Category: Business

NEW YORK, NY, Mar 3: The Leadership Development Group, Inc. a leading healthcare talent development firm specializing in customized leadership development solutions for executive and clinical leaders, and Northeast Georgia Health System  recently named by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for overall workplace culture, healthcare, diversity, and for women,  are proud to commemorate a six-year partnership that has transformed leadership development across the organization.

What began as a physician-focused leadership academy has evolved year-over-year to include Dyad Leaders and Advanced Practice Providers  reflecting NGHS’ commitment to adaptability, innovation, and impact. Together, TLD Group and NGHS have built flexible leadership academies that not only strengthen individual capabilities but also foster interdisciplinary collaboration and reinforce NGHS’ commitment to evolving clinical leadership models.

NGHS launched its inaugural Applied Physician Leadership Academy in 2020 with a pioneering cohort of 29 senior medical directors and physician leaders during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic. Since then, the program has flourished, graduating more than 115 physicians and establishing a powerful leadership pipeline to guide the health system’s future. Building on this success, NGHS introduced the Applied Dyad Leadership Academy (ADLA) in 2023, equipping physician and administrative leaders  including nurse managers and operational leaders  with the collaborative skills essential to the dyad leadership model. To date, more than 35 dyads have completed the program. 2025 marked another milestone as NGHS expanded APLA to include Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) alongside physicians, further broadening the scope of leadership development. In total, by the end of 2026, NGHS will have graduated more than 225 physicians, nurse managers, and APPs  reflecting its deep and ongoing investment in cultivating the next generation of leaders across the system.

“Our leadership academies have become a cornerstone of how NGHS develops talent. By evolving from physicians to dyads to APPs, we have created a culture of collaboration and adaptability that directly benefits our patients and our community,”

said Dr. Deepak Aggarwal, NGHS Physician Champion of Provider Leadership. 

“The focus on self-awareness, team-building, and strategic thinking has empowered our leaders to lead more effectively, especially in an evolving healthcare landscape.”

Through TLD Group’s customized design approach, the academies have iterated over time to include new participants that reflect the evolving structure of clinical leadership at NGHS. Each academy incorporates customized workshops, strategic project work, and coaching. Year over year participants have demonstrated significant improvements in key leadership dimensions including Self-Awareness, Building Effective Teams, Business Fundamental, Dyad Leadership, and Strategic Change Management. Strategic projects challenged teams to address organizational priorities such as mentorship, social media strategy, AI, career pathways, and resource optimization. Participants highlighted the experience as a valuable laboratory for applying leadership tools to real-world challenges.

NGHS’ commitment to sustained learning is further reflected in its “Dinner & Discourse” series  a set of post-graduation evening sessions that reinforce program concepts and foster alumni engagement. This initiative supports continuous leadership growth and bonding among past participants. Leadership development efforts have also correlated with marked improvements in organizational engagement. According to NGHS’ Press Ganey engagement survey data, employee and physician engagement scores have steadily increased over the last few years, underscoring the broader impact of TLD Group’s academies on NGHS’ performance and culture.

“At NGHS, we know that leadership drives transformation. This partnership with TLD Group has ensured that our leaders are not only prepared for today’s challenges but also equipped to shape the future of healthcare, said Matt Hanley, MD, President and CEO of NGHS.

“We are honored to celebrate six years of partnership with NGHS. Their willingness to iterate and expand the academies each year reflects a true commitment to impact, innovation, and leadership across the health ecosystem,”

said Tracy Duberman, PhD, President and CEO of TLD Group.

“We’re thankful we have worked together to cultivate leaders who are shaping the future of healthcare.”

Northeast Georgia Health System  is a non-profit on a mission of improving the health of the community in all they do. Their team cares for more than one million people across the region through five hospitals and a variety of outpatient locations. Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) has campuses in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder, Dahlonega, and Demorest – with a total of more than 1,000 beds and more than 1,500 medical staff members representing more than sixty specialties. 

The Leadership Development Group is a talent development consulting firm. Through its customized leadership solutions, TLD Group ignites leaders, teams, and organizations to align their passion to purpose to transform the healthcare industry. TLD Group works with the most influential players in the industry  providers, payers, health systems, pharmaceutical companies, policymakers, health-adjacent, and those looking to disrupt. TLD Group’s talent development solutions create leaders who are collaborative change agents capable of executing mission-critical organizational strategies.

DIGEST – Market attention remained squarely on the Middle East yesterday, though initial risk-aversion pared as the day wore on, with equity dip buyers out in force again. Headline-watching will remain the order of the day today.

