shutterstock_634271282 Courtesy: Shutterstock
8 October 2020

A compelling case for Digital Service Tax

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The current notions of physical ‘permanent establishment’ or tangible locational nexus are not well-suited for the taxation of modern digital economy, especially for taxation of business income, rents or revenue creating activities. In a Covid-19 wrecked global economy, where government revenues are under severe stress, there is a compelling case for a market country or the value-creating jurisdiction to tax the income or rents attributable to the concerned market or location.

India&MyanmarFinal Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs
7 October 2020

Consolidating the Myanmar partnership

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The visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and COAS Gen. MM Naravane to Myanmar on October 4-5 will advance this vital relationship at a critical time. As the region’s geopolitics change, India’s Neighbourhood First and Act East policy and Myanmar’s deep-seated instinct for a balanced and independent foreign policy, must ensure that the two countries journey together as companion souls.

GS_1 Courtesy: Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet
5 October 2020

Yoshihide Suga: blessed by Ganesha

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Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga belongs to the Ganesha Group – an amorphous but important group of short time Members of Parliament without political hereditary. Ganesha or Kangiten in Japanese is the symbol of good fortune in business and also a solver of problems. This is certainly an appropriate mascot for the Suga administration, which will need to resolve pending global issues and develop good business partnerships in the coming years.

INS_Viraat_front_view Courtesy: Wikipedia
1 October 2020

INS Viraat sails away

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Five days before World Maritime Day last week, the former Flag Ship of India’s Western Fleet headquartered in Mumbai – the Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat or R 22 – was towed away to the ship-breaking yard in Alang, Gujarat. This brought down the curtains on Viraat’s glorious career of 58 years at sea. The Indian Navy is awaiting the commissioning of a new aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’, named after the Indian Navy’s first carrier. Just as it will one day induct another new carrier and name it after the Viraat.

shutterstock_1799297029 Courtesy: Shutterstock
21 September 2020

China wins this TikTok round

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With Oracle, Walmart and U.S. venture capitalists now holding the majority of TikTok Global’s shareholding, China’s closed digital world gets a breather, and the possibility of a truly open global Internet, gets a blow. China has won this round.

800px-Emergency_hospital_during_Influenza_epidemic,_Camp_Funston,_Kansas_-_NCP_1603 Courtesy: Wikipedia
17 September 2020

The 1918 ‘flu: India’s worst pandemic

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The 20th century’s worst pandemic – Spanish Flu – erupted in March 1918 in Camp Funston (Kansas, U.S.) during the Great War. Much like Covid-19 it spread globally at an astonishing pace. Its Second Autumnal Wave took about 30 million lives in four months, half of those in India. It’s sheer virulence and high mortality makes this virus the correct analogy for Covid-19

shutterstock_193919333 Courtesy: Shuterstock
4 September 2020

India on the global digital stage

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The depth and complexity of India’s digital citizenry and ecosystem puts it in a unique position to impact global rules on digital governance. An opportunity to assert its influence is coming up with India’s presidency of the G20 in 2022. Work on this agenda must begin now.

14918662320_2bf5df9b9f_c Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
31 August 2020

What Abe’s resignation means for India

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Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, India and Japan shared a live and confident partnership. The engagement with India is one of his legacies, with Japan a steadfast partner and the strategic dimension being qualitatively different. Dealing with a new Japanese leader will be a challenge for India, and that new equation will determine the pace at which Japan's partnership with India will deepen.

Joe Biden_final Courtesy: Tim Willasey-Wilsey
31 August 2020

Biden’s ancestral Chennai connect

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U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden has an ancestral connect with India, as does his vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris, both tracing it back to Chennai, then Madras. During the 19th century, brothers Christopher and William Biden worked for the East India company, taking the rather arduous ship route between London and India. While William died at an early age, Christopher went on to Captain several ships during his service and eventually settled down to a prosperous life in Madras.