IMA Insights
Episodes
Decoding Valuation with Amit Agarwal
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Valuations are shaped by perception as much as performance. Rather than a scorecard of historical performance, they a referendum on the future. For CF...
Labour Code by Adit Jain
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A detailed conclusion paper from the recent IMA session with Rashmi Pradeep will follow in a couple of days, but in the meantime your columnist offers...
Building India’s Semiconductor Future In conversation with Anand Ramamoorthy
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With technology, geopolitics and supply-chain fragility converging to redefine national competitiveness, semiconductors have moved from a behind-the-s...
Pandya Dynasty by Adit Jain
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a younger man, your columnist once wandered through the vast courtyards of the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, awed by its towering gopurams and the h...
Leading with Purpose: Innovation, Growth and the Evolution of Enterprise Leadership
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a fast-changing business environment, leaders are expected to deliver growth, innovation and impact all at once. A recent session of the IMA India ...
Q3FY26 CHRO Forum Dialogues - Bangalore
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At our recent Q3FY26 CHRO Forum Dialogue in Bangalore, we hosted former Nestlé CMD Suresh Narayanan, who, drawing on decades of experience stewarding...
AI in Marketing
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an era where marketing is expected to prove its value with precision, AI is reshaping creativity and accountability. At a recent India CMO Forum Co...
The Retention Dividend
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years, business growth in India followed a simple script: acquire more customers, spend heavily on visibility and let scale deliver results. That ...
When Processes Work, AI Works
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an era where technology promises exponential gains but often delivers only incremental results, the CFO’s role has expanded from that of financia...
The CEO Playbook: Resilience and Cost Leadership in a Fragmented World with John Pearson
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As protectionism rises and trade corridors fragment, the next frontier of corporate leadership lies in mastering resilience: sustaining growth, managi...
History & Heritage: Paliwal Brahmins
26 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your columnist traces his roots to the Paliwal Brahmins of Rajasthan’s Thar Desert, a once-prosperous community that turned the sands of Pali into f...
POLITICS & ECONOMY: URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
India’s cities, once symbols of ambition, are now choking under filth, traffic and civic neglect. The solution will not come from politics but from ...
Armenians by Adit Jain
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our series on India’s merchant classes, this week’s column turns to the Armenians, who arrived during the reign of the Great Mughals. S...
Update: US India Relations by Adit Jain
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The relationship between India and the United States will, in many ways, define the fate of the Western alliance and the balance of power in the decad...
Building Resilience in Uncertain Times
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an environment where volatility is unrelenting and risks extend well beyond finance, the remit of the CFO has become that of an enterprise risk lea...
The Future of Leadership: From Command to Collaboration
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an age where volatility has become the default and hierarchies are flattening under the weight of technology, leadership must shift from command-an...
Navigating the Talent Paradox in the Human Cloud Era
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an era where work is being reshaped by automation, AI and fluid workforce models, the role of leadership is no longer simply to manage people but t...
Value in Motion: A Framework for Intelligent Diversification
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Across industries, transformation remains a constant ambition. Yet for CFOs, the hidden force that shapes its success is how organisations unlock valu...
Innovation as a Growth Enabler for India
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world where competitive advantages erode faster than ever, the pursuit of leadership is no longer about scale or dominance but about sustained di...
Parsis Trade in China by Adit Jain
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The rise of Jardine Matheson owed as much to Bombay as to Britain. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, a Parsi merchant , supplied the cargo, capital and connec...
Supply Chains Dilemma by Adit Jain
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As American tariffs bite and orders dry up, Indian firms exposed to the US are scrambling for options. None is straightforward. Shifting production el...
Changing Realities of Consumption by Adit Jain
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
India’s $2.1 trillion consumer economy is being rapidly rewritten. Aspirations are rising, as the rural –urban divide begins to blur. The digital ...
Museum Visitor Manual by Adit Jain
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your columnist has, over the years, been trained by his better half to visit museums with the noble intent of cultivating an interest in art. Initiall...
India and New World Order by Adit Jain
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The new order will be multipolar, fragmented and spiked with suspicion. America will remain strong but unpredictable. China will be powerful but mistr...
Tata Motors: Reinventing in Crisis by Adit Jain
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tata Motors has learned to treat disruption as a forcing mechanism. Product disappointments such as the Nano and the Indica, exposed not only poor des...
