Having previously worked with the Dutch government to enhance bilateral cooperation, I’ve remained keenly interested in how India and the Netherlands continue to strengthen ties across political, economic, technological, and cultural fronts. This note is a personal reflection and update for my network—on recent shifts, promising opportunities, and some often-overlooked developments in this...
Introduction The Good Indian Employee’s Guide to Surviving a Lala Company by Rajiv Gupta is a humorous yet eye-opening look into the inner workings of Indian family-run businesses. These “Lala companies”, as colloquially called, dominate India’s business landscape but come with their own quirks, power structures, and unwritten rules. The book offers practical survival strategies for employees...
Most “strategic plans” aren’t strategy. They’re just plans. In business, we treat planning as if it’s some sacred ritual. I’ve seen it firsthand in commercial teams of international government departments—those rooms filled with whiteboards, dashboards, and KPIs. We’d map out the year ahead in impressive detail: market visits, stakeholder engagements, sector priorities, and quarterly goals...
Overview: What Happened in June 2025 On June 6, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its latest monetary policy decision with a significant 50 basis point cut in the repo rate to 5.5%. The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) was also reduced in a staggered manner from 4% to 3%, injecting substantial liquidity into the banking system. The policy stance was changed from “accommodative”...
AI and the New Geography of Global Expansion A few years ago, when we helped international companies decide where to expand globally, the playbook was clear. We looked at market demand, regulatory environment, operational costs, talent availability, infrastructure, and alignment with strategic goals. That was enough to make a case for setting up in India, Europe, or the UK. But now, things have...
While researching how AI is redrawing the map of international business, I picked up Competing in the Age of AI by Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani—driven by both curiosity and urgency. I wanted to understand how AI transforms technology, how it changes the way companies are structured, how they lead, and how they stay accountable in a fast-changing world. As I read, I started grouping insights...
Introduction — A Shift You Could Feel, Not Just Measure “Trade creates wealth and reduces conflict. It is not a zero-sum game.” — Pascal Lamy In the last 19 years, I’ve worked in and around global trade — tracking FDI flows, supporting international partnerships, and quietly celebrating when India raised sectoral caps or countries eased visa rules. Every such change felt like progress...
Introduction What if the economic models we were taught are outdated and harmful for the future we want to build? Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics urges us to let go of last century’s obsession with endless growth and adopt a framework that puts both people and the planet at the heart of economic thinking. This book is talking about changing the very shape and purpose of economics. Through the...
Introduction In March 2018, I was in Mumbai for a team meeting with Stans Kleijnen, who was then the Executive Director of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) in India. During a casual conversation after our session, Stans pulled out a copy of How India Works by Aarti Kelshikar. “This,” she said, “perfectly captures what we face every day working in India’s complex yet fascinating...
Introduction Kautilya’s Arthashastra is a thought-provoking exploration of ancient statecraft, economic management, military strategy, and political philosophy. Written over 2,000 years ago by Kautilya (also known as Chanakya), the adviser to Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, this classic dives deep into the mechanics of power, prosperity, and governance. Its insights into leadership, espionage...
