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PEDOPHILIA SCANDALPROF. WILLIAM W. GEORGE HARVARD BUSINESS
SCHOOL
PAULSONS GIFTPROF. LUIGI ZINGALES BOOTH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
I NDIA S MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS & ECONOMY MAGAZINE
BUSINESS ECONOMYIndias No. 1 Business & Economy MagazineA
PLANMAN MEDIA - IIPM THINK TANK PUBLICATION
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S SEPTEMBER 2012
10 WAYS TO SAVE THE INDIAN ECONOMY
EDITORIAL
S U TA N U G U R U : F R O M T H E M A N A G I N G E D I T O R '
S D E S K
HOW DR. MANMOHAN SINGH BEATS V.P. SINGH HANDS DOWN...t was
really a no contest till recently. The late V.P. Singh was the
undisputed winner of this trophy. He also remains the classic
example of a middle class hero who became a middle class villain.
Till he became the Prime Minister, V.P. Singh was the
anti-corruption crusader and messiah who rode on the infamy of the
Bofors scam. Of course, Indians soon realised that pious crusaders
do not always become good leaders. Mercifully, his tenure did not
last long enough for V.P. Singh to inflict irreparable damage to
India. I used the words till recently because there was some
lingering, forlorn hope that the current Prime Minister would at
least do something that would enable V.P. Singh to retain the
crown. But then, forlorn hopes always remain hopeless. I realised
this when I read newspaper stories about how a Supreme Court Bench
has yet again criticised the PMO. This time, the rap on the
knuckles is because the Prime Minister has failed to convene a
meeting of the Cauvery River Authority despite reminders. Allow me
to use the words of the Bench: What do you mean by this? It is
shocking that you require the consent of all the states even for a
date of a meeting? Is the PM to see his convenience or the
convenience of the members? It is surprising that the PMO is asking
the convenience of everybody before fixing the meeting. Just
imagine. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cauvery River
Authority set up to tackle the often ugly dispute between Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery waters. What
conclusion can you draw from the fact that he is not able to set up
a meeting with some chief ministers? Either he is truly helpless
and powerless, or he is indifferent and callous. Either ways, it
bodes ill for India. This incident and the rap on the knuckles by
the Supreme Court is not front page news. Nor will it lead our
television anchors to froth at the mouth. Yet, in a small but very
significant way, it reflects the disappointment and disaster that
Dr. Manmohan Singh has been. In 2009, he was a true blue middle
class hero because the Congress won virtually all urban seats in
the Lok Sabha elections, including seven out of seven in Delhi.
Today, that halo has been torn to shreds. Of course, the middle
class Indian is very fickle and unreliable. And later historians
might have more charitable things to say about the tenure of
Manmohan Singh. The
I
more charitable may say that Indians expected too much from him
and hence the disappointment and anger. But for me, there are some
crucial reasons why Dr. Manmohan Singh has become the worst Prime
Minister India has ever had. The most important reason is that he
has presided over an insidious process that has transformed India
into a total banana republic. Nothing has been left untouched in
this era of loot and plunder; nothing is sacrosanct. Just a few
examples will suffice, though the tales of crony capitalism written
in his tenure would fill up entire books. BSNL and Air India have
been systematically run to the ground and destroyed through
incomprehensible policies and decisions. I am not saying that the
Prime Minister personally took the conspiracy call to do this. That
is childish. But the fact is that private sector players have
immensely benefited from the troubles of these two public sector
giants. And I wont be surprised if as the cacophony over Air India
gathers momentum the two are eventually privatised at throwaway
prices, their assets and value eroded deliberately. It is in this
era of Dr. Manmohan Singh that India has thrown up more dollar
billionaires than even China. It is during his tenure that crony
capitalism has become de facto policy. Let me quote a few lines
from the book Breakout Nations written by Ruchir Sharma to
illustrate what has happened under Dr Singh: Crony capitalism is a
cancer that undermines competition and
4
Business & Economy
slows economic growth. That is why the United States confronted
the problem and moved to take down the robber barons... The Dow
index of the top thirty US industrial companies is in constant flux
and, on average, replaces half its members every fifteen years.
Indias market used to generate heavy turnover too, but in late
2011, twenty seven 90 percent of the top thirty companies tracked
by the benchmark Sensex index were holdovers 2006. Back in 2006,
the comparable figure was just 68 percent... Nine out of the top
ten Indian billionaires on the Forbes 2010 are holdovers from the
2006 list, while the 2006 list had only five holdovers. As of
today, many of Indias super rich still inspire national pride, not
resentment, and they can travel the country with no fear for their
safety; but this genial state of affairs can change quickly. In
effect, India has become a true banana republic where the ruling
religion is crony capitalism and the ruling chant is scam. This is
astonishing because the UPA regime never fails to remind all of us
that its heart beats genuinely and passionately for the aam aadmi.
Just one more example to conclude this observation. You might
recall how the then Governor of Andhra Pradesh and veteran Congress
leader N.D. Tiwari was seen frolicking with nubile nymphets. Do you
know how this scandalous footage found its way into the media? The
brothel owner who allegedly supplied the girls to Tiwari wanted
revenge. Why? Because N.D. Tiwari had not kept his promise of
getting a few mining licenses for her! Mera Bharat Mahan! The
second reason why Dr. Singh has been such a monumental failure is
his inability or unwillingness or both to move even an inch ahead
on administrative reforms. Back in 2004 when he was appointed Prime
Minister, Dr. Singh had singled out administrative reforms as his
most important priority. And why not? Governance in India is in an
appalling state because the entire administrative framework
In 2009, Indias Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was a true
blue middle class hero. Today, that halo has been torn to
shreds
(L) Dr. Manmohan Singh: The 13th (and current) Prime Minister of
India; (R) (Late) Vishwanath Pratap Singh: Seventh (former) Prime
Minister of India
has virtually collapsed. There is simply no accountability and
both the tehsildar and the secretary level IAS officer treat the
citizens as subjects to be lorded over. Our sister publication The
Sunday Indian has done a story on how the IAS lobby has stolen the
country. One would have thought that Dr. Singh would be well
acquainted with the perils of Indian bureaucracy since he was
himself a bureaucrat for most of his adult and working life. But in
the last eight years, he has not lifted a finger to make even
small, cosmetic changes to Indias rotting steel frame. The
consequence has been brutal and devastating: the quality of
governance is at an all time low and Indias record in delivering
health, education and sanitation is actually worse than ever
before. He has been unable or unwilling to even prevent bureaucrats
holding sensitive posts to retire and take plum private sector
assignments in a brazen defiance of norms and law. The third and
most devastating failure in fact, the key reason behind all other
failures has been his inability or unwillingness or both, to
display some spine. So pathetic has been his track record in this
regard that his personal reputation as a man of integrity has
become a joke. The charitable would say that our current regime of
coalition politics does not allow a Prime Minister all the power
that he should have because allies dictate terms. True. In the NDA
regime, Suresh Prabhu was widely acknowledged as a brilliant Power
Minister. Yet, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was helpless
when Shiv Sena decided that Suresh Prabhu must be sacked. Despite
such compulsions, Vajpayee had a clear run this far and no further
approach. And even troublesome allies knew that and respected his
authority. Can anyone say that about Dr. Singh? The other
charitable thing we say about him is that real power resides with
Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Singh is actually doing the best he can of a
difficult job. That is bunkum. Sonia Gandhi is a very intelligent
and astute politician. There is no way she would have asked for the
head of Dr. Singh if he had put his foot down on at least some
crucial issues. It is not Sonia Gandhi who has made Dr. Singh a
puppet; it is Dr. Singh who has become a puppet and eventually and
inevitably the lamest of lame ducks. Lets all anxiously wait for
2014 for this agony to be over. It is Indias misfortune that 2014
still looks very, very far away.
(SMS your views with your name and topic to 0-9818101234)
September 2012
5
CONTENTS
September 2012
4
INDIAS MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS AND ECONOMY MAGAZINE
Volume 7 Issue XII, SEPTEMBER 2012
EDITORIAL & RESEARCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Arindam Chaudhuri
GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: A. Sandeep MANAGING EDITOR: Sutanu Guru
JOINT EDITORS: Virat Bahri, Steven Philip Warner CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER: Deepak Kaistha EDITOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS: Prasoon Majumdar
FEATURES EDITOR: Prashanto Banerji ASSOCIATE EDITOR (Copy): Sanjay
Kumar SENIOR EDITORS: Deepak Ranjan Patra, Manish K. Pandey
ASSISTANT EDITORS: Indira Parthasarathy BUREAU CHIEF (Mumbai): Mona
Mehta SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS: Amir Moin, Parimal Peeyush PRINCIPAL
CORRESPONDENTS: Spriha Srivastava, Sray Agarwal, Akram Hoque, Onkar
Pandey, Deepti Singh EDITORIAL COORDINATOR: Angshuman Paul CHIEF
CONSULTING EDITOR: Malay Chaudhuri CORRESPONDENTS: Niharika Patra,
Anirudh Raheja, Ravi Inder Singh, Haroon Reshi (Srinagar), Sayan
Ghosh, RESEARCH TEAM: Deepanshu Taumar, Ashish Kumar, Latika Sharma
DESIGN GROUP DESIGN DIRECTOR: Satyajit Datta SR. ART DIRECTOR:
Siddharth Kapil DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR: Priyankar Bhargava SENIOR
DESIGNER: Hitesh Mehta SENIOR INFOGRAPHIST: Kuldeep Singh SENIOR
ILLUSTRATOR: Shantanu Mitra ILLUSTRATOR: S. K. Panduranga IMAGE
EDITOR: Vinay Kamboj PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP PHOTO EDITOR: Ranjan Basu
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER: Sujan Singh PHOTOGRAPHER: Sanjay Solanki,
Mukunda De, Vikram Kumar, Rangnath Tiwari, Subhash Chopra, Naveen
Sharma CHIEF PHOTO COORDINATOR: Varun Pal Singh SENIOR PHOTO
RESEARCHER: Sanjay Kumar, Ashutosh Vig PRODUCTION PRODUCTION
MANAGER: Gurudas Mallik Thakur PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR: Digember
Singh, Satbir Chauhan, Soumyajeet Gupta, Dipak Basak, Mukesh Jha,
N. Ekantha Lingam, Deep Narain MARKETING Pushkar Nanda, Rajat
Sogani, Ravi Babu, Sumit Raina, Guljar Singh, Rishi Kapoor, Sunil
Kumar, Bhaskar Mojumdar CIRCULATION REGIONAL HEADS: Swaroop Saha,
Bhupinder Bisht, Kunj Bihari Joshi, Venkat Narasimman, Joydeep
Ganguly, Gopal Singh SALES MANAGER: Manoj, Rizvi, Parameshwara,
Shihabuddin B&E ONLINE CHIEF WEB DESIGNER: Neel Verma WEB
DEVELOPER: Raj SaikiaPrinted and Published by Ashok Bose on behalf
of Planman Media Pvt. Ltd. Published from: 9, First Floor, SCO-34,
Sector-11, Panchkula-134 112 (Haryana) Printed at: M. P. Printers,
B-220, Phase-II, NOIDA-201 305, Joint Editors: Virat Bahri, Steven
Philip Warner For advertisement, feedback and other queries write
to [email protected] For subscription contact at:
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[email protected] Editorial Ofce: Planman Media Pvt.