MicroStimuli and the Future of Influence
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an era where consumer attention is increasingly fragmented and fleeting, marketing must pivot from persuasive monologues to precise behavioural int...
Passing the Baton: Legacy, Leadership and Art of Succession with Suresh Narayan
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world today is in a state of flux - geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, trade wars and environmental crises are converging into an unrel...
Building a Sustainable and Ethical Business with Saurabh Agarwal
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainability and ethics are no longer optional 'nice to haves’ but an essential element of long-term business success. Today’s organisation...
Business Ethics as Driver of Organisational Success with Sabina Sudan
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The pressure of delivering strong results quarter after quarter can tempt even the best companies to be myopic on ethics and fair business practices. ...
The CHRO to CEO Story with Ashish Srivastava
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to Spencer Stuart, 87% of CHROs today are active participants in CEO succession planning – a powerful signal that boards increasingly see ...
Evolving from Data-Rich to AI-First Enterprises: A Masterplan with Shailesh Kumar
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despite years of digital transformation, most enterprises remain stuck in what might be termed a ‘digital slum’: a maze of dashboards, siloed syst...
Strategic Synergy in CFO-CHRO Partnerships with Abhishek Gupta and Govinda Raj MK
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an era of increasing organisational complexity and rapid market shifts, the partnership between CFOs and CHROs is more critical than ever. Strategi...
The Q1FY26 CHRO Dialogue in Mumbai with Naveen Narayanan and an Open-House Discussion
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As AI reshapes the business landscape, CHROs are being called upon to cut through the noise and lead with clarity. This episode brings together two co...
Smart Industry Innovation for the Future with Rainer Wittich, Arnab Roy and Rajat Verma
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Global investment in smart manufacturing is accelerating, with India emerging as one of the world’s most dynamic markets. As industrial ecosystems e...
The Supreme Court’s BPSL Judgement: Key Lessons and the Way Forward with Tine Abraham & Mohammed Shameer
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court of India recently ordered the liquidation of Bhushan Power and Steel Limited (BPSL) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), ...
Compensation Outlook 2025 with Amit Otwani and Kavitha Venkatachalam
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Compensation is a critical lever for attracting, retaining and motivating talent. In a shifting economic climate, getting it right has never been more...
Sustainability in Action with Vishwa Bandhu Bhattacharya
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainability is now a critical imperative for businesses and societies alike, and understanding the prime forces driving this agenda is more importa...
The Q1FY26 CHRO Dialogue - Mumbai
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At our recent Q1, FY26 CHRO Dialogue session in Mumbai, we explored two important subjects: the role of culture in business transformation; and skill-...
The Risk-Ready CFO
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an age where volatility is not the exception but the norm, CFOs are being called upon to lead with strategic clarity and operational resilience. At...
CMO Open House B2B Lead Generation
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a landscape where complexity defines the norm, B2B marketers are under increasing pressure to deliver growth through precision, adaptability and me...
The Reskilling Imperative
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an era defined by exponential advances in generative AI and automation, Finance functions face both, unprecedented opportunities and existential ch...
India's Position in an Uncertain World with Suhasini Haider
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.’ In an era increasingly dominat...
US Trade Tariffs by Adit Jain
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The emergence of US tariffs as a policy tool, is a decisive shift in global trade and indeed the liberal world order, which facilitated the emergence ...
Consumption and Travel by Adit Jain
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the discussions that your columnist has had, over the course of the past couple of months, with IMA Forum Members, it was evident that urban consum...
Ctrl+Alt+Rename - When Brands Hit Reset by IMA Research
09 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zomato’s recent announcement that it will be rebranding its parent company as ‘Eternal’ raises an important question: Why do companies change th...
Adaptability by Adit Jain
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Traditional strategic plans are based on long-term goals and market forecasts. However, in a world of disruption, companies must adopt more agile appr...
The Inflation Bug by Adit Jain
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We expect the US dollar to gain in value against a basket of global currencies, as higher inflation in America will force policy makers, in its centra...
Highway to Prosperity: Unleashing India's Road Network by IMA Research
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
India’s road sector is on a transformative path. Propelled by the Bharatmala Pariyojana – an ambitious plan to construct 34,800 km of new highways...
Union Budget 2025-26 with AK Bhattacharya
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 2025-26 Union Budget came at a time of moderating domestic growth and heightened global uncertainty. At a recent joint session of the India CEO, C...
