Friday, December 19, 2008
Indigo Airlines rallies past Kingfisher .
IndiGo has notched up a market share of 14.7 per cent, closely followed by Kingfisher Red at 13.3 per cent with Kingfisher tumbling two notches to the fifth position at 11.6 per cent. This alters positions from October when Kingfisher was the third largest passenger carrier followed by Kingfisher Red and IndiGo at fourth and fifth positions respectively.
IndiGo's increased market share reflects a substantial jump in its load factor, which has climbed to 73 per cent from 66 per cent in the October-November period. Disregarding Paramount and MDLR, which operate smaller aircraft, IndiGo now has the highest load factor of 73 per cent as compared t an industry average of 63.55 per cent.
The LCC's also garnered a larger share of the market from the Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher, who dominate the first three spots.
As for other statistics, domestic traffic declined by a whopping 21 per cent in November as compared to the year-ago period. For the 11 months ended November this year, domestic traffic has declined by 3.9 per cent, from 39.1 million to 37.6 million.
LCCs also garnered a larger market share with SpiceJet share moving up from 9.5 per cent in October to 10.8 per cent in November even as its load factor jumped from 61 per cent to around 65 per cent. However, JetLite saw its share dip somewhat from 8.1 per cent in October to 7.7 per cent in November.
Source- (Bdomain.)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
IS COMMUNISM A SOLUTION TO GLOBAL CALAMITIES?

Wednesday, December 10, 2008
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE P.M.
Mr. Prime Minister, you were selected, not elected by the people, for just one reason, that you posed no threat to anyone in the Congress party. You were not selected for your excellent PhD or for your integrity; not even for your competence as a civil servant. You were considered the least of all evils.
Yet, the educated middle class, including I, celebrated your appointment for we all respected your integrity, credibility and competence, and thought you would bring these to bear on your new job.
Today, after four years in office and after India has witnessed an act of war on its own soil, your government has lost all credibility with the people, and the buck stops with you. You are scared to even name Pakistan in your speeches in spite of the so-called irrefutable evidence you claim to have; nay, in fact, each time you say something publicly about this now, it sounds like a condolence message, not something that inspires confidence. Economic reforms stopped long ago, for your allies didn’t want them; there are many ministers in your cabinet who have perfected Wal-Mart’s cashand-carry model and you can’t do a damn about it. You have failed on all counts as a leader. So, at least now, when India is under attack on its own soil, please act. And if you can’t act, please get out of the way and allow someone more effective to run the country.
In any district, where there is any act of violence, normally the district magistrate and the superintendent of police get shifted out. As PM, can you not sack or transfer your national security adviser, the Intelligence Bureau chief, the Coast Guard director general, the navy chief—can you or can you not get rid of your entire top brass and send a signal down the line? The signal you are now sending with your inaction is: don’t bother doing your job, for even if the country gets attacked, we won’t touch you.
You have personally demonstrated integrity, but what use is that alone, when almost every key minister in your cabinet is treating every file as an opportunity for cash flows? Are you telling us you don’t know that your telecom, environment and shipping ministries are the home of organized mafias looting the exchequer? What use is it telling us, “Look, I am personally honest, but I’m presiding over a band of dacoits, murderers and thugs. I am only the prime minister and can’t do anything about it”?
What use is it to head a government, Mr PM, when you can’t even protect your citizens from terror, which is the first function of any government? When you can’t act against incompetence or organized corruption in your own cabinet? Is the PM’s job so important beyond the call of your conscience that you want to hang on to it at any cost? Sir, may I remind you that you are holding a trust, not just an office.
Rashid Ahmed, a prominent minister under Pervez Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif, boasted on Pakistan TV just a few weeks ago that he ran camps to train fighters. Our actors and assorted builders all seem perfectly capable of accessing Dawood Ibrahim at will, yet we don’t have the guts to take him out.
Your home minister kept combing his hair and did nothing more as India reeled under attacks and you tolerated him because loyalty to a family was more important than the blood of innocent people.
Scores of journalists have published details of the terror network including names and addresses and every time, the Pakistani government has brazenly denied them. Don’t forget it denied the existence of its nuclear programme, too, for years. How can you expect it to suddenly confess, when for most of the previous two decades, ISI and Pakistan’s army have nurtured jihadis to fight its proxy wars in Kashmir and Afghanistan? Today, the monster is so big that ISI can’t control it even if it wants to.
Even with the most sophisticated intelligence and security systems, history suggests that you cannot stop an indoctrinated suicide bomber. But that doesn’t mean we don’t put those systems in place, at least to serve as deterrents to many more who would otherwise be tempted to take a shot. Convince the nation, give us one good reason to believe that such an attack won’t happen again.
We don’t need a Rambo today, so please don’t attack Pakistan in the heat of the moment, for we all know the limits of hard power after the US misadventure in Iraq. Can you not pour money into technology and arm our security agencies (the Chinese spent $6 billion on security during the Olympics alone), invest in setting up a highly sophisticated counter-intelligence agency, get the Mossad to train our commandos, step up the diplomatic offensive at every forum to isolate Pakistan and, most importantly, come down heavily on corruption at all levels, starting with your cabinet? Can you not ensure simple reforms in the criminal justice system (which scores of committees such as Malimath have outlined) to ensure certainty of punishment for any offence from pickpocketery to terror? Can you not lead legislation to keep criminals out of politics and try to stem the flow of illegal money into campaign funding?
If not, then what use is it being a prime minister if, even after reaching the very top, you can’t do a damn in an hour of national crisis? Soon, all this will be forgotten and it will be back to business as usual.
But then, history will judge you. If you have some conscience left, please do something. Don’t forget, “mind without heart, intelligence without conduct, cleverness without goodness are all tools, but only for mischief”.
Monday, December 8, 2008
AVIATION SECTOR PARADOX!

