Features

The 30-year-old co-founder of MessageMe, a multimedia messaging app that’s the current rage, refused to concede defeat or disappointment at being shut out by Facebook, writes Yashwant Raj.

Do and don'ts: Though the 3-year lock-in clause offers some flexibility, the investor definition clause can sometimes be a deterrent. Kayezad E Adajania writes.

When the Olympic cauldron erupted in flames at the London Games' opening ceremony last year, it marked not just the start of the competition but the climax of a conceptual design. Copper plates borne by every country's contingent were put together at the end of steel poles. Bhavya Dore reports.

Eating at air-conditioned restaurants became more expensive last week with the budget proposing a service tax on them. Until now, a service tax of 12.36% was applicable on 40% of the bill at air-conditioned restaurants having a licence to serve alcoholic beverages. Vivina Vishwanathan reports. Eating out: Bill break-up

Indian employers are cautiously optimistic about their hiring plans for the next three months, and job seekers will have to be prepared for a more rigorous selection process, staffing services company Manpower said in a report on Tuesday.

Banks are training their guns on overdue borrowers who can pay, but won't. Punitive measures will include a ban on floating new ventures, and, in extreme cases, pressing of criminal charges. HT takes a look. Credit Score

As early as 2008, the T-Mobile G1 erupted on the scene as the first Android of them all, disrupting the mobile universe. Things changed dramatically. Sony, LG and HTC have lined up their latest handsets. We take a look. Gagandeep Singh Sapra writes.

In response to consumer impatience as a growing behaviour trait, more brands are innovating to deliver more precise solutions quicker. TV ads are full of them, writes Anita Sharan.

India often likes to believe it could be a "super power", but a more realistic target is to beat China first. India could even do well, for now, to match Bangladesh, a smaller neighbour with a lower per capita income, but far better human development indices. Zia Haq writes.

India faces a tough task of balancing spending cuts, a necessary evil, with keeping people satisfied by providing everything cheap, from food to fuel. Gaurav Choudhury and Zia Haq write. Graphics: World economy's new pecking order

In the long term, returns from bank deposits, such as fixed deposits (FDs) and recurring deposits (RDs), get eaten into by tax and inflation rates and these are fairly large bites. Vivina Vishwanathan reports.

Safety concern is high as consumers are willing to shell extra bucks for highest standards, said a study released by TÜV SÜD, a German-based testing, inspection and certification services provider.

Chakrabarti, the first EBRD head to visit India since 2007, has been talking to the Tata Group, Mahindra and Mahindra, Reliance Industries Ltd and other major business houses to see how EBRD can partner them in the areas that his bank operates. Pramitpal Chaudhuri writes.

Indian companies are becoming more sensitive towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, Mahua Venkatesh and Himani Chandna Gurtoo
 report.

So far, fitness, which was largely associated with a well-equipped, air-conditioned gymnasium with state-of-the-art machines and treadmills, is finding meaning on playgrounds, running tracks, dancing rooms and beaches. Seeing the opportunity, services are cashing in. Pooja Biraia reports.