WHERE WE STAND – Participants maintained a laser-like focus on geopolitical developments yesterday, as conflict in the Middle East continued, and headline noise remained deafening.

Clearly, we all hope that the situation calms in short order, and that hostilities are brought to a relatively swift end. At this stage, however, such a conclusion seems unlikely, at least in the short-term, with rhetoric from both the US-Israeli, and Iranian, sides indicating preparedness for a prolonged conflict, and thus far signalling little desire to de-escalate or negotiate.

Crucially, though, the Iranians have signalled that oil infrastructure of countries within the Gulf are not targets of their military strikes, while the Strait of Hormuz remains open, even if the majority of tankers are at a standstill nearby, awaiting confirmation they will receive clear passage, as well as appropriate insurance coverage. All that allowed crude benchmarks to pare around a third of the opening gap higher, and for Brent to pullback beneath the key $80bbl mark, as some degree of the extreme risk premium priced at Sunday’s open was removed.

Besides Brent trimming gains, there were two distinct themes dominating the price action yesterday.

Firstly, there was a general desire to preserve capital, as participants sought havens in which to shelter from geopolitical news flow, and batten down the hatches to a degree. For most, gold was the haven of choice, with bullion briefly taking a look above $5,400/oz once again before paring a chunk of the gains, while the dollar also attracted inflows, advancing around 1% against a basket of peers. In case it were in any doubt, this again proves that, when push comes to shove, the greenback is still the ‘cleanest dirty shirt’ in the FX universe; so much for the ‘Sell America’ trade!

Interestingly, the Swissie didn’t attract the haven inflows that I’d expected, though this was largely as a result of the SNB noting their ‘increased preparedness’ to intervene in the FX market in light of the international situation. That jawboning clearly dented the attractiveness of hiding out in the CHF, while the JPY also faced some fairly chunky headwinds, largely a reflection of Japan being a significant energy importer.

This brings me to the second distinct theme, where participants traded geopolitical risk through the lens of a commodity shock. This was evident not only via that JPY weakness, but with other big energy importers, such as the GBP, also seeing notable downside.

Such a theme was even more obvious in the rates space, with Treasuries – and govvies across DM – trading substantially softer on the day across the board. The belly underperformed, largely unwinding the outperformance seen last week, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield in turn poking its head back above 4.00%. The prices paid metric in the ISM manufacturing survey rising to its highest level since June 2022 didn’t help much here either.

I’d argue that a lot of the pressure here, as well as the hawkish repricing in G10 STIR curves, is probably overdone, considering not only that an energy price shock will only prove inflationary if it is sustained, but also bearing in mind that policymakers almost always look-through the impact of energy prices in any case.

Amid all that, equity dip buyers wasted no time in entering the fray, with both spoos and the NQ paring opening declines of over 1%, to end the day in the green. Although stocks here in Europe did end the day in the red, largely a function of the aforementioned commodity shock, I think this on the whole speaks to participants re-focusing away from headline noise, and instead reflecting on what remains a robust fundamental backdrop for risky assets, amid strong earnings growth, and a robust underlying economy. Obviously, a degree of caution may prevail in the short-term, though I remain in dip-buying mode, as the ‘path of least resistance’ should continue to lead higher over the medium-run.

Lastly, I’ll reiterate what I said yesterday, in that we are already seeing the ‘half-life’ of geopolitical headlines shorten rather significantly, with market attention increasingly turning towards the potential for ‘off ramps’ and ‘de-escalation’. Though we are not at that stage yet, there is still little that leads me to believe that this will prove different to the usual manner in which geopolitical events tend to shake out for markets. Namely, that this will prove a short-term shock, not a trigger for a durable or longer-lasting change in the overall direction or theme.

LOOK AHEAD – I’ll go through it anyway, but with geopolitics the focus, I can almost guarantee that today’s calendar events won’t matter one bit.

Last month’s ‘flash’ eurozone inflation figures are the only notable data release, with both headline and core CPI metrics set to remain unchanged at 1.7% YoY and 2.2% YoY respectively, adding further evidence to the case for the ECB’s easing cycle to be at an end.

Elsewhere, a handful of central bank speakers are due, including influential Fed voter Williams, and BoJ Governor Ueda, though neither is likely to say too much about the impact of recent events. Meanwhile, on the earnings front, notable reports come from the likes of Target (TGT) before the open, and CrowdStrike (CRWD) after the close.

