AjithPillai:
Will there be peace in the BJP second rung after Advani remits office?
Saba Naqvi Bhaumik: The BJP second-rung leaders are ambitious and each one believes only he or she can lead the party to a new future. A new president will soon replace L.K. Advani, but the covert and overt battles between the party leaders will not end. Whosoever takes over(Outlook places its money on Rajnath Singh) will have to watch his/her back. Even Advani, who’ll remain the leader of the Opposition, will be struggling to remain relevant. The clash of personalities will continue to produce fireworks.
Will we achieve ten per cent growth in 2006?
ParomitaShastri: Not so fast, darlings. As even the bright bunch in Goldman Sachs will agree, there are a dozen imponderables waiting to stick a foot out. The Leftistpressure, for instance, or a rising dollar. But why split hairs when we could be there already. Assuming a quarter of the economy on the fringes of the formal sector, today's eight per cent equals ten per cent, right?
Which foreign publication will be launched first?
AnuradhaRaman: The Financial Times and Business Standard JV is expected to take off first. A close second could be the deal between Asian Wall Street Journal and Bennett, Coleman and Co. BusinessWeek and Cyber Media could have been the first, but the proposal seems to be stuck with theFIPB which, it is learnt, wants BusinessWeek to come through the FDI route. But one never knows. The Jagaran group, with some help from the Irish Independent which has 26 per cent stake in the former, might surprise everyone by coming out first.
Will Sourav Ganguly be on the Pakistan tour?
KrishnaPrasad: Yes. Kiran More and his crew of standup comedians have painted Sharad Pawar into a corner by their recent decision to axe Ganguly. The only option for the board now is to continue to pretend that the just thing was done to Ganguly (which it wasn't). Or make amends by giving India's winningest skipper an honourable exit. The wily Maratha who has fought and won many a battle against rivals bigger than Jaggu Dada will opt for the latter course.
Which model will make it big in Bollywood in 2006?
Shobita Dhar: Deepika Padukone. With those endless legs, a disarming smile and the successful Liril and Close-Up campaigns behind her, she is set to be the next big ramp export to Bollywood. The buzz is thatSRK has recommended her name to Farah Khan for the latter’s next venture, aptly titled Happy New Year.
Will Indian industry be amenable to reservations?
Saumya Roy: The central and the state governments are unlikely to push thisdecision. But the politicians will hang this issue like a Damocles' sword over theprivate sector to make themselves look good during election times. And they willrely on latent opposition from the private entrepreneurs to keep this decision in aconstant limbo. To figure out who'll win this populism vs bottomline battle finally, justfollow the money!
Will Sania Mirza win a Grand Slam tournament?
G.Rajaraman: Unlikely in 2006. Sania doesn't have a huge first serve that's critical and her second one is weak. And yes, to win seven intense contests over a fortnight in a tournament requires greater consistency and fitness than Sania has shown. It'll be great fun if she proves me wrong!
Will Avian flu kill the (sales of) tandoori chicken?
PramilaN. Phatarphekar: No. Because ever since Partition, when this bird was dunked into scarlet spices and tandooried its way from Kashmir to Indira Point, poultry farming has remained a segmented industry. Small farms make it difficult for the flu to spread, unlike in America where poultry majors have Walmarted individual farmers out of business. Leg, breast anybody?
Will Xbox overshadow iPod this year?
ArindamMukherjee: iPod's fan-following cuts across while Xbox is a rage primarily among gamers. iPod is small, lightweight (under 6 ounces) and portable. And it'scheaper too. It may be "just music on a hard disk" but let's accept it—it appeals to more people. Xbox will have to wait.
Will Abhishek's dream run continue?
NamrataJoshi: Let's admit it. It's been a comedown for Abhishek from Bunty Aur Babli toBluffmaster. In addition, he hasn't had a single-hero hit and, therefore, his popularity as well as his ability to deliver hits isquestionable. His surname will continue to bog him down and he'll have to constantly compete with his father.