The entire nation was taken by surprise when Kingfisher was to collaborate with its arch rival Jet Airways, This alliance was formed mainly to cut down their operational costs, excess capacity & sharing Codeshare agreements. The Aviation sector was badly hit by the burgeoning Crude prices resulting in a loss of 4000 Crore to the Indian Aviation Sector. The Crude at present is trading in the $40 per barrell , However recessionary pressures owing to the global financial meltdown have led to a steep decline in the flow of passengers to and from abroad which inturn had been a matter of concern to the Indian Aviation Sector. All these factors have resulted in most of the Aviation Sector players hanging their boots as far as recruitments are concerned, Interestingly Indigo Airlines is going on a hiring spree when the giants like Kingfisher and jet Airways are cooling their hiring heels. Lets look at the factors which resulted to this behaviour.Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The White Good Allowance!
For Ex- Assume a Person buys a Car worth 4 Lacs, Whose life is 10 Years and its scrap value is 20000/- then Depreciation= 400000-20000= 380000/10= 38000 Per Annum.Assuming a straight line Method, His benefits will be as follows-
Year BOY Value Depreciation EOY VALUE
1 400000 38000 362000
4 286000 38000 248000
5 248000 38000 210000
6 210000 38000 172000
7 172000 38000 134000
So at the end of the 7th year the vale of 4 Lac car is 134000/- Rs.
The emplyee was also paying the hire charges for 7 Years. Hire Charges= 0.10% of 400000= 400 Per Month.
for 7 Years,charges = 84*400 = 33600/-
Total Cost= 33600 + 134000 = 167600/-
Net benefit = 400000-167600= 232400.
This is how the White good benefit is Calculated.BOY= Beginning of Year. EOY= Ending of Year.
Monday, December 1, 2008
The Great Depression 0f 1929- How it Occurred and why it Occurred!

Economist feel that by increasing the money supply and keeping interest rates low during the roaring twenties, the Fed triggered the rapid expansion that preceded the collapse. In some ways, it set up the market bubble leading to the crash and then kicked the economy when it was down.
Milton Friedman( Nobel Prize Winner for Economics) rightly suggested that the Fed's mismanagement of the economic situation greatly contributed to the Great Depression, there still would probably have been a minor recession regardless of government involvement. The government soon came to regret the freedom it had granted the Federal Reserve as it stood by during the crash of 1929 and refused to prevent the Great Depression that followed. Even now, it is hotly debated whether the Fed could have stopped the depression, but there is little doubt that it could have done more to soften and shorten it by providing lower interest rates to allow farmers to keep planting and businesses to keep producing. The high interest rates may even have been responsible for the unplanted fields that turned into dust bowls. By restricting the money supply at a bad time, the Fed starved out many individuals and businesses that might otherwise have survived.The RecoveryIt was World War II, not the Federal Reserve, that lifted the economy out of the depression. The war benefited the Federal Reserve as well by expanding its power and the amount of capital it was called on to control for the Allies. After the war, the Fed was able to erase some of the bad memories from the depression by keeping interest rates low as the U.S. economy went on a bull run that was virtually uninterrupted until the '60s.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A Tribute to the Heroes of the Mumbai Terror Attack!!


