Videos

Allow banks to operate freely…: Ananth Narayan on bad loan problem

• Associate Professor SPIJMR Ananth Narayan spoke about the band loan problem in India. Ananth said the banking system should be allowed to operate freely, should be made accountable. “Get the bad assets into one place from where recovery is possible,” Ananth added. The discussion with journalist Mitali Mukherjee was part of Mint's Road to Recovery series focused on the upcoming Budget. Watch the full video for more.

Budget 2021 has become an event even before it is tabled : Roopa Kudva

• MD Omidyar Network India Roopa Kudva spoke on the upcoming union budget. Kudva spoke about the three agendas that the budget needs to address this year. Kudva said that this budget has become an “event” even before it is tabled. The discussion with journalist Mitali Mukherjee was part of Mint's Road to Recovery series focused on the upcoming Budget. Watch the full video for more.

Budget 2021: Moradabad brass, handicraft industries expect supportive measures

Handicraft industries in Uttar Pradesh are expecting supportive measures from the Budget 2021. Brass artisans in Moradabad expect this year's budget will help boost their businesses. 'We expect supportive measures from the union govt for brass artisans,' said an artisan. Another artisan said, 'I urge the government to cut down electricity charges so that workers can make more profit.' Earlier this week, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had held a meeting with state finance ministers. The state ministers had suggested steps to revive growth and boost revenue collection in the backdrop of Covid-19 crisis. The Union Budget 2020-21 will be presented at 11 am on February 1.

‘Infrastructure funding will kick-start…’: BSE CEO on economy, market

BSE MD and CEO Ashish Chauhan spoke on the steps that can be taken to kick-start the economy and maintain the momentum. Chauhan said that the economy is picking up and it is a good sign. “How do you build the momentum? The first kick-start will come from infrastructure funding,” Chauhan said. Chauhan added that the textile side is the easiest way to export at the lowest capital cost. The discussion with journalist Mitali Mukherjee was part of Mint's Road to Recovery series focused on the upcoming Budget. Watch the full video for more.

‘Need a strong bank backbone’: BNP Paribas India CEO on banking industry

BNP Paribas India CEO Aymar De Liedekerke Beaufort spoke on the banking industry and its recovery in India. Beaufort said that India needs a strong bank backone. He said that “the real question on the banking sector would be – Is India equipped with the right banks, with the right size, is the discipline of lending loan is on the right way.” The discussion with journalist Mitali Mukherjee was part of Mint's Road to Recovery series focused on the upcoming Budget.

‘Not just survival of financial ecosystem…’: Ananth Narayan on bad loans

Associate Professor at S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Anath Narayan spoke on the bad loan situation in India and how it affects the upcoming union budget. Narayan said that “objective as far as we are concerned is not just the survival of financial services ecosystem. This ecosystem needs to be in the shape and form to finance our tremendous growth aspirations and potential. The discussion with journalist Mitali Mukherjee was part of Mint's Road to Recovery series focused on the upcoming Budget.

Watch: India sends Covishield vaccines to Bhutan & Maldives

• India on Wednesday sent coronavirus vaccines to Bhutan and Maldives. India is sending doses of the Covishield vaccine. Trucks with Covishield left from Pune’s Serum Institute of India for Bhutan. The move is in keeping with India’s “neighborhood first” policy. Consignments were airlifted and handed over to officials in Maldives and Bhutan. India will also be dispatching vaccines to Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Seychelles. This comes days after India launched the Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 16. Watch the full video for more details.

AI in customer service: Will bots replace humans or will they coexist smartly?

India’s pandemic crisis of 2020 created human misery and economic havoc. However, out of this crisis came the rapid shift to digital and large-scale adoption of new technologies like AI to improve efficiencies and adapt to the circumstances created by lockdowns and social distancing. Customer service is one of the many areas where AI has come to the rescue at a time when call centers shut. However, besides helping cope with the pandemic-sparked challenges, the use of AI in customer service also helps improve customer experience, cuts a company’s customer service costs, and customer churn. Further, with internet penetration rising in India over 2020, multilingual voice AI appears to be the way for smart customer support. Given this exciting business landscape, the second dispatch of our special series, “Decoding AI opportunities in the Covid Age and beyond”, explores how AI has been changing the face of customer service in sectors like financial services, e-commerce and logistics. Catch Sourabh Gupta, CEO and Co-founder, Vernacular.ai; K.V. Dipu, President, Operations and Customer Service, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance; Prasad Dhumal, Vice President IT, DHL Express India; and Saurabh Tiwari, Chief Technology Officer, Policybazaar.com in an insightful panel discussion.

‘Master’ brings box office cheer, ‘Tribhanga’ comes to Netflix

Tamil film Master has set the stage for box office recovery this Pongal with expected weekend collections of Rs. 100 crore. In the latest episode of its show, 'Business of Entertainment', Mint's Lata Jha goes through the financial performance of what’s buzzing in the world of entertainment.

