Reasons for foreign direct investment

by Anurag KumarHealth spending is largely viewed as a cost. This is true of Governments and individuals alike. Finance Ministries thinks of health as a social sector expenditure. Individuals avoid paying for health till it becomes absolutely necessary and unavoidable.It would be wise for both, Governments, and individuals to consider health as an investment instead. Individual ‘investment’ in self-care and preventive health yield returns by lowering need for, and spending on curative care. Government investment in health has a strong multiplier effect throughout the economy in addition to enhancing the population’s well-being.The 2021 budget presents an opportunity to mark a departure from the chronic, low public spending on health. Policymakers should take the Covid-19 pandemic as a cue to move health expenditure to a higher orbit. Beyond the immediate need to fund Covid-19 vaccination, it is also a critical juncture where the role and impact of public health funding … [Read more...] about Investing in health is good economics

MUNICH: BMW aims to return to its pre-pandemic operating margin target as the global economy recovers, but big investments in electric cars mean the automaker will have to simplify its vehicle portfolio, its finance chief told Reuters.Nicolas Peter said orders had fallen because of the latest pandemic-related lockdowns, but added: "if activity starts again after the middle of February, we should be able to deliver a reasonable first quarter."Improving market conditions, a Brexit deal and the German company's plans to increase its share in its Chinese joint venture to 75% from 50% in 2022 should all help push BMW back to its pre-pandemic operating margin target of 8% to 10%."We're not talking about far away in the future, but it is a goal that we're looking at systematically in the short term," Peter said during an interview at BMW's Munich headquarters. The company will publish its 2021 margin target in March.A surge in premium car sales in China, the world's largest autos market, … [Read more...] about BMW targets higher margins while investing in electric cars

The coronavirus outbreak in Q1 2020 had brought China's industrial activity to a halt. But as soon as the virus spread was largely contained, China gradually and cautiously reopened factories and resumed production, enabling the industrial sector to become the first to stage a rebound. … [Read more...] about Economic Watch: Zooming into China’s economy in 2020 beneath headline growth

"Through the activities of this group, we aim to create the perception of being a direct partner, not a sectoral dialogue partner, for the ASEAN countries and increase the effectiveness of the Turkish business world in the region," Olpak said on Tuesday in an online meeting with journalists. … [Read more...] about Turkey seeks to enhance ties with ASEAN amid COVID-19 economic woes

NITI Aayog, along with the Institute for Competitiveness, has released the second edition of the India Innovation Index 2020 through a virtual event on Wednesday.Karnataka retained its top position in the ‘Major States’ category, while Maharashtra moved past Tamil Nadu to reach the second place. Telangana, Kerala, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab occupied the top ten in that order.Karnataka’s rank is attributable to its substantive number of venture capital deals, registered geographical indicators and information and communications technology exports. Karnataka’s high Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow has also enhanced the innovation capabilities of the state. Four southern states —- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala —- occupied the top five spots under the ‘Major States’ category for 2020.While Telangana retained its position at 4th in the list of major states, Andhra Pradesh, which figured at … [Read more...] about India Innovation Index 2020: Delhi tops overall, Karnataka leads major states and Himachal tops NE