For The Pleasure Of Waiting

Airports are increasingly being designed or revamped to make waiting a memorable experience for passengers. From food to shopping to entertainment, they have it all covered

JETSETTER'S GUIDE TO BUSINESS TRAVEL

Business travel is an important pillar of the tourism sector. Navjit Ahluwalia, senior vice president and India head of hospitality behemoth Hilton, lists his top five preferred business travel destinations, each offering a mix of economic vitality, cultural richness and infrastructure

THE SOCIAL INTROVERT

Amit Choudhary, chief operating officer of IT services major Wipro, is a self-confessed introvert who loves planning most of his non-work activities, be they golfing, skiing, playing board games or watching movies, around his family and friends

Madhivanan Balakrishnan: IDFC FIRST is digitally savvy, knows customers well to build services around their needs

IDFC FIRST Bank has posted stellar results in the recent past. Riding on its digital capabilities, the bank is looking at constant innovation to serve its customers better. In a freewheeling interview with Suchetana Ray, editor, Outlook Business, and Nidhi Sinha, editor, Outlook Money, the bank's executive director and chief operating officer Madhivanan Balakrishnan talks about the bank's strategies, including the use of its digital capabilities, to enhance customer experience. Edited excerpts:

NITIN GADKARI HIGH ON HIGHWAYS

Within the story of India's rapid infrastructure development, it is hard to miss the swanky expressways and highways that are giving the much-needed thrust to the country's ambitions. The man behind the massive infra push is Nitin Gadkari, minister of road transport and highways. In conversation with Neeraj Thakur and Rajat Mishra, Gadkari talks about his strategies for growth and dealing with issues like land acquisition and infrastructure financing. He also responds to the Comptroller and Auditor General's charge on Dwarka Expressway. Edited excerpts:

LANDS THAT MEAN BUSINESS

Whether it is the bustling business districts of France, the tech-driven atmosphere of Ireland or the financial powerhouses of Germany and the US, each destination offers unique advantages for business travellers

TEEING OFF: The Subtle Draw of Golf Course Beyond the Game

Golfing destinations are not just for professional golfers. Their exquisite and serene locations provide a perfect opportunity for family holidays as well as corporate gatherings. While there are several popular international destinations that offer golf holidays, India is fast catching up

The OPULENT TOUCH to Travel

The luxury travel segment is growing worldwide, with travel enthusiasts with deep pockets willing to pay whatever it takes for experiences that are unique, lavish and unforgettable

Vinita Bhatia: WHEN THE BUSINESS HOTEL RISES WITH A DIFFERENCE

Uniqueness, be it in terms of service offerings, additional amenities or environment sensitivity, is helping major business hotels stand apart in the crowd

ESG CHECK-IN FOR RESPONSIBLE HOSPITALITY

The interests of the hospitality industry are deeply intertwined with those of the environment and people. It must prove its commitment to upholding global environmental, social and governance standards for its survival and growth

The Corporate Travel Conundrum

Business travel was once a badge of honour. As corporate soldiers, we once used to march around at airport lounges, dressed in our navy and grey suits, holding on to our leather carry-on bags, with a copy of The Financial Times tucked under our arms.

India's MICE Market Needs an Uplift

India’s booming economy and rising number of business visitors have contributed to the spectacular expansion of the country’s outbound meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) travel sector. Unfortunately, the same is not the case for the inbound MICE market. India attracts less than 1% of the worldwide MICE industry despite its extensive history, tourist attractions and new economic centres.

Corporate Travel Zooms Out to Reality

There are multiple shades and segments of tourism. The most notable among them are leisure, corporate, medical, education- and government-related and special interest travel. The last category includes travel for sports, films, adventure, pilgrimage and so on. Geographically, these forms of travel can be inbounded to or outbound from a country on a short haul or for long distance and for varying periods.