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SUPPLEMENTS content copyright ARE BEING 2007 by Planman Media Pvt.
Ltd.. All rights reserved DISTRIBUTED FREE throughout the world.
Reproduction or translation in any OF COST WITH language in whole
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SELECTED All disputes are subject to exclusive jurisdiction of
competent CITIES courts and forums in Delhi or New Delhi.
FROM THE MANAGING EDITORs DESK HOW DR. MANMOHAN SINGH BEATS VP
SINGH HANDS DOWN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR B&E THIS MONTH B&E
INDICATORS B&E INFOGRAPHICS SCRUTINY STRATAGEM Signs of a long
impending transition FINANCE RIP: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, 2012
B-SCHOOL COLUMN Prof. William W. George, Harvard Business School
B-SCHOOL COLUMN Prof. Luigi Zingales, Booth School of Business
B&E FEATURE ICICI Bank: When silence says it all NATIONAL FOCUS
Why fuel guzzlers are turning friends CORPORATE FOCUS Can Samsung
keep its edge in smartphones? HIPSHOT Manoj Bhargava, Richest
Indian Billionaire in US REVISITING HISTORY India after Bihar
famine POLICY SPECIAL STORY UPA government: Caught in CAGmire
PROJECT SYNDICATE Ma Jian, Author, Beijing Coma
COVER STORY
BUSINESS ECONOMY
8 14 20 22 24 30
10 WAYS TO SAVE THE INDIAN ECONOMY
56
33
50B&E CORPORATION Why everybody at SpiceJet loves Neil
Raymond?
48
72
68SPECIAL FEATURE TRAI: A woeful downslide?
74
78
82
92POLICY LEAD A weak power sector: Whats the cure?
86
88
96
92POLICY VIEWPOINT Will price control make medicines
accessible?Cover Design: Satyajit Datta
114
6
Business & Economy
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
New genre magazineALSO FEATURINGMEASUREING CHANCE OF F. FAMA,
FACULTYPROF. EUGEN GO RSITY OF CHICA FINANCE, UNIVE BUSINESS BOOTH
SCHOOL OF TE, PROGRAM PROF. DAVE DUAR EGY, L BUSINESS STRAT
DIRECTOR - SOCIA TOWN GSB UNIVERSITY OF CAPE
E? CAN FACEBOOK RIS
AZINE OMY MAG S & ECON BUSINES UENTIAL OST INFL INDIA S
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BUSINESS Y ECONOMIIPM - IIPM THINK PL ANM MEDIA PL ANM ME A
PLANMAN MEDIA PUB PUBL ICAT ION TANK PUBLICATIONAUGUST 2012
on ly only5 50
Indias No. 1 y Business & Econom Magazine
STUDY NK TANK-B&E JOINT A CORNELL-IIPM THI
ARTHUR C. WHEATON , RelationsFaculty of Industrial School
Cornell University ILR
CHINA UNPLUGGED
NOMY HEADED? ndings WHgERE IS THE DRAGON ECO ndings from ICMR d
primary research Alon with on-groun
ARINDAM CHAUDHURIHony. Director, IIPM Think Tank
Every issue of Business & Economy magazine is a great
compilation of thoughtful and analytical stories. Pick up any of
the issues in the recent past, and one can clearly nd out that the
magazine is informative and helps the readers in forming a rened
perspective about various sectors. Fortunately, I got a chance to
go through the latest issue on China Unplugged as well. In terms of
quality, a gamut of issues were covered with an interesting
presentation style. The magazine seems to be strongly focussed on
quick supply of knowledge and an ease in understanding complex
business situations. I have gone through various issues in the past
and would say that its a new genre magazine growing by the hour. It
nicely encapsulates current issues and brings out the true essence
of the story. I wish that your journey touches new heights with
every issue. Best of luck!
Vijay Jindal Chairman & MD, SVP Group
Knowledge pool Once you start ipping through the magazine, one
may nd that its a pool of knowledge. My favourite is the policy
section where its a trend to critically analyse the situation
spanning across different sectors in India. Stories on slum
development, MGNREGS, illegal mining and Draft Water Policy 2012
are just a few that I would like to name from the lot that make you
think out of the box. I also like the Scrutiny section as it also
follows a somewhat
similar trend. The magazine is captivating with some books
reviews and columns from international leaders making it an even
more interesting read. The sector story on ports also deserves a
mention in this letter for the insider on the situation of Indian
ports. I habitually go through many magazines, but Business &
Economy is a class apart. Well done team.Sanjay Ghoshal Director,
Avenir Business Solutions
On a constant rise There has been a constant rise in the efforts
of the journalists at Planman Media. The quality of analysis and
information about contemporary issues
makes B&E stand apart from the crowd. I am always left
amazed by the variety of topics that you choose to discuss and the
intensity with which they are highlighted . While supplements like
BFM have some great cover stories too, GID has also been doing a
commendable job in turning up with some outstanding work, deserving
a genuine applause. Keep it up. Ankur Gupta,Joint Managing
Director, Ashiana Housing Ltd.
Please send your feedback to: [email protected] or SMS it
to +91-9818101234 For advertising related queries, Contact:
[email protected]
8
Business & Economy
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Its a powerful magazine Business & Economy is a perfect
magazine in terms of world class stories. Be it international or
national issues, both are covered with felicity. While the
Stratagem section has a crystal clear view of what the companies
are actually facing and their plans for the future with detailed
analyses, B&E this month provides information in a nutshell.
The range of articles is such that it gives both micro and
macroeconomic outlooks to the reader and this spans the entire
package for each and every story. In fact, the cover stories are
gradually becoming phenomenal and denitely adding value to regular
readers. The stories like the one on recent union problems at the
Maruti plant, the sector story on ports and also the policy story
on illegal mining clearly depict that its a powerful magazine, and
in a way, an opinion builder as well. But you have been clearly
missing out on movements in the retail, media and education sectors
and I would like to see a quick response to my point. Overall, the
magazine is a treat to read.Love Khosla Managing Director, Elvy
Lifestyle
issue, the magazine becomes more interactive and its analytical
style of supporting gures and charts turns it more reader friendly.
Its the right mix of regulatory analysis and knowledge updation.
The corporation and sector stories are a continuous source of
gathering information. The edit team ensures that its efforts for
the stories make them interesting for the readers. The Scrutiny
section always offers new perspectives for both national and
international issues. Also, the editorials are always enlightening
and present a different POV. I always prefer to have the magazine
in a hardcopy, but since I am a frequent traveller, it would be
nice if the website of B&E is updated on a regular basis. Advit
SahdevCEO & Founder, ODigMa
Something special Right from the cover to the last page, there
is something special about B&E. Recent cover stories were
really full of intellect and I really loved going through them. The
content of the magazine provides a great deal of knowledge about
the latest trends and issues about the business arena. All the
stories are equally exciting and keep me glued to the magazine.
Various interviews that are published are also a great treat to
read. I wish you all the luck in your future endeavours. Vivek
Khosla Gurgaon +9198999626XX Holistic coverage Your magazine
Business & Economy has been able to deliver lively business
stories issue after issue and I have eventually become a fan of
this endeavour. I am reading this magazine for quite a long time
now and am impressed by the simplicity with which it conveys the
exciting happenings of business world. I especially liked the
Volkswagen story, on how it is targeting the Indian market for
expansion. The special coverage in the last issue on China was
truly holistic. Anuj Nayyar Navi Mumbai +9194053177XX Convincing
perspective Im an MBA student and for someone like me, the magazine
is a real source of knowledge. This magazine tells me how to put
theories into practice. I especially like the interviews of
industry experts and marketing gurus, which are really proving to
be a great learning for me. Being a prudent reader myself, I
appreciate the analysis done by you as none of the facts that you
write are baseless and thus the articles become convincing. Shikha
Joshi Ludhiana +91981593247XX
Reader friendly presentation Business & Economy is an
exceptional magazine. It is certainly an eye opener in terms of
analysing the strategies of the companies. It nicely manages to
discuss contemporary and critical issues alike. It enhances ones
ability do a comparative analysis of competition in a particular
sector. The magazine has been streamlined with relevant information
in each story. With each
Articulate & accurate The magazine offers true justice to
the sectors covered and also to the insiders stories since they are
really insightful. While the use of rich language sets it apart on
the stands, the covers, too, are eye catching among the clutter of
magazines available on stands. The magazine is articulate, accurate
and has spectacular interviews of the industry professionals with
analytical inputs of analysts from various agencies. The team
depicts a great spirit of journalism and does a laudable job by
presenting stories that not only enlighten the readers but also
encourage them to know more about what is happening around them. It
would be great if you give your viewpoint on analysing the slowdown
that the world is facing and how India will be impacted by the
same. Good job team & way to go! Sunil RainaChief Marketing
Officer LAVA International Ltd.
