The Green Pivot | Sustainable finance is a huge opportunity for the BFSI industry
South Asia presents an estimated USD 3.4 trillion climate investment opportunity between 2018 and 2030, a tremendous opportunity for the BFSI industry even as there are challenges to be overcome
As Unilever scoops out ice creams from its core portfolio, HUL faces a dilemma
Unilever’s decision to demerge the ice cream business has been taken in view of its slow growth and potential. But in contrast, for HUL in India, ice cream is a rapidly growing segment helped by long summers
Chart of the Day: Gold set to glitter more in 2024
With rate cuts in the offing and geopolitical tensions weighing on global growth, investors may switch to gold
Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Is KCR-led BRS facing existential threat in Telangana?
After a humbling loss in the state assembly elections, Telangana's BRS is expected to decline further in the Lok Sabha elections bound to be held in the BJP-Congress binary of national politics. The KCR-led party is likely to face existential threat, turning the country’s youngest state a home to bi-polar politics
Odisha in Transformation: Innovations in public transport raises hopes of a new dawn
Two initiatives – one focussed on urban connectivity and the other on rural areas – hold promise. The urban model reimburses the private operator – who owns, operates and maintains the bus – on a per-kilometre basis while government automatically tracks vehicle locations and appoints conductors who handle fare-setting and collection. This ensures the private operator doesn’t exit non-profitable routes
HDR report: India has high inequality, but that doesn’t matter
India’s rank in the Human Development Index (HDI) is a lowly 134, but it’s even lower, at 140, when the index is adjusted for inequality
Higher incentives for thermal power plants a boon for NTPC
The final tariff norms for FY24-FY29 are not vastly different from the draft proposals and they incentivise electricity generation during peak demand hours
Fund managers bullish on global growth
The median real GDP growth estimate for the US economy has been upped from 1.4 percent for 2024 and 1.8 percent for 2025 at the FOMC’s December 2023 meeting to 2.1 percent growth for 2024 and 2 percent growth for 2025 at the Wednesday meet
If you are an AI bull, keep an eye on uranium
In a possible sign of things to come, a few weeks ago Amazon Web Services announced that its new data center in Pennsylvania is to be powered directly by an existing adjacent nuclear power station. The AI revolution might be coming hand in hand with a power revolution — something for investors in uranium to watch
Regulating The Premier League: UK meddles with a $10 billion export earner
An independent regulator, who won't be 'overtly interventionist', has powers to redistribute revenue between the Premier League and lower tiers. The influx of money from broadcasting rights and commercial sponsorship has led to better stadiums, attracted the world’s best players, and driven up ticket prices. Keeping both investors and fans happy, and the Premier League bandwagon rolling, will test the new regulator
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Oil market heats up
In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: Japan's bank rate hike and its implications, current political situation re-asserts belief in cash, are the Gandhi siblings ready for Amethi-Rae Bareli fight, India's Central bank report confirms growth momentum, and more
The Macro Puzzle – II: Divergence between Consumption and GDP
The recently released GDP data has led to lots of questions and puzzles as the data is at odds with the historical trend of consumption growth broadly mimicking GDP growth. The difference of 4.5 percentage points between GDP growth and consumption growth in 2023-24 is the highest since 1951-52, as against a maximum difference of 0.5 to 1 percentage points in earlier years
What Unilever’s latest restructuring means for HUL investors
Hindustan Unilever’s investors are unlikely to bemoan parting ways with its ice cream business. But they should pay more intention to parent company Unilever’s launch of a productivity plan
Rollback Under Duress: How reform attempts in the sugar and fertiliser sectors have fared
Attempts to free sugar mills from government control ended because the mills couldn’t cope with populist sugarcane pricing and production gluts. Decontrol of prices of phosphatic and potassic fertilisers was reversed after a decade of moderate success because of global supply shocks. Complete deregulation will have to wait for a developed India
India’s regulators SEBI and RBI are acting tough to restore credibility
The two regulators have their individual goals beyond the common goal to restore credibility. SEBI is concerned about the froth in asset prices, concentrated positions in illiquid small-cap shares and an unhealthy craze among retail investors for trading options. The RBI’s worries run deeper as India could be on the cusp of a new multiyear investment cycle and losing oversight of credit flows at this critical juncture could turn out to be a costly mistake
Missed Chances: Don’t ask star fund manager Cathie Wood about Nvidia, or TSMC
She mistimed the offloaded of shares in both companies, an epic miscalculation given how AI is giving chip companies a second wind. Cathie Wood is now sounding the alarm on chip stocks. Given her track record, one has to take Wood’s comments with a grain of salt. Among providers of mutual and exchange-traded funds, her firm Ark topped the chart in wealth destruction. But her caution nonetheless resonates with those who worry we are nearing another dot-com burst
How India’s butter chicken found its place in America
Several analyses of Google searches have shown Indian food to be among the Top 5 most sought-after cuisines across the US. When introduced in the US, butter chicken, with its bright bronze hue, creamy tomato-based texture, tender chicken chunks, and less spicy ingredients, felt more accessible to Americans. After all, it’s chicken in a cream sauce
Chart of the Day: Why Japanese rate increase matters
Concerns arise that rising Japanese rates might prompt investors to seek higher yields in domestic markets
Why Zomato is a fundamental investor's nightmare
Blinkit was a gamble that worked out and is now the company's core business model. However, the company is now climbing up the value chain and will confront the big boys of e-commerce.
Unilever’s ice cream scoop-out may increase appetite for another split
Investor appetite might be whetted for bolder action on the group’s bloated portfolio
Politics re-asserts the old adage: In Cash We Trust
There have been multiple attempts by economists, central bankers and government officials to wean the public off currency and nudge them towards using digital payment platforms but cash tends to bounce back
Marketing Musings | Catching eyeballs: From television to digital
Digital is vital for creating awareness but for long term sustainable branding, television is still the primary medium to choose for companies
Will the unthinkable happen – The Gandhi family shying away from an Amethi-Rae Bareli fight?
With the Gandhi siblings, Rahul and Priyanka, seemingly undecided on contesting from the family’s two pocket boroughs in India’s most politically important state, it is yet another loud signal to the Congress party’s regional leaders, rank-and-file, and voters that the duo are clueless about reclaiming lost political space in these two constituencies or the larger Uttar Pradesh
RBI report shows India has a friend in growth, a frenemy in inflation
The RBI’s state of the economy report surmises that the Indian economy is experiencing a conducive macroeconomic configuration that can be its launching pad for a step-up in its growth trajectory
Brexit’s lasting damage is looking inescapable
For most of this century, the UK was the biggest beneficiary among the 27 countries in the EU. Measured by gross domestic product, GDP per capita growth, unemployment and superior debt, equity and currency valuations, Britain was the perennial leader. Now on all these, the situation has reversed and the UK is trailing