BLEISURE BECKONS

A portmanteau of business and leisure, rapid growth of bleisure in the last two years reflects the evolution of travel and brings hope to the hospitality and tourism industry

FinTech Game Is In The Data Cloud

With customer acquisition and retention as prime drivers, fintech players want data patterns on fingertips. They are embracing data cloud to make a concerted move towards data-informed efficiency and product innovation

TAKING OFF CONVENIENTLY

No place is far away and no travel plan difficult to make, thanks to online travel companies which have redefined convenience with their range of products and services that cater to every aspect of travel. Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO of online travel company MakeMyTrip, describes five ways in which these companies have come of age in India

THE CONSTANT LEARNER

Raghavendra Vaidya, MD and CEO of Daimler Truck Innovation Center India, is a man of varied and deep interests. From riding bikes to automating things at home, from making furniture to constantly studying new subjects and listening to old Hindi songs, he pursues all of them with passion

PAINTING THE ORCHARDS RED

Coca-Cola India's Project Unnati is rejuvenating the agriculture ecosystem with its focus on efficient farming practices like ultra-high density plantation, drip irrigation, etc. This has helped apple farmers in Uttarakhand significantly raise their productivity

EMAMI'S PERSISTENT BEAR HUG

After more than four successful decades, FMCG major Emami, which owns popular brands like Navratna oil, BoroPlus, Kesh King, etc., seems to be losing its charm among retail investors. Why has it lost significant value at the bourses in the last five years?

BYJU ON THE CORPORATE GUILLOTINE

Will educator-turned-entrepreneur Byju Raveendran be sidelined in-or even ousted from-his eponymous edtech as the newly constituted board advisory council struggles to bring the company back on to the profitability path?

PRONAB SEN

'Nothing Can Correct Faulty Sampling Due to Delayed Census'

THE NOWHERE MEN & WOMEN HOW INDIA ABANDONED 14 CRORE CITIZENS ON A POLICY PAPER

The government of India runs the world's biggest food security scheme, which provides free ration to more than 80 crore people. The scheme has won Prime Minister Narendra Modi accolades. But what if we realise that there are over 14 crore people who have been omitted from the benefit of this scheme because the government has not counted Indian citizens in over a decade? Can its intransigence break the welfare structure of governance?

India's First Luxury Hotel: Goes Where Indians Do

Incorporated in 1899 by the founder of the Tata Group Jamsetji Tata, IHCL opened its first hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace, in Mumbai—then Bombay— in 1903. Dubbed as the best hotel east of Suez, it transformed the face of Bombay and introduced authentic Indian hospitality to the world while bringing global luxuries to the country. Jamsetji Tata’s efforts were always to show India what lies beyond the seas, making India’s dreams his own.

BOTH CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND: Outlook ESGBHARAT: SURVEY 2023

The speakers at the survey release deliberate on how the ESG agenda is moving up the corporate agenda, the challenges it faces and the way forward

ZUBIN SAXENA: MANAGING DIRECTOR AND SENIOR AREA VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTH ASIA, RADISSON HOTEL GROUP

An Interview with Zubin Saxena

FOLLOWING THE CULTURE TRAIL

Amitabh Dube, country president of Novartis India, has travelled extensively, but it is his stay in Vietnam that he most fondly remembers, not just for its food, people and landscape but also for the footprints of Indian culture in the southeast Asian country

CRISIS IN THE COURTROOM

The Supreme Court's jurisdiction extends to a population of over 1.4 billion. Does the court make access for the disadvantaged a priority? To what extent is it responsible for the adage 'justice delayed is justice denied'? Are some lawyers more influential than the others? Authors Aparna Chandra, Sital Kalantry and William H.J. Hubbard discuss these and several other topics concerning the country's highest court in their book Court on Trial

Local Business Leader Falls Short OF GLOBAL STANDARDS

The landscape of leadership in Indian corporates has evolved over the years, mirroring the dynamic shifts in politics, business, technology, customer expectations, societal demands and globalised markets.