10 Business & Economy
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Lucid & yet effective I nd Business & Economy to be a
reliable and genuine source of information. Though one needs to
wait longer than it was earlier, but the way in which the design
and analysis of the business stories is donemakes it worthwhile. It
not only provides a bird-eye view on an array of latest business
and economic events but also broadens the horizon of knowledge and
learning. Its simple, lucid and yet effective writing style makes
it easy to understand. The precise and perspective-oriented content
helps one to imbibe complex topics effortlessly. Though I dont see
much of telecom and FMCG sectors in the magazine, I take this
opportunity to congratulate the entire B&E team for their
sincere efforts and wish them good luck.Nimish Kumar Senior
Business Manager MediaCom
set by itself in analysing various aspects of the business
environment. It is an engrossing magazine, with some ne sections
like Revisiting history and Scrutiny. Special mention for the
Revisiting history stories on Rajiv Gandhi and Saddam Hussein as
they were eye openers and had a very detailed analysis. The
magazine is impressive. Keep it up! Joy Deb AdhikariManging
Director DASYS Pvt. Ltd
Comprehensive The consistent efforts of Business & Economy
magazine in laying an emphasis on international issues, despite
being an India-centric magazine, deserve appreciation. The magazine
is comprehensive and rarely deviates from the high standards that
have been
Credible The rst impression that the magazine sends out with its
cover is just brilliant. The content is impeccable and the
standards have been on the rise for a very long time now. It is
always loaded with interesting stories like Naresh Goyals
turnaround plans for Jet Airways and Volkswagen leveraging Indias
plans to be a global leader. The effort of coordinating columns
from the professors of top B-schools around the world deserves
appreciation. Your cover stories like joint studies with
international professors, Indias most protable companies, and the
leadership issue with none other than Mr. Narayana Murthy were a
delight to read. The magazine holds great credibility with the
readers. Best of luck for the future. Ekta SaraswatSenior Analyst
Copal Patners
Analytical bend Once you start going through Business &
Economy magazine, you will become habitual to it in no time. The
initiative that Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri has taken in enlightening
the world is truly showing its mark with its analytical bend and
resourceful interpretation of contemporary business world
activities. I have been following the magazine for a long time now,
and could say that sectors like auto and IT are being covered
generously in the package every month. Though viewing the oil
sector and heavy industries from your viewpoint would be a boon for
avid readers like me; for now I would like to say, keep up the
spirit. Harman Chadha Noida +9192504576XX Marvellous covers Wow!
This was my rst reaction when I just nished the cover story China
Unplugged and it compelled me to scribble down this appreciation
then and there only. I went through the Tuck Business School joint
study as well and would say that both of them were a class apart in
their own terms. Every month B&E turns up with a marvellous
corporation story loaded with facts & gures. In all, this
monthly affair is worth a read. Ankita Mathur Panipat +9193556476XX
Well conceptualized I would like to say thanks to the edit team of
B&E magazine. The cover stories in every issue are just awesome
and sector stories on ports and auto are exemplary. The issue is
very well conceptualized every month with the supplements like GID
& BFM supporting it in every sense. A superb effort in terms of
quality and quantity. Ritesh Aggarwal Delhi +9195826042XX
For your weekly dose of intellectual stimulation on politics,
Business and life, read Planman Media BlogsArindam Chaudhuri Rajita
Chaudhuri
http://arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.comA. Sandeep
http://rajitachaudhuri.blogspot.comPrasoon Majumdar
http://a--sandeep.blogspot.comSutanu Guru
http://prasoonsmajumdar.blogspot.comPrashanto Banerji
http://Sutanu-guru.blogspot.com
http://prashantobanerji.blogspot.com
12 Business & Economy
THIS MONTH
Tim Cook CEO, Apple, can now focus further on innovation as he
can stay assured about innovations not being copied
A P P L E V S S A M S U N G : PAT E N T I N F R I N G E M E N
T
Apple draws blood, Samsung gets a lickingt was one of Steve Jobs
pet peeves. He often complained that Samsung had blatantly copied
Apples iPhone design in its Galaxy range, and Android too was a
rip-off of its iOS platform. Jobs outrage at rivals lack of respect
for Apples intellectual property often boiled over. I am ready to
wage a thermonuclear war against Google, he is believed to have
said. Eventually, the end to the vexatious problem of Apples patent
infringements by rivals seems to be in sight. On August 24 Apple
finally scored a major legal win over Samsung in a patents lawsuit
filed in a US court of law. A U.S. district court jury in San Jose,
which was presided over by a South Korean American judge Lucy Koh,
decided that Samsung was guilty of copying key features of the
Apples iPhone and iPad devices. The court awarded Apple $1.051
billion in damages (Apple had demanded $2.5 billion in damages).
Buoyed by the verdict, Apple is moving
I
rapidly to press for a ban on eight models of Samsung, which are
still in the market. The verdict has broader ramifications: it will
help strengthen Apples share of the exploding mobile computing
market. For many the Apple-Samsung lawsuit was widely seen as a
proxy fight between Apple and Googles Android platform, since
Samsung is the largest Android handset maker. Samsung is expected
to appeal the jurys verdict, but its not clear how strong a case
Samsung will be able to mount, given the overwhelming legal victory
for Apple. Apple saw its shares climb 2% to a record high of $675
in post-verdict early trade. Samsung shares tumbled 7.5% wiping off
$12 billion in value. Interestingly, Nokia saw a 10% jump in its
stocks, and others like RIM and Microsoft too gained. These players
own and run their own operating systems, which are different from
both the iOS and Android.
14 Business & Economy
News & Analysis
HP: TURNAROUND EFFORTS
RUSSIA: WTO ENTRY
Can cost cutting help HPs comeback?ollowing a third quarterly
loss of $8.9 billion for the 2012 fiscal, Hewlett-Packard, the Palo
Alto, California-based computer giant is desperately looking to
effect a turnaround. CEO Meg Whitman has set in motion the
restructuring process, which includes cutting 27,000 employees or
8% of its global workforce by 2014. The move comes in the wake of a
challenging business scenario which saw HP face up to a failed
tablet launch apart from chronic reverses suffered by its PC unit.
Whitman, who succeeded the ineffectual Leo Apotheker as president
and CEO last September, has vowed to turn HP around but has
consistently warned that the process could take years. The
downsizing at HP Meg Whitman is expected to generate anCEO, HP
nualized savings of $3-3.5 billion for the company. As for its
financial performance, the company has showed a profit of $1 per
share, slightly better than expected, while revenues were below the
forecast at $29.7 billion, a year-to-year drop of 5%. During the
quarter, the company has taken important steps to focus on
strategic priorities, manage costs, drive organizational change,
and improve the balance sheet.
Russian market opens up for business & tradeith Russia
joining the World Trade Organisation, many countries are looking to
tap this new opportunity to expand their business in the country.
Russia was the last major economy outside the trade group, and
joining the WTO is expected to be a boon for Russian consumers and
businesses. Exporting companies in Europe, Asia Dmitry Medvedev and
the United States have Prime Minister, Russia been eagerly awaiting
access to a population of 142 million people with growing incomes
and an expanding middle class. The World Bank estimates that the
WTO membership will add 3 percentage points to Russias GDP once new
tariffs are put in place. Across all sectors of the economy, Russia
will lower import tariffs to 7%, from about 15% currently, for the
155 countries in the WTO. However, American companies may even face
higher Russian tariffs because the USA does not have normal trade
relation status with Russia. That status is important since the WTO
requires that any country that seeks to benefit from it must apply
the same trade rules to all member countries. Major American
exporters to Russia are worried about the impact on their business
due to Congressional inaction on this issue.
F
W
HPs share priceAt an all time low over the past yearHP share In
$
Russias foreign tradeNatural resources help the country strike a
positive trade balance3 30 2 28 2 26 2 24 2 22 2 20 1 18 1 16 40 3
30 2 20 1 10 0 2006Source: Central bank of Russia Trade Balance
Exports Imports In $
60 50
Sep11 Nov11Source: NYSE
Jan12
Mar12
May12
Jul12
2012
September 2012 15
B&E THIS MONTH
National
C O A L B L O C K S : U N FA I R A L L O C AT I O N
Coalgate ruckus in Parliament
A
Manmohan Singh Prime Minister, India
day after the Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav met
leaders of CPI, CPM and TDP seeking an investigation in the coal
allocation issue under the supervision of an apex court judge, the
parties collectively protested in Parliament over the allocation of
coal blocks. Leaders of all these parties are outraged by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singhs comments over the issue and are seeking
action against the companies that were allegedly given favoured
deals in the allocation of captive coal blocks. Manmohan Singh had
earlier rejected the CAGs observations calling them misleading and
flawed. The coalgate issue came into light
when a recent CAG report stated that between 2005 and 2009,
nearly 150 coal fields were allocated to private and state-run
firms without any transparency and objectivity in their auction
bidding process. The BJP as the main opposition party has been
demanding the PMs resignation over the issue. While facing harsh
criticism from the opposition, Singh has urged the BJP to discuss
the issue in Parliament without disrupting its proceedings. The CAG
has pegged the loss over coal allocations to a whopping Rs.1.86
trillion, which the BJP says has been incurred due to the backhand
and arbitrary deals undertaken by the UPA government.
