Kyrgyzstan, the resource-rich jewel of central Asia, shares political, economic and cultural interests with India, discovers Anil Ahuja.
The first impression after landing at the Bishkek airport was that of having been teleported into the unhurried past before our ‘liberalisation’. The relaxed airport and its smiling immigration officers were reminiscent of the Palam airport of the ‘80s. With Anar Begh, our guide who is an English professor at the local university (travel guiding being a source of additional income) navigating through the country was a delight despite the language barrier.
The roads leading up to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan—a young country born after the dissolution of the USSR—were unblemished and the traffic was well-behaved and controlled by ever watchful police cars. Poplars overshadowed by snow-peaked mountains reminded us of the Kashmir valley. The air, for a June morning, was bracingly cool and the wafting clouds were nearer.
Curiously, the stores at the fuel stations were called ‘Dukan’—alluding to the origins of the term widely used in India referring to a shop. Obviously, this, and other similar words, must have traveled with adventurers like Babur during the middle ages when the ‘golden sparrow’ drew treasure seekers out of this Central-Asian alcove to the vast and rich plains of the Indian subcontinent.
This story is from the April 2017 edition of Outlook Money.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2017 edition of Outlook Money.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
7 Steps To Refresh Your Finances In The New FY
Setting goals and then making your money work to achieve them can be a gamechanger for your financial life
Turn Of The Tide: Should You Invest In Debt Funds Now?
The past few years have been challenging for debt fund investors, but the case for adding them in your portfolio is now more compelling than ever
Who Should Choose An Index Fund?
Index funds’ returns are similar to their underlying index, so if cost and protection are high on your list and market-beating performance is secondary, they could be an ideal choice.
What Is Depreciation?
Depreciation indicates a reduction in the value of an asset over time. Typically, it occurs due to wear and tear of the asset over time as a result of continued use to calculate the depreciation of an asset, one needs to consider several factors, one of which is the useful life of the asset.
REGULATORY ROUNDUP
Change: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) directs asset management companies (AMCs) to conduct stress tests on small and mid-cap funds and disclose key findings on liquidity and other aspects.
Plan Repayment Before Taking Loan
I have a home loan running but need a loan of around `10 lakh for renovating the house.
Fund Life Goals Before Business
I am in my late 20s and want to invest in the real estate sector.
SECRET ROAD TO FINANCIAL DIGNITY
Dignity is something most retirees want once their active work life comes to an end and it is closely tied to the individual’s financial well-being
'Combined Life, Health Plans Won't Increase Complexity'
The life insurance market in India has recorded a consistent premium growth over the years, but insurance penetration is yet to reach the desired level. Quite in line, HDFC Life Insurance has shown a growth of 5 per cent year-on-year in its total annual premium equivalent in the nine months until December 2023 and has grown on other parameters as well. Its assets under management (AUM) went up 20 per cent, while it recorded a net profit of 16 per cent y-o-y, in the period. Even in terms of penetration, the company’s growth in Tier II and Tier II cities are positive. Vibha Padalkar, managing director and chief executive officer of HDFC Life Insurance shared the secret sauce for the growth in a conversation with Nidhi Sinha, editor, Outlook Money, talked about the challenges the insurance industry faces, and the road ahead in view of recent regulatory proposals. Edited excerpts:
BUCKET YOUR WORRIES AWAY
Once you have accumulated a decent corpus in your working life, the next big task should be to smartly deploy it across different schemes through a bucketing strategy so that your regular expenses are taken care of while your corpus keeps growing. This will ensure that you do not outlive your corpus