Mint Budget 2021 Panel: Financing the Growth Revival

Should there be a bank recap plan in the Budget? Or should the govt announce privatization of major state-owned banks? What else can/should the Budget do to create a financial system that can support higher growth and job creation? How can the budget aid in better financial intermediation - banking or markets? Tune into the Mint panel discussion on the big questions in banking and the economy as we approach Budget 2021. Joining our moderator Mitali Mukherjee are Ashish Chauhan (MD and CEO, BSE), Roopa Kudva (MD, Omidyar Network India), Aymar De Liedekerke Beaufort (CEO, BNP Paribas India) and Ananth Narayan (Associate Professor, SPJIMR).

Watch: India's first vaccine recipients get shots after PM Modi's speech

After a wait of almost a year, the end to the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be in sight. India launched its vaccination drive against the disease on January 16, 2021 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation. Healthcare workers and frontline workers are part of the first phase of vaccination. Watch the full video for more.

'Please do not...': PM Modi's message amid Covid vaccine launch in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the nationwide vaccination drive for the novel coronavirus and urged people to positively get the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Emphasising to follow Covid protocols, PM Modi said the start of vaccination does not mean people should stop wearing masks or violate maintaining social distancing. Billed as the world's largest vaccination programme, covering the entire length and breadth of the country, the drive aims to first inoculate millions of its healthcare and frontline workers and reach an estimated 3 crore people by the end of its first phase. A total of 3,006 session sites across all states and Union Territories were virtually connected during the launch. Around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on the inaugural day, the union health ministry has said. In the first phase government and private sector health care workers, including Integrated Child Development Services workers, will receive the vaccine.

Watch: PM Modi launches vaccine drive against Covid in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India's vaccination drive against Covid-19 on January 16, 2021. PM said that exactly a year ago, India had taken its first step to battle Covid, by forming a high-level committee to monitor the spread of the disease. He also appealed to people to take both the doses of the vaccine on time, and not stop taking other precautions like social distancing and use of masks. He said that India had set an example for the entire world in the fight against Covid. Watch the full video for more.

How Made-In-India vaccines are different from foreign ones: PM Modi explains

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the nationwide vaccination drive for the novel coronavirus. He explained how Made-In-India vaccines are different from foreign ones. PM Modi said that the Indian vaccines are inexpensive and easy to use. Billed as the world's largest vaccination programme, covering the entire length and breadth of the country, the drive aims to first inoculate millions of its healthcare and frontline workers and reach an estimated 3 crore people by the end of its first phase. A total of 3,006 session sites across all states and Union Territories were virtually connected during the launch. The union health ministry has said that around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on the inaugural day.

'Next year, huge recovery in revenues...': Shankar Acharya on Covid, Budget

• While saying that the government shouldn't get too worried about FRBM Act stipulations, Dr Shankar Acharya, former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, said that the country's deficit has ballooned in the current financial year due to collapse of revenues, rather than a rise in expenditure. The discussion with journalist Mitali Mukherjee was part of Mint's Road to Recovery series focused on the upcoming Budget.

'Most sensible revenue thing...': Montek Singh Ahluwalia's Budget recommendation

• Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former deputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission, spoke on the fiscal deficit challenge faced by the government, and how the Covid-19 pandemic can be an opportunity for the government to 'come clean'. The discussion with journalist Mitali Mukherjee was part of Mint's Road to Recovery series focused on the upcoming Budget.

'Smart but insipid recovery...': Sajjid Chinoy on Covid, economy & Budget

• Sajjid Z. Chinoy, Chief India Economist, JP Morgan commented on the state of the Indian economy in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown, and what the government must do to give a fillip to growth. The discussion with journalist Mitali Mukherjee was part of Mint's Road to Recovery series focused on the upcoming Budget.

'Master' set for big Pongal release, 'Sir' comes to Netflix

• Vijay's film Master, scheduled for the Pongal weekend, could prove to be a turning point for the local film business battered by covid-19. In the latest episode of its show, 'Business of Entertainment', Mint's Lata Jha goes through the financial aspects of what’s buzzing in the entertainment world.

Mint Budget 2021 panel: Reviving India’s Covid-hit economy

• Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Fr. Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India, Dr. Shankar Acharya, Fr. Chief Economist, GoI, and Sajjid Z. Chinoy, Chief India Economist, J.P. Morgan discuss with Mitali Mukherjee how the Covid-hit economy can be revived and what to expect from Budget. Watch full video

‘China’s leap in AI will not be limited to civilians’:Rajeshwari Rajagopalan

• Distinguished Fellow and Head, Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative, Observer Research Foundation, Dr Rajeshwari Rajagopalan said India is still in the initial stages of development in the AI front. Rajagopalan said, “What should be more important from an Indian National Security perspective is that China’s leap in AI will not be limited to civilian sectors but they will also move to military sector as well and that’s where we need to be more careful.” Watch the full video for more.