The Financial Express -- Expressions

This page contains Editorial and Op-Ed articles

Friday, December 26 1997

Letters to the Editor

Future of divestment

If there is some uncertainty over what might happen after the election, this extends to the fate of disinvestment also. While there are hints of a political consensus over unloading of government equity in PSUs in principle, it is not clear if the new government would accept the Disinvestment Commission's recommendation of sale of government stake in public sector undertakings being delinked from fiscal compulsions.

A never-ending crisis of confidence

India's private corporate sector has withdrawn into a shell. With the notable exception of Ambanis of Reliance, none of the big names project a vision of a spurt in gross fixed assets, sales and profits in the medium term. Mid-cap corporates from which a wave of new initiatives should have come, remain subdued.

Need for derivatives

India, perhaps, was once the world's highest futures trading market till early 60s when commodities from the least consumed lentils (like moong) to the most valued commodity -- bullion-- were actively traded. Even the smallest trader participated in futures from a small shanty shack in remote India.

Future of divestment

Rating it right

The Index -- Telco

Index futures

A never-ending crisis of confidence

Need for derivatives