Mar 2:TEDxHRCollege is the official TEDx platform of HR College of Commerce and Economics, created to bring the global spirit of TED to a student-led stage in Mumbai. Marking its 11th edition, TEDxHRCollege was held at the C.K. Nayudu Banquet Hall, Cricket Club of India, under the theme “Beyond the Horizon.” Independently organized by students and licensed by TED, the event embodied the mission of “Ideas Worth Spreading,” encouraging audiences to challenge boundaries and envision possibilities beyond the visible.

 The event commenced with a classical performance followed by welcome addresses by Principal Dr. Pooja Ramchandani and Head Organizer Ms. Palak Gala.

The speaker lineup featured diverse voices across leadership, literature, and corporate foresight:

Mr. Bharat Dash, management professional, reflected on the enduring relevance of the Panchatantra, contrasting its emotional intelligence and storytelling depth with conventional presentation formats.

Mr. Yusuf Poonawala, entrepreneur and author of The Balanced Leader, delivered “When Everything Burns Down, What Remains?”, urging audiences to build character, values, and resilience beyond titles and applause.

 Ms. Alpa Vora, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF India, spotlighted youth-led initiatives in Maharashtra that safeguard children’s rights and strengthen communities.

Ms. Kaveri Ingale explored leadership through cinematic narratives, emphasizing courage, accountability, and authenticity as everyday practices.

 Mr. Vesmir, poet and author, examined the cognitive and emotional implications of over-reliance on AI, advocating literature as essential for human resilience.

 Ms. Kamayani Nagar, Head of Retail at Aditya Birla Sun Life, spoke on preparing for corporate life in 2036, highlighting adaptability, AI literacy, ethical judgment, and continuous learning as future essentials.

Ms. Priyadarshini Indalkar, acclaimed Marathi actress, addressed the “Fear of Failure,” encouraging resilience, empathy, and authenticity in navigating personal and professional challenges.

The event would not have been possible without the unwavering support and guidance of our Principal, Dr. Pooja Ramchandani, and our Faculty In-Charge, Prof. Chandani Bhattacharjee. Their constant encouragement, trust and thoughtful mentorship laid the foundation for its success. Their belief in our vision empowered us to execute the event with confidence, responsibility, and excellence.

 Beyond being a platform for ideas, TEDxHRCollege is a transformative learning experience. It enables students to build strong communities while developing leadership, communication, hospitality, and problem-solving skills. By taking ownership of real responsibilities, students grow not only as organizers but as capable, confident individuals ready to lead beyond the horizon.

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) signs an MoU with Peddapalli District Administration, Telangana to accelerate inclusive development through interventions under Project SHINE

Telangana, Mar 02: Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), one of India’s leading FMCG companies, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the District Administration of Peddapalli, Government of Telangana, to implement joint community development programs under its flagship CSR framework, Project SHINE. The MoU was formalised between Mr. Koya Sree Harsha, I.A.S., District Collector and District Magistrate, Peddapalli, Government of Telangana, and Shweta Punetha, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), HCCB, in the presence of senior officials and community stakeholders.

Under this MoU, HCCB will plan, co‑design, and execute CSR initiatives aligned with the government’s development priorities in Peddapalli. These initiatives include rural development programs such as providing a water filtration unit, improving sanitation infrastructure, and conducting Health and Water Conservation, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sensitization sessions in schools and communities across Mutharam, Ramagiri, and Manthani.

As part of the MoU, HCCB will also support beautification activities in the pond, helping strengthen it as a vibrant community space within the local water infrastructure. Additionally, the program will expand Naagrik Soochna Kendras (NSKs) to help eligible citizens access relevant state and central government schemes. The partnership will further focus on youth skill development, digital literacy, and livelihood opportunities for women through Self‑Help Groups (SHGs).

Mr. Koya Sree Harsha, I.A.S., District Collector and District Magistrate, Peddapalli, Government of Telangana, said “Telangana continues to demonstrate inclusive development through strong governance and community‑focused efforts. In Peddapalli, our priority is to build resilient rural infrastructure, strengthen public institutions, and enable local entrepreneurship. This partnership helps us leverage credible corporate participation to advance district priorities in water security, education, and women‑led development. We appreciate HCCB’s structured commitment under Project SHINE and look forward to building a convergence model that supports communities in Peddapalli, contributing to the region’s holistic development and strengthening the local economy.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Himanshu Priyadarshi, Chief Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability Officer, HCCB, said “At HCCB, we believe that sustainable progress is built on the foundation of strong communities. Peddapalli has been an integral part of our journey in Telangana, and our deepening partnership with the district administration through Project SHINE is a testament to that bond. By focusing on critical infrastructure, WASH access, women’s entrepreneurship, and education, we are aligning our efforts with the Government of Telangana’s vision to drive meaningful, inclusive development for the region.”