R B I : B A N K S R E C A P I TA L I S AT I O N
Roadmap to Basel-III normsuantifying the cost of implementing
the Basel-III norms for banks, the Reserve Bank of India has
estimated the recapitalization requirements of the banking system
at Rs.1,750 billion. The central bank, while releasing its annual
report for the fiscal year 2012, said that though implementation of
the Basel-III norms would be challenging, it is manageable. At
present, at the system level, banks in India are adequately
capitalised, and so the transition to Basel III is expected to be
smooth, though careful capital planning would be required by banks
in view of substantially higher equity requirement in capital.
Basel III is the new international regulatory framework designed to
correct the deficiencies in regulation that led to the global
financial crisis of 2008. It seeks higher capi-
Q
tal adequacy ratio to meet any financial exigency. According to
the RBI, public sector banks which control nearly 70% of the
banking operations in the country would collectively require equity
upto Rs.1,500 billion while the private sector banks would need
Rs.250 billion in common equity capital. In terms of non-equity
capital, Rs.2,650-2,750 billion will be required by the state-run
banks, while the private lenders need Rs.500-600 billion. The
aforesaid amount is based on assumptions like a 20% jump in every
banks risk weighted average every year and normal internal
accruals. Aimed at reducing the risks of financial destabilization,
RBI issued the guidelines for the implementa-
D. Subbarao Governer, RBI
tion of the Basel-III norms in May 2012. Starting March 2013,
banks will begin implementing the guidelines, which will be
completed by March 2018. The RBI has also asked banks to keep
capital 1% above what has been prescribed by the Basel committee.
As per the report, irrespective of their ownership patterns, RBI is
committed towards developing a level playing regime for all
banks.
16 Business & Economy
B&E THIS MONTH
National
RANBAXY: F DA D E C R E E
B H A R T I WA L M A R T : F D I V I O L A T I O N
Drugs off the shelf
Wholesaler in breach of FDI rules?merican retail giant Wal-Mart
and its Indian joint venture partner Bharti Enterprises have been
accused of alleged violation of multi-brand trade norms in a public
interest litigation filed before the Delhi High Court. Currently,
FDI is not allowed in multi-brand retail. The issue has been tak-
Raj Jain CEO, Bharti-Walmart en up by a bench of acting Chief
Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Anil Kumar who have issued notices
to the Centre and the firms on a PIL filed by scientist and
environmental activist Vandana Shiva. The court has posted the
matter for hearing on September 26. The PIL blames Bharti Walmart
for illegally carrying out multi-brand retail trade inspite of
being permitted only to carry out wholesale cash and carry trade in
the country. Cash and carry is a form of trade in which goods are
sold from a wholesale warehouse to retailers and customers settle
the invoice on the spot and carry the goods away themselves.
Currently, Bharti-Walmart runs 17 cash-andcarry stores in India,
where 100% FDI is permitted. Bharti Retail, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Bharti Enterprises, operates 187 neighbourhood stores
under the Easyday brand.
A
Arun Sawhney CEO, Ranbaxy
I
n an attempt to optimize its product portfolio, Ranbaxy
Laboratories has withdrawn 27 generic drugs from the U.S. market.
The company claims that these drugs were of negligible commercial
value and withdrawal of these drugs will help the company to focus
resources on other applications that are of greater importance and
value to the US business and healthcare system. However, as per the
information available on the website of the U.S. Government
Printing Office, these drugs have been withdrawn under a consent
decree of permanent injunction filed on January 26, 2012. It means
that Ranbaxy can never again submit another application to the FDA
for these withdrawn drug products and must never transfer these
ANDAs to a third party. The decree was filed by Ranbaxy as part of
its settlement with the American authorities regarding a ban on
certain manufacturing plants operated by the company in India.
DLF: FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING
Keen on selling non-core assetsn a bid to restore its capital
structure, DLF has decided to reduce its net debt by Rs.50 billion
by the end of FY13. The company currently has a debt of over Rs.250
billion, which is putting a huge interest burden on its balance
sheet. To reduce debt, DLF is shedding off its non-core business
and getting back on the path of financial consolidation. The
company recently sold an 18-acre prime land parcel in Mumbais Lower
Parel to Lodha Developers for Rs.27 billion. Another important
property, Aman Resorts, is awaiting an appropriate Kushal Pal Singh
buyer. The company had to adopt this massive change Chairman, DLF
in its overall strategy after the 2008 credit crisis. At that point
in time, DLF had big plans to become the countrys largest
hospitality chain in collaboration with the Hilton Group. The
companys debt then was under Rs.100 billion. While the company has
denied that it is selling its assets at a lower valuation in a
hurry to get its books in order, at least the current deal values
are indicating the same. The debate between whether to expand or to
hold the ground is an eternal one but in the case of DLF it seems
that the company has failed to act on its strategic priorities.
That is why when everyone had doubts about going for breakneck
expansion DLF chose the path of rapid growth through external
borrowings. And now when the time is not right for selling off
precious assets, it is trying to reverse its earlier strategy.
I
18 Business & Economy
INDICATORS
1.9%Bombay stock exchange: Risk averse investors have stayed
away from the market in tough times.
Is the total retail participation in the Indian stock market.
This is in total contrast with more than 30% participation
witnessed in the U.S, and about 12% in China.Institutional
investments300 200(Rs. billion)
Slow down in foreign funds On account of poor fundamentals, FIIs
sold shares worth 9.8 billion rupees, while DIIs sold shares worth
Rs.6.4 billion during the first quarter of the current fiscal.
However, situation improved a bit in Q2. Till July 23, 2012, FIIs
had reinvested Rs.78 billion in the stock market. Exchange value of
the Indian rupee also stablised against dollar. Nevertheless,
markets remain volatile due to the existing uncertainty about the
future course of economy. Is another rate cut round the corner?
Since Q1, FY13, RBI has eased its monetary policy. Simultaneous
open market operations by the governing body have improved the
liquidity scenario. As a result, the call money rates are on
decline. In addition, liquidity infusion to the banking system
through Liquidity Adjustment Facility has also gone down. Under the
present demand-supply situation, India Inc. may soon expect another
cut in interest rates. Market sentiments adding volatility to G-sec
yields Expectations of an interest rate cut and concerns of
weakening industrial and export growth brought G-sec yields down in
the first half of the first quarter. However, S&Ps revision of
Indias long term rating outlook to negative pushed yields upwards.
Declining crude prices, general risk aversion and purchase of
securities through OMO also affected yields in the second half of
the quarter. If the environment of uncertainty does not get cleared
soon, yields may go further up soon. Markets struggling with volume
Volumes in the foreign exchange as well as stock markets have been
on a continuous down slide since March 2012. A huge fall in the
exchange rate of domestic currency against all major global
currencies, especially dollar, and poor returns at the stock market
kept traders and investors in check. However, speculators did not
let the market to go dry as short selling, both in currencies and
stocks could be seen full swing.
FII Investment
Mutual Fund Investment t
Average BSE Sensex
17,933 16,949
100 0Apr-10 Apr-11 Apr-12 Jun-10 Jun-11 Aug-10 Aug-11 Jun-12CD
WAEIR
Oct-10
Dec-10
Feb-11
Oct-11
Movements in the money market rates13% 12% 11% 10% 9% 8% 7% 6%
Jan11 an11 11Repo rate MSF rate Call money rate CP WADR
M 11 May11
Dec-11
Feb-12
-100
Jun12 J 12
Movements in G-sec yields9.00 8.80Yield in %
30 Mar12
30 Apr12
29 Jun 12
27 jul12
CD WAEIR
8.60 8.40 8.20 8.00 7.80 0 2 4 6Term in years
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
Financial market Average daily volumeCOM. PAPER (RS. BN) MAR-12
APR-12 MAY-12 JUN-12 JUL-12(P) 911.9 1310.0 1498.0 1258.1 BOND
MARKET CORP G-SEC BOND (RS. (RS. BN) BN) 98.6 26.1 141.1 20.0 151.8
17.5 257.6 29.5 28.8 FOREX INTERBANK ($ MN) 20.6 23.1 20.9 8.4
STOCK MARKET (RS. BN) 151.9 120.1 117.3 117.1 112.8
20 Business & Economy
Source: RBI
GSIC
B&E INDICATORS
Indias foreign exchange reservesForeign exchange reserves and
constituent components ($ million)Item As on August 17, 2012 Week*
March 2012* December 2011*
Quarterly movement of NYSENew York Stock Exchange8,200 8,000
7,800 7,600 7,400 7,200 7,000 6,800
Total reserves a. Foreign currency assets b. Gold c. SDRs** d.
