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Cain & Abel Redux?
 Even
after a much-publicised and well-documented settlement between
Mukesh Ambani and his younger brother Anil (the
latter ended up with Reliance Energy, Reliance Capital, and Reliance
Infocomm; the former with pretty much everything else), it is
evident that not all is well on Planet Ambani. Exhibit A, in any
case to prove this, would have to be reports of a seemingly trivial
move by Mukesh to have some telephone connections (Reliance Infocomm,
of course) at his office replaced (by state-owned MTNL). Exhibit
B would have to be reports that the squabble between NTPC and
Reliance Industries, which has reached the courts, is actually
a proxy for a coming fight between Reliance Industries and Reliance
Energy (because, the argument goes, Reliance Industries has promised
to deliver gas to Reliance Energy on the same terms that it will
to NTPC, and by reneging on its deal with the latter, it can do
the same with that with the former too). Keep an eye on the brothers
in 2006.
-Sahad P.V.
 First
Lady
She was the first Indian woman to graduate
from Harvard Business School. She is amongst the most powerful
women in business in the country. Now, in 2006, Naina Lal Kidwai
could become a director on the board of Swiss multinational
Nestle. The general meeting of the world's largest food company,
on April 6, is when this will happen (if she is chosen).
-S P.V.
 Cellular
Czar...
... or sell-out artiste? That's the question
Bharti Tele-Ventures CEO Sunil Mittal must answer in 2006.
Chances are, he'll evade doing so. Vodafone may have acquired
an enabling approval from the FIPB to hike its stake in Bharti
Enterprises, the holding company for the telco, to 49 per cent,
but that will happen only if and when the Mittals decide to dilute
their stake.
-S P.V.
 Patriarch's
Autumn
He paid Rs 18 crore as income tax in 2004-05,
which means he earned at least Rs 54 crore that year. He featured
in seven films last year (2005), hosted KBC II, and endorsed 11
brands. Now, with his ageing body protesting, Amitabh Bachchan
will have to take it easier in 2006. But who will step into
his shoes?
-Archna Shukla
 Turbo-Jet?
Not Quite
Well, 2006 will be the year Naresh Goyal's
Jet Airways starts flying to the US (after a tumultuous 2005 when
it was prevented from doing so by, among others, a case by American
firm Jet Inc). And, if Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher manages to acquire
Air Sahara, Goyal could find the competition a tad hot.
 Will
He? Won't He?
After Merrill Lynch famously bought out Hemendra
Kothari from DSP Merrill Lynch for a fabulous $500 million (Rs
2,250 crore), D-street has been abuzz about other such sell-outs,
including one by J.M. Morgan Stanley founder Nimesh Kampani
to his 49 per cent JV partner Morgan Stanley. Will the 59-year-old
Kampani go for it in 2006?
-Archna Shukla
 Into
His Own
He's been CEO for a few years now, and, thanks
to his initiatives in the area of urban governance, become a mover-and-shaker-of-sorts
in New Delhi. Now, with the impending retirement of Chairman N.R.
Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, the quintessential big
picture man, will have to prove he has Murthy's "excellence-in-execution
too."
 Dot.com
Boomer
This could be the year naukri.com, arguably,
India's most successful dotcom goes for a public issue. That'll
be some denouement to the story of Sanjeev Bikchandani,
an IIM-alum who, spurning the flashiness that characterised almost
all of India's dotcoms that were part of the first wave, kept
Naukri on the straight and narrow, even avoiding venture funding
for a long time (he eventually sold 15 per cent to ICICI Venture).
It seems only apt that Naukri should consider going in for an
IPO just around the time Web 2.0 companies are beginning to sprout
in India.
-Sahad P.V.
 Lone
Ranger
In 2005, Yusuf Hamied, the 70-year-old
Chairman and Managing Director of Cipla, had a hard time convincing
people he was not selling out. Instead, he insisted, Cipla was
merely exploring opportunities for collaboration. Fact is, Cipla
is the kind of company any MNC would like to own. Will that happen
in 2006?
-AS
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