Through this MoU, HCCB reiterates its commitment to community empowerment under Project SHINE—a CSR initiative built on five core thematic areas: Sustainable Solutions for Environment & Disaster Management, Health & Hygiene through WASH Initiatives, Inclusive Growth via Women Empowerment & Livelihood, Nurturing Potential through Education & Skill Building, and Empowering Communities for a Better Future.

Under this framework, and in collaboration with its implementation partner Y4D Foundation, HCCB has executed multiple CSR projects across Sangareddy, Warangal, Medak, and Medchal districts. According to an impact assessment study of HCCB’s community partnership programs conducted by Deloitte for FY 2024–25, the company’s initiatives have positively impacted approximately 43,000 individuals across Telangana. 

Recently, HCCB also signed an MoU with the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Government of Telangana, to empower over 1,000 women entrepreneurs associated with more than 100 Mahila Shakti Canteens across the state, under the banner of Project SHINE, supporting holistic development and community empowerment in rural Telangana.

Bengaluru, Mar 2: United Way Bengaluru (UWBe) proudly steps up as the official Philanthropy Partner for the TCS World 10K Marathon, scheduled to be held on April 26, 2026, in Bengaluru.

This year, UWBe provides a structured fundraising platform that empowers participants to support credible grassroots initiatives in education, environment, women empowerment, sports, healthcare, and community development.

As a trusted partner, UWBe ensures every contribution undergoes rigorous due diligence and monitoring, directing funds precisely to the communities that need them most.

For United Way Bengaluru, this is more than just a run; it’s a powerful opportunity for corporates, communities, and individuals to unite and drive meaningful change. Through transparent processes, UWBe connects supporters with NGOs creating real impact on the ground. United Way Bengaluru requests corporates, CSR leaders, NGOs, institutions, and passionate individuals to join hands as changemakers. Participate in the run, fundraise, and turn steps into lasting progress. 

Chandigarh, Mar 02: CDSL Investor Protection Fund (CDSL IPF) and BSE Investor Protection Fund (BSE IPF), under the aegis of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), jointly hosted a Mega Regional Investor Awareness Seminar (Mega RISA) at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh.

 The Mega RISA, themed “Shikshit Se Saksham”, brought together over 350 participants, including women entrepreneurs, students, and general investors, for a comprehensive day of financial literacy and awareness activities.

The seminar was conducted in association with key Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) – NSE, MSE, NSDL, MCX, NCDEX, and AMFI. The initiative aimed to strengthen understanding of the securities market, promote responsible investing practices, and enhance awareness on cyber safety, thereby reinforcing the importance of informed financial decision‑making in an increasingly digital and dynamic market environment.

The event was graced by distinguished dignitaries, including:

• Chief Guest: Ms. Yatri Dave Vitekar, Chief Vigilance Officer, SEBI,
• Shri Vijayant Kumar Verma, Regional Director, SEBI
• Ms. Deepti Agrawal, Chief General Manager, SEBI,
• Dr. Shobna Dhiman, Registrar, Punjab Engineering College
• Inspector Ms. Eram Rizvi, Cyber Crime Division, Chandigarh Police
• Shri Sudhish Pillai, Head – CDSL IPF
• Shri Gaurav Kapoor, Senior Vice President, BSE

The seminar featured high‑level presentations and insights from regulators, cyber security specialists, and market experts. Interactive stalls from all MIIs and a financial quiz further enriched participant engagement. Key focus areas included preventive measures to combat financial cybercrime, financial planning, smart investing for long‑term wealth creation, and awareness initiatives such as #SEBIvsSCAMs and demonstrations of tools like SEBI CHECK provided by the regulator. Speakers also emphasized the growing importance of informed participation in capital markets as digital accessibility continues to rise.

The Mega RISA in Chandigarh witnessed enthusiastic participation and meaningful engagement throughout the day, reflecting the growing interest in financial literacy and investor awareness initiatives across the region.

This seminar is part of the ongoing nationwide efforts of BSE IPF, CDSL IPF, SEBI and all Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) to promote financial literacy, strengthen investor confidence, and build a well‑informed and financially secure investor community – i.e., Atmanirbhar Investors – across India.