Reserve position in the IMF
288,919.4 256,656.8 25,714.7 4,356.6 2,191.3
(250.5) (263.0 *) 8.3 4.2
(5,478.1)(3,411.9) (1,308.4) (112.7) (645.1)
(7,769.3) (6,276.50) (905.60) (72.40) (514.8)
7,292.23Jun 1, 2012
7966.24August 30, 2012
Source: RBI Weekly Statistical Supplement; * Displays only the
absolute variation over the period; **Special Drawing Rights
FII transactions in Indian marketsBuying and selling in Indian
equity and debt markets by FIIs ($ million)Reporting Date Total for
August Total for 2012 Grand Total till August 31, 2012 Equity Debt
Equity Debt Equity Debt Gross purchases 481.36 118.14 4,201.4
1,375.07 52,747.84 8,799.18 Gross sales 373.32 115.49 3,570.7
1,129.9 47,673.25 7,346.67 Net investment 108.04 2.65 630.7 245.17
5,074.59 1,452.51
Quarterly movement of NikkeiTokyo Stock Exchange9,400 9,200
9,000 8,800 8,600 8,400 8,200 8,000 7,800
8 440 25 8,440.25Jun 1, 2012
8983 78 8983.78August 30, 2012
Source: SEBI; All gures till July 31, 2012; No. of Registered
FIIs: 1,757; Sub-accounts: 6,343
Quarterly movement of goldDaily future prices (London, $ per
ounce)1,800 1,750 1,700 1,650
Quarterly movement of silverDaily future prices (London, $ per
ounce)40 38 36 34 32
Quarterly movement of DJIADow Jones Industrial Average13,400
13,200 13,000 12,800 12,600
1,660.00
30.66
1,600 1,550 1,500 1,450
30 28
1606.00Jun 1, 2012 August 30, 2012
26 24
28.38Jun 1, 2012 August 30, 2012
12,400 12,200 12,000 11,800
12,118.57 12 118 57Jun 1, 2012
13 000 71 13,000.71August 30, 2012
Quarterly movement of currenciesComparative rupee exchange
rate100
Quarterly movement of crude oilInternational Future NYMEX ($
)120
90
GBP 86.03 71.29 YEN EURO EURO USD USD
87.95
95.8110 100
Quarterly movement of BSE SensexBombay Stock Exchange18,500
18,000
80
17490.81
71.0490
70
69.1360
69.6580
17,500 Graphics: Kuldeep Singh 17,000 16,500
50
55.91
55.72
70
16,000
84.3140 60
15,500
15,965.16Jun 1, 2012 August 30, 2012
Jun 1, 2012
August 30, 2012
Jun 1, 2012
August 30, 2012
15,000
September 2012 21
B&E INFOGRAPHICS
GSIC
GLOBAL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN: US-EUROPE
Can US stay insulated?IT WAS AMERICA WHICH BROUGHT A GREAT
RECESSION BACK IN 2008. THIS TIME, IT IS EUROPEAN SLOWDOWN WHICH IS
HURTING AMERICA BADLY. HOWEVER HARD AMERICA TRIES TO DE-COUPLE ITS
ECONOMY FROM THE AILING EUROZONE, THE ILL EFFECTS OF THE SLOWDOWN
IN THE EUROPE WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO AMERICA VIA TRADE, BANKING AND
MULTINATIONAL OPERATIONS. HOWEVER, IT DEFINITELY HAS A FEW LESSONS
TO LEARN.BY ASHISH KUMAR
GDP growth rates: US & Eurozone (% change y-o-y )US economy
closely follows the trend with Eurozone GDP growth since late
20084.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 -1.0 -2.0 -3.0 -4.0 -5.0 2002 2003 2004
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 U.S. Euro Zone
Will European crisis hit US? Eurozone economy is on a down slide
since 2010. In Q1 FY13, real growth in the region fell by 0.1%
y-o-y. Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal were the worst affected
EU members. Rise in the benchmark interest rates in Europe further
fuelled the problems in Q2. Since then the US and Eurozone
economies have shown as high as 89% correlation. Thus it was
expected that the US economy is bound to bear the heat of economic
meltdown in Eurozone. However, so far in the US GDP has registered
approximately 1.7% yearly growth in Q2 as compared to the prior
estimates of 1.5%. The increase in GDP was driven mostly by
exports. But, fall in investments by businesses in the US is a
concern for the economy and this may slowdown the recovery
rate.
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development
US exports to Europe (% change y-o-y )Much above the lows of
2009 but winds have again turned southwards in 2012.40 30 20 10 00
-10 -20 -30 1998 998 2002 2006 2010
US exports take a hit in Europe Slowdown in consumer as well as
industrial demand in the Europe is hurting US exports to the
region. About 25% of the total US exports are to Europe. Hence, any
negative news on the economic front from Europe is certain to hit
US exports in a real bad manner. Between February and April this
year, US exports to Europe contracted 18.4%. As new orders from
Europe dried, manufacturing in the US fell drastically during the
above mentioned period. To deal with the situation US now needs to
try out everything to reduce their dependence on the Eurozone.
Meanwhile, exporters from US seem to be working on the same as
trade decit with non-European countries narrowed to $42.9 billion
in June from $48 billion a month earlier.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
22 Business & Economy
US economy
Eurozone investment in the US ($ bn, 12 month moving
totals)European assets in the US have been falling steadily between
2010 and 2012100 50 0 -50 0 -100 0 -150 -200 0 2002 2004 2006 2008
2010 2012
Pull out of euro investors Non-availability of credit from
domestic banks has forced many European companies to sell off their
assets in the US. As a result, the European investments in the US
are at their lowest since the beginning of nancial crisis in 2008.
Moreover, as European companies liquidate their assets in the US to
take care of their funding needs back home, US loses a major chunk
of foreign capital inow. This is not only affecting quick recovery
of the US economy, but also is dragging asset prices down for lack
of demand, that used get corporate support funded by overseas
investors. Hence, US federal is not left with many choices but to
introduce multiple rounds of quantitive easing to add some impetus
to the economic recovery. Overseas profits shrink In Q1, FY,13
prots of US corporations declined by $6.8 billion as compared to
the preceeding quarter. While prots from domestic businesses
increased by $41.7 billion, prots from overseas operations squeezed
by $48.1 billion. Without a doubt, it is euro-effect thats
trpubling USA Inc. This may prompt US based companies to try their
hand at cost cutting. Any such attempt may help companies to
increase their margins, but this may also result in companies
handing over more pink slips to their employees. That for sure will
not be a good situation for US, which is already facing a serious
challenge in terms of high unemployment. However, cost cutting has
become inevitable, thus the situation needs to be managed carefully
US Inc. saving for the rainy day Considering the present economic
conditions and the risk oozing from the European mrket, US Inc. has
become too very conservative at this moment. The non-nancial
corporation cash holdings in the US are on its all time high a
clear indication that businesses are not very keen on investing as
they remain uncertain about the future returns. Similarly, cash
holdings by US commercial banks have risen by $129.9 billion or
about 8% up since the beginning of 2012. Cash as a share of total
assets of these commercial banks has grown by 59 basis points to
13.4% during the period. Reason, fear of upcoming recession. As
analysts feel, such speculations may bring a recession, well before
its due time.
Source: U.S. Department of Treasury
US corporate prots (QoQ change, in $ billion)For the rst time in
the last 13 quarters, prots are in negative250 200 150 100 50 0 -50
2009Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis
2010
2011
2012
Non-nancial corp. cash holdingCompanies are prefering higher
cash position14% % 12% % 10% % 8% % 6% % 4% % 2% 0% 1998Source:
Federal reserve board
Commercial bank cash holdingBanks cash holding is on rise16% 14%
% 12% % 10% % 8% % 6% % 4% % 2% %
2012
0% 2007
2012
September 2012 23
Graphics: Kuldeep Singh
SCRUTINYFA C E B O O K : A R A D I C A L I N V E S T M E N T S T
R AT E G Y F O R M A R K
IIPM THINK TANK
Zuck, buy-back your shares!Facebook shares are trading at less
than 50% of their IPO value, and the street seems to have just
about given up on the IPO. While Zuckerberg made some money by
selling his stock initially, he can make a bigger killing by buying
back Facebooks shares from the market at the current dismally low
pricesMark Zukerberg, the Founder and CEO of Facebook, is facing
the ak from the street as his IPO has proved to be a damp squib and
there is a big question mark on Facebooks sustainability
F
IN THIS SECTIONZUCK, BUY-BACK YOUR SHARES!
24NO MORE THE GOOD GUY
25WHOLL PROTECT THEM?
26MIND YOUR LANGUAGE
27
acebook is still a success story, but the gross underperformance
of its shares post the much hyped IPO has certainly raised some
eyebrows. Investor concerns seem to override their enthusiasm for
the worlds most popular social network. Facebook, which was
initially valued at $100 billion commands a far humbler m-cap of
$41.03 billion as on August 27. The share stood at $19.15 on this
day compared to the launch price of $41. Investors are worried
about the sustainability of social networking companies. The
revenue tap is still not in the best of health with brands unsure
about how to leverage these sites. A recent research by O&M and
Ipsos covering 153 executives across A-PAC highlights that 66% of
executives polled considered social networking sites to be great
for buzz building (just 20% in India). However, only 2.6%
considered them great for brand building. Facebook, which reported
a loss of $743 million for Q2, 2012, has to really look for ways to
change perceptions on that front. Co-founder Dustin Moskovitz sold
450,000 Class A shares in three days.
Three top executives Director of Platform Partnerships Ethan
Beard, Director of Platform Marketing, Katie Mitic and Mobile
Platform Marketing Manager Jonathan Matus have announced their
resignations; indicating a major crisis of confidence across the
board. Although, Mark has made a lot of money with the IPO (he sold
30.2 million shares at $37.58 per share in May 2012), his wealth
has shrunk drastically. Considering he owns around 503.6 million
shares as per estimates (including stock options), his net worth as
on September 4, 2012 stands at just $9.64 billion. But he also has
a great chance to make more money by buying back shares at the
current prices, especially if he is certain of the company
returning to its promised aura. This will also enable him to retain
his vice-like grip over Facebook. To top it all, by betting on
Facebook again, he could lead from the front and demonstrate his
confidence in the company he founded. And if he really buys-back,
you know which magazine he reads...
Akram Hoque
24 Business & Economy
International
E . C O L I : H U M A N T H R E AT
No more the good guyE. coli is now declared a human hazard as
scientists are observing a discomting link to bowel & colon
cancer. The world must act.eware! E. coli is a dire human threat
now. Research done by medical scientists in Britain has revealed
that the primary cause of one of the most common cancers is the E.
coli virus. As a matter of fact, Escherichia coli (commonly known
as E. coli) happens to be the most studied organism in the world.
