online Version








Bumpy Ride Domestic air passengers may have to shell out more for flying. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started auctioning new fuel stations at airports to oil companies and will hand over the infrastructure to the oil company that bids to pay the highest throughput charge. It is likely that oil companies will recover this extra fee from airline companies, which may pass the burden to passengers. Though this step helps AAI, it defeats the cause of low-cost airlines.

It's Hurting All Around A slew of measures is being taken to protect the interests of small- and mid-sized enterprises and export-oriented units due to the steep rise in the rupee against the dollar. In another development, the government has asked oil exploration firms to discount crude sales to state refiners, which sell oil products to the public at prices below market rates. The rising rupee is adversely impacting the revenues of exploration firms that bill crude sales in dollar per barrel terms.

Small Is Lucrative Small and medium enterprises are bullish, according to a nine-country survey by HSBC in the Asia-Pacific region. According to the latest figures available with the Reserve Bank of India, the total outstanding credit of banks to SMEs in March 2006 was more than Rs 90,000 crore. SME sector provides employment to a large number of people in the country and is the largest employer after agriculture. The report looks at the road ahead for SMEs in India.

Currency Future The steady rise of the rupee against the dollar is affecting several businesses in the country. Allowing derivatives trading in rupees could partially help set off the losses incurred. The government should take a cue from the recently launched futures trade in rupees on the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange. However, sceptics are of the view that it could lead to further volatility of the exchange rate of the rupee against the dollar.





	MONEY		JOBS TODAY


	The Picks Of The Bull Stock markets are making new highs, but there are enough places where you can still spot a good stock. Here's how to go shopping. more...		Managing Bullies At Work Is a certain nasty individual at your workplace making life miserable for you? BT does a reality check on what collateral damage these individuals can cause and how companies can deal with them. more...

	BOOKEND		BACK OF THE BOOK


	How It All Began A delightful work sets out to remind the world that globalisation is older than the WTO. more...		Smells Like Success Indian floriculturists embark on an Ethiopian odyssey to cash in on the boom in the flower industry. more...
	PEOPLE		COLUMNS


	People Starring Wizard Home Loans' Mark Bouris; Ajay Srinivasan, CEO (Financial Services) of Aditya Birla Group; WPP's Sir Martin Sorrell; SAP India's Ranjan Das; Canaan Partners' Alok Mittal; and Mark Mobius, MD, Franklin Templeton more...		Leadership Spotlight Azim Hashim Premji Chairman, Wipro


	TRENDS		CURRENT


	Drowning Under The Forex Pile The government is yet to come to terms with its riches. more... Instan Tip The fortnight's burning question. more... Q&A: Francois Hautekeur more... Indian Animation Coming of Age more... Rates Have Peaked, But Hold the Bubbly At last, there's some good news for India Inc. and the middle class. Just ahead of the quarterly review of monetary policy by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on July 31, two of India's top bankers feel that interest rates have plateaued out. more... A Leg Up for India more... India to Follow Global Accounting Standards more... B&W Hits to Come Alive Again, in Colour more... Top of Mind more... Economy Watch more... Policy Watch A bird's eye view of what's hot and what's not on the government's policy radar. more... P-Watch Column The why, what and how-to of policy making.. more... Newsmaker This fortnight's hero is Jagmohan Dalmiya. more... Numbers of Note more... NOTED more... PC Sales: Boom Continues more... King Khan Bats For Wildlife more...		The Amazing Race The Ambanis are on the fast track. more... Getting Foggy Again? Uncertainty stalks IT services-and it's not just the rupee. more... Playing to Win Step into our gameplex, say the online players. more... Helpless in a Wireless World BSNL loses ground as a contract gets delayed. more... The Jangle in Jingles FM radio needs to go beyond advertising for revenue. more... Grey Ain't Good Samsung cracks down on grey market imports of its hardware. more... Stray Straws in the Wind Has Suzlon been diverting IPO proceeds? more... Genpact: Act Two Its IPO could make Genpact a BPO behemoth. more... Their Master's Choice Appoint IIM Directors and control them, plans government. more... Hill Kingdom Calling Bhutan, of all places, is wooing Indian BPOs. more... Still Lost in Transition Avesthagen's diversifications are not yet winners. more... What's on His Mind? Will the India partner for Renault's small car not be M&M? more... Clean Cut from the Past With enzymes sold off, Biocon goes pure bio-pharma. more... Toons in Tinsel Town Cartoon Network goes to Bollywood. more... Branding Biotech Genome Valley becomes Andhra's intellectual property. more... In the Land of Plenty A Swiss-German combine that's hot on Indian realty. more... Ogilvy's New Offspring It opens job options, provides shelter to conflicting clients. more... Second Wind Do flanking channels translate into more viewership? more...


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