Category: Opinion

The New Generation of FTAs: Why Services Are Replacing Tariffs as the Main Trade Issue

18 July 202619 July 2026 Perumal Koshy No Comments

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have traditionally been associated with tariff liberalisation and improved market access for goods. For several decades, trade negotiations largely focused on reducing customs duties, eliminating quantitative restrictions and facilitating merchandise trade. The success of an agreement was often measured by the extent to which it lowered tariffs and expanded opportunities for…

FEATURED, Free Trade, Opinion, SMEs, TOP STORIES

Beyond Startups and SMEs: Towards an Integrated Enterprise Ecosystem for the Future

13 June 202611 July 2026 Perumal Koshy No Comments

The future of enterprise development requires moving beyond the traditional divide between startups and SMEs. As business models evolve, innovation is emerging from both new ventures and established enterprises. Building integrated enterprise ecosystems that combine experience, technology, finance, mentoring, and innovation capabilities can unlock new opportunities for growth, competitiveness, employment, and sustainable economic transformation. Over…

FEATURED, innovation, Opinion, SMEs, Startups, Technology, TOP STORIES

The Scale Obsession: When Institutions Become Bigger Than Their Purpose

6 June 202611 July 2026 Perumal Koshy No Comments

One of the defining characteristics of our time is the belief that every meaningful effort must eventually become bigger, faster and globally visible. A business idea must become a unicorn. A startup must disrupt an industry. A corporation must continuously expand. A social initiative must reach millions. Nations must compete over economic size, rankings and…

ESG, FEATURED, Leadership, Opinion, start-up, Strategy, Sustainable Development, TOP STORIES

India–Oman CEPA: Transforming Centuries of Trust into the Next Generation of Economic Partnership

2 June 202611 July 2026 Perumal Koshy No Comments

The signing and impending implementation of the India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) comes at a time when international trade relationships are being reassessed. Businesses are diversifying supply chains, countries are seeking dependable economic partners, and enterprises are exploring markets where long-term cooperation and investment opportunities can be developed. The India–Oman CEPA should therefore not…

Business, FEATURED, Free Trade, India, News, Opinion, SMEs, TOP STORIES

Easy Money, Hard Questions: Rethinking Development Funding

20 May 202611 July 2026 Perumal Koshy No Comments

Debates over development funding often become confined to the narrow language of compliance, regulation, political oversight, and financial accountability. Yet this focus overlooks a deeper and more consequential economic question: what happens when large and continuous flows of external funding begin to reshape local economic incentives? The effects are not merely financial. Over time, “easy…

Africa, FEATURED, India, Opinion, Reports, Sustainable Development, TOP STORIES

From Conflict to Correction: Evolving Economic Priorities in the Gulf

10 April 202610 April 2026 Perumal Koshy No Comments

The recent phase of military tension involving the United States–Israel coalition and Iran appears to be moving toward gradual de-escalation. Even so, the economic effects of several weeks of heightened uncertainty are likely to persist across sectors and regions. Energy market anxieties, including localized supply disruptions, have once again highlighted the importance of resilient distribution…

FEATURED, Opinion, SMEs, TOP STORIES

Mira Road: Where Mumbai’s New Luxury Narrative Is Taking Shape

20 March 202620 March 2026 Aditya N. Shah No Comments

Luxury housing in Mumbai is no longer confined to a few traditional, high-profile neighbourhoods. As the city expands and infrastructure reshapes commuting patterns, the idea of premium living has steadily taken on. Mira Road, part of Mumbai’s extended western suburbs, is now at the centre of this shift. As infrastructure upgrades get a government push,…

FEATURED, Opinion, TOP STORIES

Digital Asset Management Market Forecast to Reach USD 17.3 billion by 2033

13 March 202620 March 2026 Svetlana M No Comments

According to Growth Market Reports, the global Digital Asset Management (DAM) market size in 2024 stands at USD 5.4 billion, driven by rapid digital transformation across industries and the exponential growth of digital content. The market is expected to register a robust CAGR of 14.1% from 2025 to 2033, reaching a forecasted market size of USD 17.3 billion by the end of 2033. This…

News, Opinion

From Survival to Strategic Resilience: What MSMEs need in a fragmenting global economy

12 February 202612 February 2026 Jose de la Maza No Comments

Lessons from Aninver’s fieldwork in entrepreneurship-support programmes. In an increasingly fragmented economic landscape marked by reconfigured value chains, tightening financing conditions, and rapidly evolving policy environments, MSMEs are required to operate under continuous uncertainty. Enterprise resilience emerges not from isolated firm-level interventions but from the combined strengthening of capabilities, coordination, and integration. Practical capability-building that…

FEATURED, Opinion, TOP STORIES

Outlook 2026 | Real Estate: Infrastructure-Led Growth, Integrated Communities, and the Trust Imperative

2 February 20262 February 2026 Perumal Koshy No Comments

As India’s real estate sector enters 2026, growth is becoming more selective, infrastructure-anchored, and trust-driven. The next phase is defined less by scale and speculation, and more by integrated communities, redevelopment, and alignment with long-term urban systems. Public infrastructure investments, evolving buyer expectations, and stronger governance norms are reshaping where and how value is created….

FEATURED, Opinion, TOP STORIES