Moving to Cleaner Fuels by IMA Research
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As climate changes intensify, consumers across segments are demanding sustainable alternatives – and the automotive industry is no exception. Clean(...
Indian Weddings and the Evolving Consumer by IMA Research
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We often think of Indian weddings as the most traditional of social events, steeped in age-old rituals and elaborate ceremonies. However, a closer loo...
Art and Science of Policy Engagement with Rameesh Kailasam
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Public policy is crucial in shaping business outcomes, especially in dynamic markets like India. For businesses, anticipating and adapting to policy c...
The DPDP Act with Arun Prabhu
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
India’s landmark Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act is a big step towards establishing a culture of data privacy. Sixteen months after the ...
Q4 FY25 CHRO Dialogue Mumbai
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
IMA recently held its Q4 FY25 CHRO Dialogue in Mumbai, with sessions on M&A and ESG. Leading the first session, we had Tarun Varma, Global Chief H...
AI in FInance with Dr Phaphul Chandra
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the Finance function by enhancing efficiency and improving decision-making capabilities, with Generative ...
Reforming India's 3E with Manish Sabharwal
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
India’s journey toward mass prosperity hinges on addressing the critical challenges of employment, employability and education. These three pillars ...
Decoding the Rupee Depreciation with Manoj Goel
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's election and the announcements made since are sending shockwaves around the world. The leadership transition in Washington DC will...
Deepseek by Adit Jain
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
DeepSeek is claimed to have been trained at a cost of approximately $6 million, significantly less than the $100 million for models like OpenAI's...
How India Spends by IMA Research
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a consumption-driven economy, India’s overall GDP growth is tied strongly to how its households spend. While the national accounts data provide a...
Global Trade and the Second Trump Presidency with Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, global trade has faced major geopolitical headwinds, including trade wars and economic decoupling, particularly between the US and Ch...
Transfer Pricing with Vijay Iyer
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Transfer pricing (TP) has become a critical area of focus for companies and regulators, evolving significantly since its formal introduction in 2001. ...
Circular Economy with Dr Sujiv Nair
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the world’s finite natural resources depleting rapidly, the circular economy offers a more sustainable model by prioritising resource efficienc...
Preparing for Gen Alpha by IMA Research
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Starting this year, organisations across the world will experience another generational shift as Gen Alpha – today’s teenagers, born between 2010 ...
The 2024 US Elections: Geopolitical Shifts, and Implications for India
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, Donald Trump secured a decisive victory in the US presidential elections, marking the start of a transformative new era in American and gl...
Argentina's Turnaround by Adit Jain
15 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Javier Milei assumed office, as President of Argentina, where the effects of fiscal irresponsibility, by populist Peronist governments, had reduced wh...
Neuroscience and Business with Arvind Sahay
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since the 1990s, neuroscience-related research has expanded significantly, uncovering the complex links between brain activity and decision-making. ...
Transfer Pricing with Fatema Hunaid
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Transfer pricing (TP) remains a critical area for CFOs to track and monitor, particularly owing to the ever-evolving nature of TP regulations and deep...
The Indian Banking Sector with Jaimin Bhatt
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
India’s banking sector is quite literally the life-blood of its economy. It powers both industry and consumption and channels savings to more produc...
Q3FY25 CHRO Dialogue Bangalore
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our recent, Q3 FY25 CHRO dialogue sessions in Bangalore focused on two criticallly important subjects: sustainability, and leadership imperatives in a...
Green Hydrogen by IMA Research
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
India is on the cusp of an energy revolution, taking bold strides toward achieving energy independence by 2047 and net-zero emissions by 2070. We are ...
China: Shifting Dynamics, Opportunities for Business with Michael J Enright
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As China grapples with the lingering aftermath of Covid-19, its economy is visibly slowing. A once-rapid growth path, driven by infrastructural spendi...
Food Processing PLI Scheme by IMA Research
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, launched in 2021-22 as part of the Make in India initiative, aims to strengthen India's manufacturi...
Cybersecurity with Amit Dubey
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cybersecurity risks continue to rise, with a reported 20% of Indian users falling victim to cyber threats in the first quarter of 2024 alone and sever...
Update: Trump by Adit Jain
09 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump’s mandate, coupled with the fact that the Republicans are expected to control both the Senate and House, will give him ample sway over ...
