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.
BUSINESS
India and Pakistan: How the two countries have fared since partition
While the two countries started out with nearly identical figures, India’s GDP per capita is nearly 50 percent more than that of Pakistan’s today.
BUSINESS
Black pepper prices spike, likely to rise further
As demand outstrips supply and imports become expensive, black pepper prices have risen, prompting growers to resort to hoarding in anticipation of bigger profits. That in turn is increasing prices even more.
BUSINESS
In Charts | The declining popularity of engineering courses
According to the World Economic Forum, only one in five engineering graduates from India are employable.
ENVIRONMENT
As AI becomes more pervasive, its environmental impact is on the rise
Estimates show that without significant interventions, AI models could consume more energy than the entire human workforce by 2025, considerably impacting global carbon reduction goals
INDIA
Natural rubber imports may hit a new peak this fiscal as consumption likely to jump 10%
Demand may cross 14,00,000 tonne in the current fiscal, pushing up imports to over 600,000 tonne, from 530,000 tonne in 2022-23.
INDIA
In Charts | Northeast India's education and employment woes amid unrest
Although education has been disrupted in Manipur due to the unrest, data shows that the state, and the northeast region in general, weren’t doing too well on that front even before the violence broke out
BUSINESS
Soaring turmeric, ginger prices hit domestic supplies and exports
While erratic weather patterns have affected turmeric supplies and prices, making sowing for the next season iffy, ginger has been impacted by hoarding by traders. The expectation of a bumper crop next year has set off fears of an oversupply of ginger and a crash in prices.
BUSINESS
Rising cocoa prices might make Indian chocolates dearer
A sustained rise in the prices of cocoa and cocoa products, might force Indian chocolate makers to increase prices, although they have resisted it so far.
INDIA
Indian peacekeepers lead in fatalities as Blue Helmets turn 75
Majority of the UN peacekeepers are from low and middle income economies. Developed countries, including permanent members of the Security Council, lag far behind when it comes to contributing troops for peacekeeping.
COMMODITIES
Gold and diamond jewellery lose sheen over rising prices; global downturn hits exports
While prices may not come down drastically, it is expected that there will be stability later in the year. The festive season is expected to push up local demand, while the export market is expected to pick up later this year.
POLITICS
In Charts | About half of turncoat MLAs face criminal charges, almost all are crorepatis
The BJP gained the most number of turncoat MLAs, with 42 percent of them joining the party
BUSINESS
In Charts | Sovereign gold bond subscriptions hit record high in the first tranche of FY24
The sale of gold bonds crossed Rs 4,604 crore during the tranche issue in June 2023, shows data from the RBI. This is the highest till date.
INDIA
Spurt in cumin prices likely to stay, squeezing supplies, output and exports
Experts expect coriander sowing will be less, and farmers may sow cumin in more area because of high price this year; cumin imports may become necessary to meet shortfall, says an exporter
