What Lies Beneath

Magazine journalists always love tipping points. They present a juicy opportunity to alert readers about the coming bend on the road — and also what lies beyond. Clearly, this is prime territory for any magazine that promises to keep its readers ahead of the curve.

There are three such magic moments in the edition that you hold. Anchored by Deputy Editor Shishir Prasad, our cover story isn’t a simple trendy piece of how a bunch of heavyweights from the secretive world of private equity are striking out on their own. Instead, it delves deep into why the stars are indeed aligned for Renuka Ramnath, Ajay Relan, Rajesh Khanna and a few more of their ilk — and also, what their entry means for smart, mid-sized entrepreneurs they hope to fund. If you’re one of them, there’s no way that you can afford to miss this story.

A few weeks ago, you may have read about a bit of hullaballoo in the advertising world about a seemingly atrocious media pitch called by global consumer products company Reckitt Benckiser. It prompted Senior Assistant Editor Rohin Dharmakumar to investigate and he came back with a compelling story of how and why media agencies are caught in a dangerous downward spiral.

There’s more: Anyone who dabbles in mutual funds would have heard of Prashant Jain. He’s the rock star CIO who manages Rs. 86,000 crore plus of assets for HDFC, one of India’s premier mutual funds. And he’s been doing an incredible job of it for the past decade. But now, as Associate Editor Pravin Palande discovered, mutual fund analysts reckon there’s a possibility that Jain’s winning streak could well peter out, as his funds grow bigger and bigger. We bring you up-close-and-personal with India’s best known fund manager, as he tries to battle the growing odds stacked against him.

Hope you enjoy these stories — plus a lot more in this edition!

P.S. Do watch out for our special edition that we have lined up for you on the eve of our Independence Day. It hits the stands on August 13.