INDIA
Rubber Bill: Growers demand inclusion of MSP, agricultural status in legislation
The cultivators feel that the third draft of the Bill is skewed towards the manufacturing industry. The Bill, which is likely to be introduced in Parliament before the elections, aims to promote and develop the rubber industry.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | India’s logistics cost lower than govt estimate; Indian company earning more than 1 million profit per employee; and more
Latest data shows that India’s actual logistics cost is much lower than the government’s estimate. Meanwhile, there was a decline in the number of life insurance policies sold to women in 2022-23. And an Indian company has figured in the list of top five companies earning the highest profit per employee globally.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | Suspension spree in the Parliament, Indian students’ spending abroad soars, and the rise in credit demand
With the 2024 Budget session left, the 17th Lok Sabha has already seen the most number of suspensions in India’s legislative history. Meanwhile, expenditure of Indian students going abroad is on the rise and is expected cross USD 70 billion annually by 2025, according to estimates.
BUSINESS
Coffee brewers increase level of chicory blending in bid to curb price rise
Chicory prices, too, have gone up in India on higher demand and a crop shortfall this year.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | Surge in food prices propel retail inflation, desktops gain ground, & air pollution funds languish
Retail inflation in November reached a 3-month high on the back of rising food prices. Meanwhile, FASTag appears to be on the right lane, with toll collection seeing steady growth. Data from Cloudflare shows that the share of Indians using desktops to get online is rising
TECHNOLOGY
Tyre sector riding high on burgeoning car sales
However, the performance of the heavy commercial tyre segment has not lived up to expectations. Exports too are a worry, with many Western countries facing inflationary trends.
BUSINESS
FY24 to mark yet another year of record garlic exports from India
A shortage of the spice globally, coupled with lower supply from China, the largest producer of garlic, has placed India in a sweet spot.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics: Crime declines, suicides increase, heat-related deaths surge, and unemployment remains high
Recently released data from the NCRB shows that the crime rate in India declined in 2022. However, along with it the chargesheeting rate, which is used to measure police performance, has also gone down. Meanwhile, analysis of data shows that although the unemployment rate saw a dip in November, it remains elevated compared to the longer-term trend.
BUSINESS
Ban on use of sugarcane juice for ethanol to hit fuel-blending target, sugar mill revenues
The government’s move was perhaps in order to check a drop in sugar output following reports of a possible shortfall in sugarcane production. A 25% drop in sugar output is expected in Maharashtra, while production in Karnataka is also down
ENVIRONMENT
COP28: The long road of climate negotiations from Rio to Dubai
An interactive timeline chronicling the major milestones in the history of climate negotiations
POLITICS
Political parties go all out to woo women voters as their numbers rise steadily
As per election analyst Sanjay Kumar, a slight tilt has been noticed in favour of parties which have provided schemes meant for women.
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Assembly triumphs no guarantee for Lok Sabha victory, data reveals, but can impact national politics
Although Congress had won 54 percentage of the Assembly seats cumulatively in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan in 2018, it failed to use the momentum during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, only winning 4.62 percentage of the seats available.
BUSINESS
India unlikely to meet FY24 seafood export target of $9.25 billion
Tepid buying from the US, China, Japan and Europe is one of the factors. The US is getting a lot of shrimps from Ecuador cheaply as transportation costs and the time needed for delivery are less. The US is the leading buyer of Indian seafood.
BUSINESS
Sweet crisis: Indian chocolate industry reels under 45-year high cocoa prices, but keeps it delicious for consumers for now
Domestic chocolate makers may not hike prices before the next year, given the busy sales season during Christmas and New Year.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | Corporate profits surge, yet wages stagnate; snacking woes, and content takedown requests surge
Although corporate profits reached record highs, wage growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, 76 percent of the revenue of India’s top packaged food companies came from selling unhealthy products
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Rajasthan Elections 2023: Why SC/ST reserved seats can be the key to winning power in the state
In the six elections that Rajasthan has seen since the 2008 delimitation exercise, the winning party has always been the one that has secured the most number of reserved seats.
BUSINESS
India’s tea output, exports likely to be lower this year
Despite the decline in production, however, prices continue to remain weak.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | Record rise in Indian students in the US, dip in wheat acreage, and cargo growth in ports
Indian students now contribute an estimated $7.14 billion to the US economy. Meanwhile, the total wheat production in India is expected to see a decline this fiscal year
BUSINESS
Cumin prices set to rise as export demand picks up
Export demand had slackened in the last few months as prices had shot up by 100-200% to Rs 500-700 per kg in June- October 2023, from a year ago.
BUSINESS
Weekly Numerics | The hottest 12 months on record, deepening wealth gap, and the rise of OTT
With an average warming of more than 1.3°C, the past 12 months were the hottest on record. Meanwhile, income and wealth inequality is deepening in India. And data shows a significant drop in the number of employed persons in October.
INDIA
Delhi pollution: Stubble burning has declined in Punjab but is still a menace
Although not much in the spotlight, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh have seen a spike in stubble burning. And according to experts, stubble burning isn’t the only reason for the rapid deterioration of air quality in Delhi over the last week
BUSINESS
Dhanteras 2023: High gold prices take sheen off prospective sales in traditional high season
The industry does not foresee customers flocking to jewellers this year during the normally busy and auspicious time of Dhanteras and Diwali, but the high price could mean that revenue figures are not badly affected.
BUSINESS
SFO Technologies preparing for an IPO in 2 yrs to fund expansion plans
SFO Technologies has targeted a growth of 12 percent year-on-year (YoY), and hopes to clock a turnover of Rs 3,000 crore in the current year. The company has earmarked an investment of around Rs 800 crore over the next three years.
ASSEMBLY-ELECTIONS
Majority of sitting MLAs in 5 poll-bound states are crorepatis, many face criminal cases, shows data
Telangana MLAs are the richest of the five, and the state also has the maximum share of MLAs with criminal cases registered against them. No state has done too well when it comes to female representation.
