Marketing tenets

This refers to “From textiles to gold, the Kalyan saga” (July 17). The story of the founders of Kayan Jewellers contains interesting marketing truths like “Never push sales. Let customers decide what they wish to buy” and spend money regularly on sales promotion to remain in public eye.

This is also a lesson about how bonding has played a key role in their success. The overuse of film celebrities in their marketing campaign is probably due their pull in public image in the South.

YG Chouksey

Pune

Debt funds stress

In the news report ‘1.08 Lakh Cr AM of debt MFs under stress’ (July 17), it is surprising to see ‘huge redemptions’ from debt schemes post the amendment to the Finance Bill withdrawing indexation and Long Term Capital Gains benefits for debt funds.

However the amendment applies only prospectively from April 1, 2023. All investments made up to March 31 , 2023 would continue to enjoy the indexation/LTCG benefits. This could have been stated in the report to quell fears and further redemptions.

It is to be noted that after the announcement of the amendment till the deadline date (March 31, 2023), there was in fact a rush to invest in debt schemes to avail of the earlier benefits.

V Vijaykumar

Pune

Wrangle over data

The Editorial ‘Futile slugfest’ (July 17) is timely as people are confused over the reports of various statistical organisations.

Reports say rural demand is growing and urban market is booming. But still we find good number of people migrating for a livelihood and the middle class in urban areas are bearing the brunt of growing cost of living, increasing interest on EMIs and fast dwindling real wage.

It is time to reorient the entire functioning of the data apparatus and present a better picture of reality.

AG Rajmohan

Anantapur

This refers to your editorial “Futile slugfest” ( July 17). The data quality, methods adopted to collect data and delay in putting them to use are prime concerns facing the policy makers.

Obsolete data put to use in economic policy making leads to the misleading conclusions. In recent times even members who are part of critical PM’s policy making committee have raised concerns about the quality of data collected.

Important macroeconomic indicators like projecting growth, GDP, unemployment, consumption, inflation, investments, prices, money supply etc. revolves around collection of credible up to date data to convey sense to those who are in charge of the critical economic decision making process.

If the policy estimates are not based on data which are qualitative, reliable and timely then the conclusions derived out of such data are bound to be discrepant and impact policy-making.

Srinivasan Velamur

Chennai-