Mar 02: Action TESA, the country’s largest manufacturer of engineered wood panel products and a category leader, has unveiled ‘TESA Inside’ — an industry-first invisible security marking designed to redefine product authenticity. Visible only under UV light for verification, this innovative feature enables easy and reliable authenticity checks. Currently introduced across the Pre-Lam range, ‘TESA Inside’ will soon be extended to the Plain series, further strengthening the brand’s commitment to quality assurance and customer trust.

 In addition, the company announced the launch of a new manufacturing facility at Rambilli Mandal, Vishakhapatnam that will cater to the growing demand of the company’s products in the South India market while generating significant employment opportunities in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ajay Aggarwal, Managing Director, Action TESA said,

“At Action TESA, we have always believed that trust is built through transparency and consistent quality. With the launch of ‘TESA Inside’, we are taking this commitment a step further by introducing an industry-first invisible security marking that enables instant authenticity verification under UV light. As the country’s largest manufacturer of engineered wood panel products, we take immense pride in delivering unmatched transparency and upholding our promise of superior quality. ‘TESA Inside’ is not just a mark — it is a trusted assurance to our customers that their furniture is crafted from genuine Action TESA material. Beginning with our Pre-Lam range and soon expanding to the Plain series, this initiative reinforces our leadership in setting new benchmarks for credibility and customer confidence in the category.”

He further emphasized,

“We are delighted to announce the establishment of our new manufacturing facility in Vishakhapatnam, a strategic move that will enable us to bridge market gaps and cater to the growing demand for premium products in the region. These initiatives not only strengthen our leadership in the engineered wood panel industry but also reaffirm our mission to raise benchmarks in quality and customer satisfaction.”

Action TESA is built on five foundational pillars IITCS that shape its identity and market approach. The first pillar TESA Intelligence reflects the company’s “Thinking Ahead” philosophy, driving purposeful innovation at every level.The second pillar TESA Inside stands for the belief that consumers deserve best-in-class quality and have the right to know what goes into the products they use. Action TESA firmly believes that “Ethics is our first ingredient.” This commitment is not just a statement but a practice and forms the foundation of its third pillar, TESA Trust. The company uses Industrial Grade Urea instead of the significantly cheaper Farmer’s Urea, despite it being six times more expensive, ensuring superior quality and long-term reliability. Transparency, customer-first thinking, and social responsibility remain integral to its operations.

The fourth pillar TESA Connect is the organisation’s commitment to building strong, transparent, and growth-focused relationships that ensure when one succeeds, we all rise together.

Key initiatives under TESA Connect

• TESA Connect App: A digital bridge connecting Carpenters, Retailers, and soon architects and consumers. TESA Initiated and skill development program for Carpenters wards named WPPT with MSME Sitarganj and it offer a 3 months free program absolutely free. The last batch are placed 100% with CTC of 25K with national brands.

• Kalpa-Taru Initiative: A farmer-centric program designed to boost farmer income through scientifically backed plantation practices. Action TESA distributed 64 lakh eucalyptus saplings in FY 24-25

TESA Salaam, the final pillar, embodies gratitude and respect for the people who shape the industry every day. TESA Salaam was the first initiative to formally celebrate Carpenters’ Day and Architecture Day, recognizing the two driving forces behind the furniture ecosystem.

Last year, the company launched Studio on wheels 3.0, a revolutionary mobile experiential center designed to bring the latest trends and sustainable innovations in interior and building solutions directly to customers’ doorsteps. At INDIAWOOD 2026, the company proudly showcased the innovative Studio on Wheels 3.0, giving thousands of visitors the opportunity to experience firsthand the superior quality and versatility of its products.

Ludhiana, Mar 2: MBD Group, one of India’s most trusted names in educational publishing and learning solutions, hosted its Distributors Meet 2026 in Ludhiana, bringing together partners from the Punjab region ahead of the upcoming academic year. The meet was led by Ms. Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Managing Director, MBD Group, and saw the presence of Mr. Praveen Singh, CEO, AASOKA, along with senior leaders from MBD Group, including Mr. Sanjay Bhatt, Senior Zonal Head, and members of the team. The meetunderscored MBD Group’s focus on strengthening long-term relationships, improving distribution effectiveness, and ensuring the timely and affordable delivery of learning resources to schools.

 The distributors meet focused on aligning book trade partners with the academic year’s priorities and product roadmap, while also addressing affordability, supply chain efficiency, and market readiness. It served as a strategic forum to review evolving curriculum requirements, market dynamics, and the changing needs of schools and educators. With a strong emphasis on quality-first education, MBD reiterated its approach of combining strong content with accessibility and cost-conscious delivery. Discussions also centred on equipping partners with clearer planning visibility, streamlined processes, and collaborative growth opportunities to ensure smoother reach across schools and institutions in the region.