Pros and Cons of Capital Account Convertibility

Capital Account and Current Account are two essential components of Balance of Payments which is the difference between the aggregate inflows and outflows of a country's services, goods, expenditure abroad by Indians, expenditure in India by foreign nationals, Investments abroad, Investments in India by Non Indians, Transfer payments, Interest paid and received etc.
Current Account mainly deals with the trade related aspects which are known as the visible items and the services which are known as the invisible items. It also includes the transfer payments, expenditure of foreigners in India and vice versa.
Capital Account on the other hand refers to the Investments made by Foreign Nationals and Foreign institutions in India, along with the Inter country grants received by India. The Investments made in India and grants received constitute the credits and the Investments made abroad by India and grants by India to other countries constitute the debits.
Current account or capital account convertibility refers to the conversion of local financial assets into foreign currency or the conversion of foreign financial assets into the local currency at the prevailing market exchange rate.
Capital account convertibility is a much important matter of concern as capital account convertibility in particular refers to the withdrawal of Investments by foreign Bodies.
How does it affect?
As capital account mainly deals with the Investments by foreign nationals in mamoth projects like Construction of Dams, ports, infrastructure development, Power projects, Energy Projects , Realty,Green Field Investments which generally require huge amounts.
From the Foreign Investor Point of view- a cent percent convertibility or Full convertibility of capital account will confer him the right to withdraw his investments completely whenever he feels like, which in turn may cripple the progress of the domestic economy due to the stagnation of work owing to paucity of funds. Many developing countries generally resort to partial convertibility where in the Foreign Investor can only partially with draw his investments when a need arises, thus mitigating the risk to a great extent. As the cumulative figures of Capital Investments by foreigners amount to billions of rupees,Developing nations opt for a partial convertibility .
For example- Indian Stock Market which was at 21K in mid Jan this Year shed around 65% of its wealth owing to Inflationary and Recessionary pressures. A fuller capital account convertibility could have resulted in further more damage to it along with further withdrawal of FII and FDI activity.
Prospects of Full Convertibility-
It will result in a substantial increase in Inflows of Foreign Investments into India, thus infusing more funds and providing ample scope of an accelerated progress but at the same time it leaves a huge risk of foreign investors backing out incase of any untoward events or incidents.
India always adopts a conservative approach( just like the attitude of its people) by allowing partial capital account convertibility, Tarapore Committee made a thorough analysis of capital account convertibility and suggested that India should allow fuller capital account convertibility.
On the other hand USA whcih has gone through a recession nine times and recovered, since 1930's follows a full capital account convertibility leaving it more proned to risk.
But always remember - "It is better Safe than sorry".
For a Crystal clear understanding of Capital account Composition check out the following link.
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=QE6819vVrCA
Thursday, November 27, 2008
OPEC-13

Wednesday, November 26, 2008
An Insight into the Monetary policy of India.

The Monetary Policy of India mainly aims at promoting economic growth by maintaining price stability.
The R.B.I meets regularly to decide what, if anything, to do with interest rates or Cash Reserve Ratios. Cash Reserve Ratio is defined as the percentage of cash which the commercial banks have to maintain with the Reserve Bank or Central bank of the country .
Stock traders almost always rejoice when the RBI cuts interest rates, but does a rate cut equal good news for everyone?
The interest rates, CRR are very important as many other rates, domestic and international, are linked directly to it or move closely with it, along with them the investment prospects and the quantum of loan disbursement also depends to a great extent .
Why Does It Change?
The interest rates, CRR, SLR ( Statutory Liquidity Ratio- The percentage of liquid assets which the bank has to maintain with itself) , PLR(Prime lending rate- Rates at which banks lend loans to the consumers) are monetary policy tools used to achieve the R.B.I's goals of price stability (low inflation or to overcome recessionary pressures) and sustaining economic growth. Changing the rates influences the money supply, beginning with banks and eventually affect consumers.
The R.B.I lowers interest rates in order to stimulate economic growth. Lower financing costs can encourage borrowing and investing. However, when rates are too low they can spur excessive growth and perhaps inflation. Inflation results in decrease of purchasing power and could undermine the sustainability of the desired economic expansion. On the other hand, when there is too much growth the R.B.I raises interest rates. Rate increases are used to slow inflation and return growth to more sustainable levels. Rates cannot get too high, because more expensive financing could lead the economy into a period of sluggishness. A rate cut could help consumers save money by reducing interest payments on certain types of financing that are linked to prime or other rates which tend to move in tandem with the RBI's rates.
A rate cut can prove beneficial for home financing, but the impact depends on what type of mortgage the borrower has, fixed or floating, and which rate the mortgage is linked to.For fixed-rate mortgages, a rate cut will have no impact on the amount of the monthly payment. Low rates can be good for potential homebuyers, but fixed-rate mortgages do not move directly with the RBI's rate changes. A rate cut changes the short-term lending rate, but fixed-rate mortgages are based on long-term rates, which do not fluctuate as much as short-term rates. When the RBI resorts to a rate cut, floating-rate payments will decrease. The amount by which a mortgage payment changes will depend on the rate the mortgage uses when it resets.
This is how the monetary policy affects the working capital requirements of companies, investment prospects of induviduals throught out the country, disposable incomes of people, Mobilisation of savings and eventually result in the growth of the nation.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Rupee Depreciation v/s Dollar appreciation.

Friday, November 7, 2008
Along comes another crisis!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008
History of sorts!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Japan Follows the footsteps of its Asian Counterparts.


