Topics Archive

CAPPING THE RUSSIANS

The West and its allies have imposed a cap on Russian oil prices to curb Russia's rising oil revenues.

An ‘Amazing’ Union

A nondescript warehouse on the American east coast has been the scene of firing the first shots in a battle royale that is likely to disrupt boardrooms across the capitalist world.

A Twisted Road to Green

The 2021 ‘India State of Forest Report’, though optimistic in its findings, raises the question of the inequitable nature of the environmental debate.

Boost for MSMEs

As the second-largest generator of employment after the Agri sector, MSMEs need government handholding in terms of easy finance and active promotion of foreign investments.

Monetary Policy of Bitcoin

As crypto gains popularity, there are concerns that its decentralised nature may threaten a country's macroeconomic stability.

Death Knell for Private Crypto?

The government’s attempts to ban private crypto has raised eyebrows, especially when there is so much activity in the Indian market.

Vagaries of a Shortage Economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the failure of ‘just-in-time’ production models, which are prone to supply chain disruptions.

A ‘virtual’ Standstill

The Facebook outage has highlighted the vulnerability of digitally-mediated economies, which are precariously dependent on a few servers or platforms.

Fall of a Behemoth

As Evergrande teeters on the precipice of default, there is immense strain on China’s outsized property sector, fuelling concerns about a liquidity crunch.

The Retrospective U-turn

By abolishing retrospective taxes, India has sought to project itself as a pragmatic and investor-friendly regime devoid of regulatory uncertainty.

Nurturing a Chip Ecosystem

Apart from a digitally aspiring demography, India has a robust semiconductor design ecosystem that can complement chip fabrication giants like Taiwan

The Flash of Cryptos

With China introducing its own digital currency (eRMB) and clamping down on other cryptocurrencies, it is evident it is asserting control over the digital economy.

Legalising Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a form of cryptocurrency. This digital tender is minted using huge amounts of energy.

The Enforcement Predicament

The enforcement of an investment treaty award is a layered issue and needs to be deconstructed step by step.

Navigating the Terrain of Public Policy

States need to clearly delineate the contours of public policy, before claiming it as an exception in investment arbitrations.

The Investment-tax Binary

The Cairn and Vodafone cases have opened a pandora’s box of tax-related investment disputes that lie at the intersection of international laws and municipal governance.

Language Is the Key

While determining the arbitrability of tax disputes under investment protection laws, the devil lies in the details of the treaty instrument.

A Balancing Act

It is critical to maintain an equilibrium between the regulatory powers of a sovereign and the legitimate interests of a foreign investor.

A ‘look Through’ Provision

By retrospectively amending the Income Tax Act in 2012, the Indian Parliament sought to clarify its legislative intention.

Reconciling Fragmented Laws

The nature of the interaction between taxation regimes and investment agreements have evolved over time, with new generation treaties envisaging specific carve-outs for tax.