It is a very complex group of gut bacteria thats found in all
warm-blooded animals including humans. The general theory and
empirical evidence till date postulated that the bacterium was
mostly harmless. This bacterium has even been deemed in some past
studies as being essential for the survival of human beings and
cattle as it helps to digest food. But recently, medical tests have
revealed that E. coli might be the main cause of bowel/colorectal
cancer (a disease which claims 600,000 plus lives a year, as per
WHOs International Agency for Research on Cancer). Tests have
indicated that E. coli bacteria are more prevalent among bowel
cancer patients than E. Colis carcinootherwise. A germ genic
effects are being the root cause being studied by scientists of
cancer may seem uncommon. However, it is not totally out-of-place,
as it has been proved beyond doubt that there are living viruses
that cause cervical cancer and bacteria that lead to stomach
cancer. E. coli reportedly has genes that are poisonous and lead to
DNA damage that is common in cancer. However, it is not a sureshot
cause of food poisoning and can remain dormant in the bowels with
no ill effects. But the recurrence is high in patients. This is
reflected in a study published in Journal Science. A sample size of
21 taken
B
from bowel cancer patients revealed that two thirds of them were
carriers of this bug; whereas among healthy individuals, that rate
is just one-fifth. Experiments on these lines are carried out
extensively on mice. They also show that bowel cancers are much
more frequent when the bacteria with a particularly DNA damaging
pks gene is present in the body. It is also suspected by
researchers that E. coli is a carrier of colon cancer,
and its involvement is deeper than previously thought. Professor
Jonathan Rhodes of Liverpool University is studying this with keen
interest, and opines from his own analysis, The bottomline message
is that there seems to be a strong association between a type of E.
coli and the development of colon cancer. And given that this type
of E. coli is specifically able to damage DNA and inflict the sort
of damage you get in a cancer, it is very likely that it has a
causative role, at least in some patients.
The mystery, however, persists with respect to the exact causes
of an E. coli infection in human beings. Researchers at the
Liverpool University are in a joint mission with the University of
North Carolina to decipher this puzzle. However there doesnt seem
to be any clear cut trend line; not only on the causes of the
infection but also on why certain E. coli bacteria are carcinogenic
while the others arent. Presumably, even its harmless strain that
affects the gut can cause cancer if it is inflamed. Professor
Christian Jobin of the University of North Carolina intoned his
views Theyre not exactly your flagship disease-causing bacteria.
They wear a different mask. They wear the badguy mask now. This is
because people with swollen bowels are at much greater risk to
develop cancer as compared to people having healthy stomachs. It
was previously believed that molecules produced by immune cells in
the gut cause damage to the DNA, but now scientists are quite
convinced that the bacteria is the real cause. And since the ill
effects of this bacteria and are still under study, a vaccine
doesnt exist for it yet. However, according to Professor Rhodes,
the discovery is possible sooner than we think. It is next in line
to the HPV vaccines that have been recently developed to combat the
cervical cancer causing virus. Though it has not yet announced as
an epidemic. its high time the medical community responds to the
wake up call. Without the slightest iota of doubt, E. coli is a
human threat! There have already been some tragic casualties
exemplar being the deaths of 18 people in Walkerton. Another E.
coli strain has had negative effects on the health front for
thousands in Germany, and it has claimed 16 lives already.
Developed nations like US, UK, France and Germany have taken it up
on priority, but the rest are still on the sidelines. Before many
lives are lost, the UN should at least take the initiative to
declare it as a threat and incite a call to action. Sayan
GhoshSeptenber 2012 25
IIPM THINK TANK
Scrutiny
D I S C R I M I N AT I O N : R E L I G I O U S M I N O R I T I E
S
Wholl protect them?Minorities, irrespective of nation, region
and society, are discriminated against globally. And this attitude
is the ultimate enemy of peace
An angry group of protesters agitating over preserving their
rights and urging for help
M
inorities (be they ethnic, religious or racial) are defined by
anthropologists like Charles Wagley and Marvin Harris as having
five inherent characteristics. The most important is arguably the
powerlessness of these minority groups. In spite of demonstrations
by the minorities being so widely prevalent across the world, they
are known to be engineered by the system (or state) in most
countries to be discriminated economically, socially and
culturally. The pitiable situation of Hindus in Pakistan, who face
constant threats, forced conversions and marriages of women, has
been the subject of much controversy recently as some families
travelled to India to seek safety. Alarmingly, a report by the
Sustainable Development Policy Institute of Islamabad reveals, Four
primary themes that emerge most strongly as constituting the bulk
of the curricula and textbooks are that Pakistan is for Muslims
alone; Islamiat is to be
forcibly taught to all the students, whatever their faith,
including compulsory reading of Quran; the ideology of Pakistan
(sic) is to be internalised as faith, and hate be created against
Hindus and India; and students are to be urged to take the path of
Jehad and Shahadat. Though India has far better textbook
credentials, Muslims here have also been unable to benefit from
Indias economic success. They are largely associated with poverty,
unemployment and illiteracy. In the 2001 census, against the
backdrop of a national average literacy level of 65.1%, Muslims
were confined to 59.1%, compared to 80.5% for Hindus. Their share
in salaried jobs is as low as 13% compared to 25% for Hindus. This
is compounded by poor representation of Muslims in police and
paramilitary forces, which is less than 3%, even though they
constitute 13% of Indias population. The Sachar Commission Report
further states
that Muslims have to face lack of basic infrastructures like
sanitation, roads and schools. In US, large scale suppression of
African Americans and Hispanics has contributed to their
frustration and a stalemate on racism issues. Around 21% of Whites
have a bachelors degree compared to 13.6% Blacks and 9.4%
Hispanics, while 8.4% of Whites secured a Masters degree with
Blacks and Hispanics lagging with 4.9% and 2.9% respectively. In
professional degrees too, 3.1% of Whites hold them compared to 1.3%
of Blacks and 1.0% of Hispanics (2008 figures). Unemployment among
Blacks is much worse than Whites during the current recession.
China is no exception. The separatist Uighurs (Muslims) have been
voicing their concerns on economic discrimination and cultural
suppression for a long time against Chinese authorities. The
Chinese have retained an agenda to neutralize the Uighurs (they
blame Uighurs of resorting to terror tactics) with an iron fist.
Amnesty International has also chided the Chinese for years of
neglect in the region where money was spread too thinly compared to
eastern China. In Britain foreign trash signifies Blacks &
Asians. Coloured people are 26 times more probable to be stopped
& searched by the police. Blacks are twice as unlikely to be
educated and employed as Whites. The colored are multiple times
likelier to go to jail than Whites for the same crime and are more
likely to serve a longer term. Although most civilized countries
have a framework in place to fight the issue the inherent
xenophobia on the ground prevents it as a government is a
representation of its people. In democracies, they are often paid
lip service in elections and face disappointment later. Clearly, if
progressive societies have to guard themselves against future
unrest and social tensions, they must collectively work towards
upliftment of minorities and truly treat them as equal stakeholders
in progress. Sayan Ghosh
26 Business & Economy
National
INTERNET CENSORSHIP: FOR GOOD
Mind your languageIndias recent move to ban some Twitter and
Facebook accounts to stop hate agenda might be a bark up the wrong
tree, but still uses a valid ruleany would see the Indian
governments recent decision to ban (and later unban) almost 309
URLs of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter et al in the wake of the
unfortunate Assam riots as a blatant violation of the freedom of
speech ideology. Undoubtedly, the move by the Indian government
which now stands more or less revoked was nothing but a knee-jerk
and shortsighted reaction to contain a rapidly snowballing
situation; almost akin to a doctor telling a cancer patient that
the best way to cure the disease is to not talk about it to anybody
else. Yes, clearly, the Indian government wound itself up trying to
first identify which pages were encouraging hate speech, then
trying to force foreign based social media sites to block these
identified pages, then trying to justify the move to critical
commentators and media. Criticise the government as one may for not
understanding the real reason for riots but what is quite clear in
the midst of all this brouhaha
M
is that the government was legally right in moving against
various hate promoting sites. These steps by the government have
invited huge criticism from every section of society; but the very
intention of the government seems quite clear and unquestionable.
India has never witnessed a situation where social media is being
misused in such a condemnable manner. Regular hate speech can have
a long term effect on sections of the society that are on the web
and create negativity in their subconscious mind. Undoubtedly, the
government has taken these steps a bit late in the day, but it has
the legal authority and duty to censor content, which might be
detrimental to communal harmony. Not only India; the governments of
many nations like United States of America, Australia and England
have tak- Sachin Pilot and Kapil Sibal may have en similar actions
erred on the side of but its a sign in the past to con-
caution;things to come of good that US-based social trol violent
and media sites will bend hate oriented to Indian orders
speech on the web. In US, the House of Representatives recently
introduced the Rogue Websites Bill that has been supported by many
in the house, even though it would force the Service Providers to
create a list of banned websites and prevent users of those
websites from accessing them. This bill is a version of the Theft
of Intellectual Property Act or Protect IP Act introduced in the US
Senate earlier. Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin
Pilot recently said, India has been pushing for global internet
governance at the level of the UN so that control of social media
would rest in the hands of UN and its member nations. But
currently, only China supports India on this. In fact, the UN Human
Rights Council in Geneva passed its first resolution on Internet
freedom with a message for all nations to support individual and
human rights online in July. Undoubtedly, freedom of expression is
critical, but as is the case with the hate messages spread after
the Assam riots, a line has to be drawn somewhere. Cyber security
has remained an area of huge concern for India. Mobiles have
penetrated wide and deep in the Indian market, and the rapid rise
of smartphones in particular indicates how spreading the right or
wrong message has become so much easier. A mobile analytics
research firm Flurry has concluded that smartphone adoption today
is ten times faster as compared to the PC era in the 1980s. India
saw a 171% growth in the number of active smartphone devices for
the year ending July 2012 according to the Flurry report. As per
eMarketer, social media globally is expected to reach 1.5 billion
users in 2012 (1.2 billion in 2011). India is expected to see the
fastest growth of 51.7% yoy. This underscores the need for these
sites to control their content and the government to crack the whip
when necessary. The argument obviously gets turned on its head if
the government misuses its rights to clamp down legitimate
criticism of its own policies/agenda at any time. Ganesh Kumar
RoySeptenber 2012 27
STRATAGEM
Global SpotlightMicrosoft CEO Steve Ballmer delivers a speech at
the Seoul Digital Forum in Seoul on May 22, 2012. Microsoft is
seeking to revamp its position in the mobile-led industry market
with its new PC and tabletcompatible OS, Windows 8
IN THIS SECTIONSIGNS OF A LONG IMPENDING TRANSITION
30RIP: FANNIE MAE, FREDDIE MAC, 2012
33WHY EVERYBODY AT SPICEJET LOVES RAYMOND
50TRAI: A WOEFUL DOWNSLIDE
68WHEN SILENCE SAYS IT ALL...
