By Kavaljit Singh | Jointly Published by Madhyam and The Corner House, October 2008
During the last two decades, private equity became an integral component of the world’s financial system at a time when financial markets overshadowed the productive economy. Private equity was invariably behind the multi-billion buyout deals, and mergers and acquisitions that swept across the US and Europe, creating a new type of corporate conglomerate that is reshaping the way business is conducted.
Insofar as it constitutes a new form of corporate ownership, private equity poses new challenges to labour unions, NGOs…
By Kavaljit Singh | Letters to Editor, Financial Times | July 22-August 6, 2008
Give Priority to Financial Services
Financial Times, July 22, 2008
From Sir Stephen Wright and Mr John Cooke.
Sir, Ministers from some 40 countries are meeting in Geneva to decide the fate of the Doha round of multilateral trade talks. It is vital that they achieve a breakthrough, and lay the foundation for a lasting agreement. The Doha round offers a unique opportunity to address the barriers to global trade that continue to hold back the world economy. This would bring benefits to developed and developing countries alike, and would offer some palliative…
The recent decision by Norway’s Government Pension Fund–Global (GPF) to invest $2 billion in Indian markets has come at a time when most foreign institutional investors are fleeing the markets. This is a very significant development as there are very few institutional investors in the global markets who can provide liquidity when it is most needed. However, the true significance of GPF lies in its role as an ethical and socially responsible investor. The GPF was in the news last year…
By Kavaljit Singh | Column, Civil Society | January 2008
On 19 November, the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi received some unusual visitors. Even the police and security personnel stationed in the heavily-guarded Chanakyapuri area of Delhi where the Norwegian and other embassies are located could not figure out the purpose of these visitors. Though they were Indian citizens, ethnically they belong to a distinct tribal minority group called Dongria Kondh. Dressed in their traditional attire, these tribal representatives came all the way from the remote Niyamgiri hills of…
By Kavaljit Singh | Op-Ed, International Herald Tribune | December 18, 2007
On Nov. 19, the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi received some unusual visitors. The visitors were Indian citizens, but ethnically they belonged to a distinct tribal minority group called Dongria Kondh. Dressed in their traditional attire, the tribal representatives came all the way from the remote Niyamgiri hills of Orissa to express gratitude to the Norwegian authorities for selling the country’s equity stake in the British-based metal company, Vedanta Resources, on ethical grounds. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund-Global, had an investment of about $14 million (an…