The Global and Indian Economy with Adit Jain
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s world economy is marked by volatile financial markets, high interest rates and geopolitical tensions. Both the global and the Indian economy...
Update - US Interest Rates by Adit Jain
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The impact of US monetary policy spreads across the entire global economic architecture. Fund flows to emerging markets are directly proportional to i...
Sri Lanka's Elections by Adit Jain
12 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sri Lankans, exasperated with corruption and crony capitalism amongst the ruling and business elite, voted for fundamental change. This constituted th...
Vision 2030: Infrastructure as a Growth Catalyst by IMA Research
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
IMA recently published its ‘Vision 2030: India’s Growth Frontiers’ report, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving the coun...
The Global Economy with Adit Jain
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The world economy is today delicately poised. America has avoided the recession that analysts have been projecting for over a year, but recent data in...
Vision 2030: Households, Embracing Financial Markets by IMA Research
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
IMA recently published its ‘Vision 2030: India’s Growth Frontiers’ report, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving the co...
Decaying Destinations with Adit Jain
29 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It would be fair to say that India has been blessed with some of the world's most scenic places. Himalayan towns with magnificent views of the Gr...
Q2 FY25 CHRO Dialogues Delhi & Bangalore Open House
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At our recent Q2 FY25 CHRO Dialogues in Delhi and Bangalore, our second session was an open house, moderated by IMA’s Chairman and Editorial Directo...
Indian Agriculture with Harish Damodaran
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
India's agriculture sector is crucial for the country’s food security. It also supports the livelihoods of over 40% of the population and stron...
Vision 2030: Consumer Markets Powering Growth by IMA Research
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
IMA recently published its ‘Vision 2030: India’s Growth Frontiers’ report, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving the coun...
Update - Markets and Interest Rates by Adit Jain
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
US Treasury markets are suggestive of a cooling economy. Investors expect many rate cuts, as yields on bonds have refused to rise. Lower yields on lon...
Policy Burdens by Adit Jain
15 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, the government passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP). Its primary purpose is to regulate the collection and processing of d...
Vision 2030: An Economy in Transition by IMA Research
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
IMA recently published its ‘Vision 2030: India’s Growth Frontiers’ report, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving the coun...
Taxation and Investment Laws with Mukesh Bhutani
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The new government's maiden Budget introduces significant changes impacting businesses, including revisions to the capital-gains regime, dispute ...
Motivation Speakers by Adit Jain
07 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During a briefing at IMA’s CEO Forum, Jonty Rhodes, a prominent cricketer, explained that as a member of the South African squad, he observed his ...
Bangladesh's New Regime with Pramit Pal Chaudhuri
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sheikh Hasina's sudden downfall has upended Bangladesh’s politics. It may also disrupt a strong India-Bangladesh relationship that helped stabi...
Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage with Venkatesh Kini
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In an era where sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity, integrating sustainable practices into business operations is essential for long...
Private Investment by Adit Jain
01 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The failure of private investment to perk up, has been a source of worry. Private investment scores have essentially declined since 2012. Despite the ...
Q2 FY25 CHRO Dialogues Pune
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At our inaugural India CHRO Forum Dialogue in Pune, our first session was led by Gauri Kirloskar, Managing Director at Kirloskar Oil Engines, who offe...
Future Policy Directions with Rajat Sethi
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This year, dozens of major countries will hold (or already have held) elections. There are also important developments underway in the economic realm,...
Yen Carry Trade by Adit Jain
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Markets across the world came under a bout of bear hammering on the 5th August. US unemployment which had fallen to a new set of lows, began edging up...
Update - Bangladesh by Adit Jain
17 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The recent developments in Bangladesh, leading to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, were in many ways not dissimilar to what happened ...
The Indian Banking Sector with Jaimin Bhatt
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
India’s banking sector is quite literally the life-blood of the economy. It powers both industry and consumption and channels savings to more produc...
Update - Unemployment by Adit Jain
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The real challenge in employment generation stems from the fact that the manufacturing industry is not investing nearly enough towards the creation of...
Business Ethics as a Driver of Organisational Success with Sabina Sudan
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The pressure of delivering strong results quarter after quarter can tempt even the best companies to be myopic about ethics and fair business practice...
Decoding the Rupee Depreciation with Manoj Goel
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The rupee recently hit a new low against the US dollar on the back of rising safe-haven demand for the Greenback and a reversal of the US interest rat...