BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | A million coal jobs under threat, compliance cost burden, and the persistent issue of hunger
Latest estimates show that more than a million coal mine workers could be laid off by 2050, and most of them will be from India and China. Meanwhile, despite a marginal improvement, hunger remains a serious issue in India.
BUSINESS
Indian seafood industry worried as US takes aim at shrimp import from India
Curtailed access to the biggest market for Indian shrimp would add to the woes of a sector that is already facing depressed demand and prices globally
TRENDS
In Charts | The link between a country’s economy and its sporting performance
The top four medal-winning countries in the Asian Games 2023 also have the biggest economies in the continent. An analysis of historical data shows that this isn’t merely a coincidence.
BUSINESS
Of cocoa and cocoa nuts: Ivory Coast eyeing the Indian market to boost earnings from its prized export
At present, the African nation sells cocoa to the large chocolate companies of Europe and the US through middlemen, which deprives its farmers of fair earnings. The country is now looking to sell cocoa and products made from it directly to India.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | Investment project completions dip, internet freedom shrinks, but 5G adoption marches forward
India’s Internet Freedom Score for 2023 shows a decline from last year. However, 31 million users in the country are estimated to adopt 5G this year. Meanwhile, PM SVANidhi now covers 50 lakh street vendors.
BUSINESS
IPO fundraising dips 26% in H1 FY24, but retail investor confidence remains high, shows data
Of the 31 IPOs that hit the market in H1 FY24, as many as 21 were rolled out in August and September, according to data from PRIME Database
BUSINESS
International Cocoa Organisation sees major potential in Indian market
As cocoa consumption reaches a saturation point in the west, India is seeing a rising consumption of the commodity, not in the chocolate industry, but in the rising use of cocoa in dairy products and biscuits.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | India’s population is ageing while its youth is finding it hard to get jobs
According to latest estimates, the number of elderly people in India will surpass that of that of the younger cohorts by 2046. Meanwhile, youth unemployment rate is on the rise in the country.
BUSINESS
Rubber prices may drop further on rising imports and poor demand in peak season
Big consumers of rubber, like the tyre industry, are relying on cheaper imports from the Ivory Coast, impacting margins of domestic growers. Traders say that even domestically, industry is looking to the North-East for cheaper varieties rather than to Kerala, the highest producer.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | Platform workers struggle as expenses outpace income; high unemployment among educated youth; and more
Between 2019 and 2022, the average income of long-shift platform workers climbed by only 4.09 percent, while their overall expenses went up by 31.87 percent.
BUSINESS
Women remain a minority in fund management; industry apathetic
With just seven percent of its portfolio managers being female, India ranks 19th among the 24 financial destinations analysed for presence of women in fund management.
BUSINESS
India’s sugar exports may fall by half on output decline in 2023-24
Although the sugar export policy for 2023-24 will be announced only by January, traders and the industry already expect a further drop in outbound shipments.
ECONOMY
Weekly Numerics | Fiscal deficit widens, talent scarcity hits India Inc., long timelines for debt recovery
Four out of five employers in India report facing difficulty in finding the talent they need. Meanwhile, 52 million additions were made to the payrolls over the past four years.
BUSINESS
Chilli prices set to rise again on festive demand and scanty rainfall, despite improved sowing
Traders have not been selling the chilli stock at lower rates and are hoping that domestic demand will shore up the prices a little and that exports to China will improve this year.
BUSINESS
Shrimp production set to fall 15-20% in FY24
Flattening global demand has hit exports and lowered the prices of shrimp, forcing farmers to cut output. However, the Coastal Aquaculture Amendment Bill might help by removing constraints, allowing the farmers to improve profitability.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | Never-ending wait for US Green Card applicants, rise of Pune real estate, and more
The backlog for the EB 2 and EB 3 category visa for new Indian applicants is longer than a life sentence. Meanwhile, demand for courses on Google Cloud and ChatGPT have surged among Indian employees.
COMMODITIES
Cotton industry seeks subsidies, import duty cut to revive fortunes of mills
Higher import duties have increased the prices of cotton, raising production costs for the textile industry and rendering them less competitive in the global market.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | The good and the bad: GDP has grown well, but the rains are playing truant
While GDP has grown better than expected, this was the driest August ever recorded. That does not augur well, unless the rain gods change their mind. India's real estate sector is on the rise, but the gender gap in its workforce persists.
BUSINESS
Fertiliser sales may increase by November during rabi sowing season
Sales were weak in the kharif crop season because of uneven distribution of monsoon rainfall.
BUSINESS
Weak demand and tepid exports put tea prices under pressure
Although production in the country has remained steady, and has even seen a gradual increase, changing consumer preferences locally and the poor demand globally has hit prices and exports
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | ISRO’s shoestring budget, soaring price of onions, rise of the cashless, and more
A brand new series from Moneycontrol where we spotlight and decode noteworthy data trends from the week gone by
WORLD
By the numbers: How BRICS is charting a course beyond Western dominance
The share of the bloc in world GDP has been on the rise; it accounted for more than a quarter in 2022.
INDIA
Chandrayaan-3: How India’s Moon Mission with a modest budget stands apart
The Indian space agency is all set to land its probe, which was made at a fraction of the budget of recent Hollywood blockbusters, on the surface of the Moon, a task that has historically had a low success rate.
AGRICULTURE
Scanty rainfall hits cardamom production, prices set to spiral to record levels
As prices of cardamom rise, India is in danger of losing its export markets to the cheaper Guatemalan cardamom. Even the upcoming festive season may not help its cause as higher prices may impact the price-sensitive domestic market as well.