74
or a lot of companies that ruled computing over the past several
decades, the launch of the iPhone, by the Mountain View based
computing mammoth Apple in 2007, marks a tipping point. For
instance, lets ponder over Hewlett Packard (HP) and Dell two
companies which will go down in history as iconic cases of vision
mismanagement. Since June 2007, HP has lost 60% of its value
bringing down its market capitalisation to $35 billion. During the
same time, the company spent a monumental $40 billion on
acquisitions that have neither created value for shareholders nor
have set up the company for the future. The companys revenue has
been declining continuously for the last four quarters compared to
the same period last year. In fact, last month, the PC major posted
a quarterly loss of $8.9 billion
F
SIGNS OF A LONG IMPENDING TRANSITIONMicrosoft is still far from
projecting itself as the innovation mean machine that it once was.
But after years, it looks as if Steve Ballmer has nally got it
right. Microsofts focus on cloud computing along with its
formidable position in the gaming industry has set up Redmond for a
favourable future.AMIR MOIN
30 Business & Economy
Microsoft the most significant $492 million for the fourth
Microsofts m-cap vis--vis competitors quarterly setback in its
quarter of the fiscal ending Like Microsoft once was, Apple is now
the worlds most valuable company 700 73-year-old history. The June
30, 2012. A compariother company which was son with the same
quarter 600 Microsoft Apple once referred to as the last year
reveals that the 500 Cisco 1,000 pound gorilla of the company had
posted a Google 400 PC heydays, but doesnt profit of $5.87 billion
(69 quite ring a bell today is cents per share). Despite 300 Dell.
In this case too, the this, the companys reve200 iPhone phenomenon
has nues increased to $18 bilIBM 100 pushed down Dells value lion
(a 4% growth). The perSumsung 0 by 60% to a mere $20 bilformance
would have been 1990 92 94 96 98 200 02 04 06 08 10 12 lion.
Interestingly, Apple better had Microsoft not Source: Thomson
Reuters; in $ billion made more money selling taken into account
$540 the iPhone over the last million in deferred revenue agement
over the last 10 years set a nine months ($63 billion) than the on
the Windows business a result of combined market value of HP and
Dell. doubtful precedent for Ballmers regiving discounts to those
who buy a The declining performance of these cord with respect to
strategy. In 2007, Windows loaded system before the PC
manufacturers is a matter of conBallmer decided to pay an 85%
premi- launch of its Windows 8 OS on Octocern for not just their
respective um ($6.3 billion) for acquiring aQuanber 26, 2012. If we
were to factor in shareholders but for Redmond-based tive (an
online advertising company). the accounting adjustment of $540
software major Microsoft as well. The While criticising Microsofts
$8.5 bilmillion and exclude the write-down on Steve Ballmer led
companys bread lion takeover of Skype last year (IrreaQuantive,
then the result comes and butter is a direct function of
manpressible we are, Irrepressible we will down to 67 cents a
share. Therefore, ufacturers like HP and Dell selling be!; B&E,
June 2011), we had pointed instead of people selling off the stock,
more PCs every year, and their inabiliout that the companys
experiment Microsoft gained 2.5% in trading at ty to convince the
market that comput- with aQuantive which was absorbed the bourses.
ers are still indispensable is most disinto Microsofts online
services diviThe fact of the matter is that after a turbing for
Microsoft. The fact that resion was a mess generating an opervery
long time, Microsoft finally search firm IDC has cut down growth
ating loss of $2.6 billion by 2011-end. seems to be in a position
to reestabforecasts for PC sales to 0.9% from 5% Come July 2012 and
Microsoft reportlish itself as the technology leader in June doesnt
make the situation any ed its first ever quarterly loss. Raison
that it once was. Recently, the compabetter. The data reveals that
a total of dtre: It was forced to take a $6 bilny unveiled its new
logo. Since then, 367 million PCs will be shipped global- lion
write-down on aQuantive! there has been a furious debate over But
thats not important at all. What design aesthetics, but what people
ly this year. Further, indicating a sechowever is important is to
look at ond year of continuous contraction, US seem to be missing
out on is the fact what happened after Microsoft anshipments are
forecasted to fall by that the logo represents a new stratenounced
the write-down. Despite a 3.7%. Emerging markets wont be of gy
focus. The entire efforts of the stagnant market for PCs, Microsoft
much help either as growth stagnates company have been condensed
into from last years already minuscule 2%. exceeded Wall Street
expectations (if the Windows OS (both for PCs and moIt is precisely
because of this comthe $6 billion write-down is excluded). bile),
the office suite of utility tools petitive shift in the marketplace
that Heres the bigger picture Microsoft and the gaming division
Xbox. In orfor most of the last decade, Microsoft reported a loss
of 6 cents per share or der to explore Microsofts prospects has
appeared to be a company which as it progresses, we need to look at
its is clueless and has lost its taste for inoperations in totality
rather than looknovation. Call it a matter of fate if you ing at
them one at a time. Although will, but the fact remains that
Ballmer this may not be the best approach, in took over the reins
from Bill Gates at a case of a company in transition it time when
personal computing was yields a far better picture. undergoing a
seismic shift a shift The company is on solid financial that the
late Steve Jobs hopped on to, ground as far as its balance sheet is
making Apple the worlds most valuconcerned. Sitting on a cash pile
of able company today; a title that once $63 billion, Microsoft
will continue to belonged to Microsoft! To make matgenerate $20
billion every year. This ters worse, initiatives taken by manis not
just sufficient to off set the bur-
Initiatives taken by the management over the last 10 years set a
doubtful precedent for Ballmers record with respect to strategy
September 2012 31
STRATAGEM
Global Spotlight
Microsoft: Direct competitor comparisonMicrosoft is sitting on a
cash pile of $63 billionMSFT Market Cap Employees Quarterly rev
growth (y-o-y) Revenue (ttm) Gross Margin (ttm) EBITDA (ttm)
Operating Margin (ttm) Net Income (ttm) EPS (ttm) P/E (ttm) PEG (5
year expected) P/S (ttm)Source: Company reports
AAPL 615.00B 60,400 0.23 148.81B 0.44 55.82B 0.36 40.13B 42.55
15.42 0.68 4.13
GOOG 218.95B 54,604 0.35 43.16B 0.63 15.45B 0.31 11.11B 33.73
19.85 1.01 5.07
ORCL 155.02B 115,000 0.01 37.12B 0.79 16.05B 0.38 9.98B 1.96
16.2 1.04 4.18
Industry 213.55M 437 0.25 97.80M 0.71 6.46M 0 N/A N/A 25.57 1.34
2.83
258.21B 94,000 0.04 73.72B 0.76 30.71B 0.38 16.98B 2 15.4 1.14
3.5
den arising out of debt, but also leaves significant cash on the
table to be further invested. Microsofts main problems arise out of
the Web 2.0 phenomenon. The cloud has become a single touch point
for almost all connected devices. This results in the
commodification of the companys cash cows Windows and Office. The
server business and application software products are therefore key
strategic undertakings that will guide the company into the future.
In part, Windows 8 is Microsofts attempt to make its OS engineered
around web based dynamic applications. While the company will need
to refine the OS continuously, it is well set to leverage the
Office business in the cloud. The Office 365 suite works on a
unique combination of software and services. For instance, you
might soon see MS Word available through a subscription based model
hosted in the cloud. What makes this proposition a viable one is
the assumption that current customers would not want to disrupt
their existing workflow. If it finally comes down to transitioning
to a cloud based environment, then it would make absolute sense to
do it with a long term partner like Microsoft instead of
collaborating with a service provider which works on a different
platform altogether. Having
said that, Microsoft will succeed in insulating its existing
customer base but will have to struggle to acquire new clients.
Another reason why cloud computing will become one of Microsofts
totem poles is its presence in the development business. In order
to develop and deploy applications in the cloud network, developers
need a dedicated platform. Microsoft has this in the form of Azure.
Not only does the platform accommodate different languages and
developer tools, it also allows its users to merge their public
cloud applications into their internal IT setup. Switching to
different platforms is extremely costly and Microsoft has a great
opportunity to shift its existing .NET customers to the Azure
platform because the switching costs are almost non existent in
this case. Andrew Lange, Associate Analyst at Morningstar
I expect Microsoft to build an economic moat around Azure and
generate high returns on invested capital from this business
agrees. He believes that cloud platforms are very sticky due to
high switching costs, enabling vendors to reap significant economic
profits. Competitive dynamics should favour early entrants like
Microsoft, and we do not expect the playing field to get very
crowded; the combination of first-mover advantages, breadth and
depth of technological expertise required to develop a robust
offering, and large up-front capital investments pose formidable
barriers to entry. As a result, I expect Microsoft to build an
economic moat around Azure and generate high returns says Lange.