Addressing the gathering, Ms. Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Managing Director, MBD Group, said,

“For MBD Group, the strength of our distribution network directly impacts the quality and consistency of learning delivered in classrooms. This meet was about setting clear priorities for the academic year ahead, including curriculum relevance, academic integrity, and execution excellence, while ensuring our partners are equipped to deliver consistently across geographies. Alongside this, we remain focused on responsible pricing, so that our books continue to make quality education accessible without compromising on standards.”

Sharing his perspective on the Group’s digital learning journey, Mr. Praveen Singh, CEO, AASOKA, added,

“Growth at MBD Group has been guided by disciplined execution and strong alignment across the ecosystem, rather than scale for its own sake. As blended learning becomes integral to classroom delivery, the focus remains on ensuring clarity around learning outcomes, effective use of technology, and consistent on-ground implementation. These elements are critical to building a sustainable education ecosystem that supports teachers, strengthens classroom effectiveness, and maintains rigorous academic standards, while also ensuring learning solutions remain simple, effective, and affordable for students.”

A key highlight of the meet was MBD Group’s integrated blended learning strategy, where academic content is designed simultaneously for print and digital learning. As part of this blended learning ecosystem, AASOKA has engaged with over 4,000 schools since its launch in 2021, supporting 9.5 lakh students and having trained over 80,000 teachers across the country. The discussions emphasised the role of distributors in strengthening the reach and delivery of AASOKA’s blended learning offerings, ensuring adoption aligned with curriculum requirements and classroom outcomes.

The MBD Distributors Meet 2026 concluded with interactive discussions and strategic exchanges aimed at reinforcing trust, collaboration, and shared growth. With a steadfast focus on quality, innovation, and partnership-led expansion, MBD Group continues to strengthen its mission of building a resilient, future-ready education ecosystem in India.

By Kirsten Hilgeford

When it comes to the price of financial services such as loans, mortgages, and insurance, the perception of what is “fair” has a lot to do with how wealthy you are. In the study “Seeing Like a Company or a Customer: Selective Empathy in Pricing,” appearing in the February 2026 issue of the American Sociological Review, authors Barbara Kiviat (Columbia University) and Carly R. Knight (New York University) examine how Americans evaluate the fairness of risk-based pricing—where consumers who are predicted to be high-risk/costly are charged more. 

Grounding their approach in previous sociological research on empathy, Kiviat and Knight demonstrate that either side of an economic transaction—company or customer—can become the object of empathy. To establish this, Kiviat and Knight conducted three studies on risk-based pricing, focusing on transactions between customers and companies. In the first study, they analyzed two nationally representative surveys to examine the relationship between household income and beliefs about the fairness of charging high-risk people more for insurance and credit. The authors uncovered a pattern in which wealthier individuals, regardless of their economic self-interest or ideology, were more likely to accept the moral legitimacy of tying prices to a person’s behavior.  

The authors then proposed the new lens of “selective empathy” to apply to their remaining two studies. Selective empathy is when an individual disproportionately directs their empathy to and takes the perspective of either the company or the customer in evaluating pricing arrangements. Kiviat and Knight found that wealthier individuals are more likely than lower-income individuals to empathize with companies—and less likely to empathize with high-risk consumers. 

“Our findings show that support for pro-business pricing practices is not simply about self-interest,” said the authors. “Instead, wealthier Americans more easily see things from a company’s ‘point of view,’ making these practices appear fair even when they consistently burden high-risk consumers. This class-based split in perspective matters to how people judge the fairness of our economy.” 

The authors note that their findings ultimately “reveal that risk-based pricing—even in its most institutionalized, ostensibly innocuous form—reflects a class-based understanding of market fairness.” 

New Delhi, Mar 02: Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), a leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, announced that it recorded total sales of 7,212 units with domestic sales of 5,629 units and exports of 1,583 units in February 2026.

Sharing his thoughts on the sales performance, Mr. Kunal Behl, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd. said, “We maintained our sales momentum through February, driven by strong popularity of Honda Amaze as a practical sedan with outclass safety. Honda City and Elevate also recorded steady volumes with exciting promotions during the month. As we approach the final month of the fiscal, we remain optimistic about market performance.”

The company had registered 5,616 units in domestic sales and 4,707 units in exports during February 2025.