Posts from the ‘Investment’ Category

Digging for long-term growth

‘Для того чтобы коровы меньше ели и больше давали молока, их надо меньше кормить и больше доить’ – Музыкант и актер Николай Фоменко

‘To make cows eat less and give more milk, you should feed them less and milk them more’ – Joke by Russian musician and comic actor Nikolai Fomenko

While the Russian economy is struggling, the agricultural sector is doing better than most. Here, I wish to suggest that – aside from filling us with optimism, as we look to plant this year’s crops – current developments in agriculture could see Russia reaping economic rewards for years come. Read more

Davos: turning point for the Russian economy?

“When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same

person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”

 Haruki Murakami in Kafka on the Shore 

The atmosphere at this year’s World Economic Forum, held in the Swiss resort of Davos earlier this year, was unusually gloomy with the focus on the economic slowdown in China, negative developments in the Middle East and the economic situation in Russia. Read more

Pirelli reaps the rewards of investment in Russia

In the current economic climate, it is encouraging to see that Pirelli, a major Italian tyre manufacturer, is set to continue investing in Russia. This shows that even in difficult market conditions there are opportunities for...

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UK-Russia: Trade and Investment panel at the London Business School

This week I participated in a panel discussion about the investment prospects of Russia and the trade relationship between Russia and the UK. The event was held at the London Business School (LBS), I was joined on the panel by...

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Central Asian infrastructure development

A general theme of SPIEF 2015 and the SCO summit in Ufa this summer was the economic collaboration and cooperation between nation states. While the focus has largely been on the collaboration between Russia and China, or Russia and India, it is important to note that Russia is also making an increased effort to form economic unions with some of its Eurasian neighbours. Continue reading

BBC Newshour Extra: panel discussion on Russo-West relations (2)

The BBC World Service panel discussion which I participated in was broadcast this morning on BBC Newshour Extra. The moderator asked the panellists: “should the West be doing business with Putin’s Russia?”

I believe that it is important to differentiate between politics and business, and that the business community should lead the way in ensuring economic cooperation between Russia and the West.

You can listen back to the programme and discussion below or by following the link to the BBC page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0343hjp

Op-ed: Business links going back centuries give UK-Russian relations resilience

I have commented in the past that trade, culture, and science have served as fundamental links between Russia and Britain, fostering and maintaining relationships between the two countries over centuries. It is important that such collaborations and exchanges continue.

In my latest op-ed, published in Russia Beyond the Headlines, I consider the historic economic cooperation between Britain and Russia, and how this has recently changed. Mutual business ties have suffered, and there have been references to a ‘new Cold War’.

But behind the media headlines, investors and businesses are keen to keep trade going. The business community should therefore take on greater responsibility to re-establish stability and restore trust and cooperation between these nations.

You can read the full article on RBTH here: Business links going back centuries give UK-Russian relations resilience

Reforms to Tax on Debt: Caution Advised!

A series of articles in the Economist propose a radical revision of existing capital and debt structures. The newspaper explains that it considers subsidies on debt holdings offered by governments worldwide to be ‘senseless’. As ever, the articles present thought-provoking and valuable insights regarding the way in which these subsidies affect borrowing habits and therefore wider society. However, I would like to suggest that any reforms be approached warily for two reasons. Firstly, as many in PE will observe, any such changes will be hugely complex and disruptive throughout the finance industry. Secondly, and potentially more importantly, this disruption would likely spread to curtail investment in innovation across the western world: the issue of how these reforms will affect various borrowing and innovation ‘cultures’ globally must therefore be taken into account. Continue reading