Apart from these, Microsoft has Xbox as a source of significant
competitive advantage. For the companys last fiscal year that ended
June 30, the Business division generated $15.7 billion in operating
income (almost half). Out of this, the entertainment and devices
business (which falls under the Business division), made up for 40%
of revenues. In June alone, Microsoft sold 257,000 units of the
Xbox 360 in the US, giving it a market share of 47%. While some
might argue that the console business is just a small part of
Redmond, the fact that a seven-year-old device is delivering
stellar performance quarter after quarter makes it a star
performer. Skepticism aside, Microsoft has entered one of the most
favourable phases in decades. The Samsung vs. Apple verdict plays
out well for Microsoft which now has a better chance of pushing its
Windows Phone 8 OS to manufacturers. Moreover, by announcing the
Surface tablet, not only has Ballmer challenged Microsofts OEMs to
come up with better tablets but has demonstrated that it has the
capability of developing mobile devices which will deliver
compelling performance to enterprise users something that the iPad
has failed to do. If this was a well planned strategy, then Ballmer
will go down in history as a worthy successor to Gates; and even if
its not, shareholders wont be complaining if things go right.
32 Business & Economy
Fannie and Freddie
Timothy Mayopoulos, CEO, Fannie Mae (L), and Donald Layton, CEO,
Freddie Mac (R): While the two mortgage giants need to focus on
stabilisation in the short term, longerterm structural reform is
needed soon
RIP: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, 2012The recent changes in bailout
agreements indicate that the Federal Government is now gearing up
the process to end the era of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac. But is it the right time? Is the US housing market
ready to accept this and move on with the reform process to a new
system? An analysis of why this is essential. DEEPAK RANJAN
PATRA
T
he United States government couldnt have been clearer on this.
The latest changes to the US Treasury bailout agreements with
governmentsponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
clearly indicate that its just a matter of days when the official
words will be out to wind them up; the process has started though.
As per the changes made to the agreements, the mortgage finance
giants have been asked to turn
over all profits to the government and wind down their large
investment portfolios at 15% per year rather than 10% as stated
earlier. Result: The US government would soon take over all
business controlled by the two GSEs for which it has been acting as
the primary guarantor since both the institutions announced
bankruptcy in 2008. The fact is that when the US government decided
to continue the two agencies after bankruptcy, everyone knew that
sooner or later they will be asked to
shut their shops. They only existed because the government
wanted them for reviving the distressed US housing market. Now,
when the government looks decisive, the question remains, has the
US housing market stabilised enough to say goodbye to Fannie and
Freddie? Its a point worth exploring besides understanding how the
two mortgage giants have contributed to the overall US housing
scenario. The story of Fannie Mae is certainly interesting in this
regard for theSeptember 2012 33
STRATAGEM
International Finance
Quarterly Treasury draw requestNo help has been requested so far
in 201235 30 25 20 15 10 5 Q208 Q308 Q408 Q109 Q209 Q309 Q409 Q110
Q210 Q310 Q410 Q111 Q211 Q311 Q411 Q112 Q212 0Fannie Mae Freddie
Mac (Amount in $ billion)
Source: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
GSEs Quarterly draw from TreasuryBoth are now less dependent on
the govt.35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2008 008 2009 2010 2011Fannie Mee
Freddie Mac (Amount in $ billion)
Source: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
GSEs payback in a decadeThe Federal estimate seems really
stretched250Total Treasury Draw (No addition)
200 0Total Treasury Draw (Govt Projection)
150 0 100 0Total Dividend Payments
50 0(Amount in $ billion) -7
0 2008 08
-9 20 21
10
12
14
16
18
Source: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
Cumulative net incomeBoth the rms are expected to be in black in
1210 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 -50 -60 -70 -80
(Amount in $ billion)
Source: Moodys Analytics
fact that it was commissioned in 1938 after the Great Depression
provide the necessary impetus to the US housing market as a part of
the New Deal (a series of economic programmes enacted in US between
1933 and 1936). Interestingly, it was this mortgage giant that
ended up initiating the second biggest financial crisis ever. In
fact, by the time Global Financial Crisis started (in the second
quarter of 2008) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the younger counter
art of Fannie Mae was commissioned in 1970 to give competition to
the former) had been exposed to subprime/ Alt-A loans worth a
mind-boggling $388 billion and $392 billion respectively.
Certainly, considering that the annual Private-label Mortgagebacked
Securities issuances remained at over $800 billion per year in 2005
and 2006, one cannot say that these GSEs caused the crisis, but
they for sure were the biggest contributors. Perhaps this was what
prompted Senator John McCain to say that the catalyst for this
housing crisis was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In one of the
debates during the Presidential campaign in 2008, he had claimed
that these two GSEs caused the subprime lending situation that now
caused the housing market in America to collapse. However, with the
taxpayers owing close to 80% of the two GSEs post bankruptcy, the
onus was on the government to use them to reorganise the US housing
market. And as it can be seen, the job is done, at least to some
extent. After long, the US housing market seems gaining legs. What
is more interesting is the fact that now its in a situation where
people have started looking forward to it as a growth driver.
Agrees Celia Chen, West Chester based Senior Director at Moodys
Analytics, as she tells B&E, Housing, once the Achilles heel of
the US economy, is starting to look like a source of strength in a
recovery that has lost its vigor and faces significant roadblocks.
That housing is now a bright spot speaks more about the weakness of
the recovery than absolute strength in housing.
Housing is starting to look like a source of strength in a
recovery that has lost its vigor and faces many roadblocksThis
comes as a relief at a time when the other drivers of growth are
faltering. Housing is about to turn from being a drag on the
broader economy to being a driver. Going by the available data,
excess supply of housing in US has fallen to 750,000 units, its
lowest since 2006. At its peak during 2008-09, excess supply was at
1,750,000 units. In addition, the share of distressed home sales is
declining at a sound rate. As per Moodys Analytics, the share of
distress sales has declined from 34.2% to 33.8% year-on-year in the
second quarter of 2012. On the other hand, with the supply side
stabilising slowly and steadily, home prices have started taking a
U-turn suggesting that the prices already reached the bottom. The
CoreLogic repeat purchase house price index suggests that housing
prices have surged 2.2% year-on-year in Q2, 2012. The biggest
concern, however. is the wide pool of bank-owned properties which
are either in late-stage delinquency or in the process of
foreclosure. The pool is as big as about 3.5 million homes. Another
critical aspect of the reviving housing market that might keep it
far from recovery is the visi-
34 Business & Economy
95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
Fannie and Freddie
Headquarters of Fannie Mae (Wisconsin Ave, N.W., Washington,
D.C.) and Freddie Mac (McLean, Virginia). Both the rms have managed
to put up a good show since bailout in 2008.
ble uneven growth. For instance, in July 2012 new home sales
increased 3.6% as compared to 2.4% in June 2012. But this growth
was more due to a bumper 76.5% growth in the Northeast, which
witnessed a 55.3% fall in the previous month. The real housing
growth in US, excluding Northeast, remained almost flat. Meanwhile,
sale of existing houses rose as much as 2.4% in June 2012. Further,
what remains the biggest problem in housing growth is mortgage
credit availability. With banks and other mortgage financing
companies still struggling to recover from the pile of
delinquencies, new credit has become scarce with stricter
application of terms and conditions for credit disbursement.
Nevertheless, the sentiments are changing, though at a snails pace,
and analysts are expecting that after six years (since 2006), 2012
may finally see the housing sector contributing to the countrys
real GDP growth in a positive manner. Estimates suggest that while
homebuilding will add as much as 30 basis points to real GDP
growth, stability in house prices will add 20 basis points. It is
also expected that 2013 onwards housing recovery will be in full
swing. Such estimation could have fuelled the governments thought
process to wind up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac faster than what was
originally thought when Obama called for a slow death of these two
companies
last year. Moreover, its also time when the Federal Government
is determined to get going with its mortgage finance reform plans.
Early last year US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner had
commented, We are going to start the process of reform now. But we
are going to do it responsibly and carefully so that we support the
recovery and the process of repair of the housing market. And the
current move to accelerate Fannie Mae and Freddie Macs wind up
process is nothing but a step in the same direction. Considering
the amount of housing lending the government is handling at present
(through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Housing Association and
Veterans Administration) effectively all new loans it wont be wrong
if the federal government is called the nations mortgage lender.
But that certainly is not a sustainable model and they must exit
this system at the earliest. This need, along with the reform plan
that suggests nationalisation and privatisation of the housing
finance sector, has ensured that the government sets both the GSEs
free from duty at the earliest. However, what adds a little debate
to the story is the way both the GSEs have performed over the past
few years. Most importantly, they are back in black. This allows
the federal government to gain handsome returns on $148.5 billion
that it had infused into these companies to bail them out (both
companies have returned $41.1 billion so far as against a
withdrawal of $189.5 billion from the US Treasury). The argument
gains some ground from the fact that drawing from treasury by the
two companies have now gone down to almost zero and they have
started repaying. Also losses from lending have drastically gone
down since the day Fed took charge of these companies. Thus, the
question remains: Is the government killing the goose that has just
started laying golden eggs? As per federal government estimates,
Fannie and Freddie, combined together, would receive as much as
$221 billion from the Trea-
Gross loss on mortgage loans*Newer loans outperform despite weak
recovery15 12 9 6 3 0 1Months since origination 2007Q1 2007Q3
2008Q1 2008Q3 2009Q1 2009Q3 2010Q1 2010Q3 2011Q1
61
Source: Equifax; *% of original dollar balance written off
Share of mortgage debt (%)Fannie and Freddie still rule the
sector55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1996
Fannie & Freddie - Housing Private lable RMBS - bubble
2009
2010
2010
Source: Moodys Analytics
sury. On the contrary, if the two companies start earning the
way they did in their hay days, between 2000 and 2005, they can
manage