Apple is holding the final nail for X’s coffin
Apple may act on Elon Musk's invitation to a social media influencer dishing out a mix of chaotic and toxic misinformation and hatred to rejoin Twitter. Apple isn’t the internet, and its first obligation is to its users. X would still be accessible through a mobile browser on the open internet, and Apple has its own free speech right to do as it sees fit
Google’s and Apple’s walled app stores are still standing — for now
The fees that Apple and Google take from app sales and in-app purchases have long been a significant sticking point that could never last indefinitely as the mobile app market matured. Currently, the fees generate around $200 billion a year for the companies — income they both say is fair compensation for maintaining and running the stores securely
Are old fault lines in the Middle East opening up?
The Saudis and other Arab countries have reason to bristle over Qatar’s success in taking the driver’s seat in the negotiations between Israel-US and Hamas for hostage release. Meanwhile, their peace campaign hasn’t found takers. Pursuing the two-state solution while Hamas continues to lord over Gaza remains a tricky proposition for Arab countries wary of the group
The Fed will have to consider a massive easing of financial conditions
The Chicago Fed’s measure of financial conditions in the US is at its lowest level in a year, indicating substantial easing. Easing financial conditions work against the Fed’s attempt to tighten monetary policy
Smoke and mirrors in October industrial production numbers
While the year-on-year IIP growth figures for October 2023 are very strong for all sectors, the same can’t be said for month-on-month growth
RBI’s disinflationary curve has three distressing wrinkles
The monetary policy's focus remains on keeping inflation in check but how its sanguine outlook in three crucial areas plays out bears watching
Derivatives Trading: Uncovering the risk, rewards and myths
More than 90 percent of retail investors end up losing money in the derivatives market. It highlights the need for participants to understand the risk and reward dynamics
Bhajanlal Sharma in Rajasthan joins BJP's new club of CMs in their 50s
The rise of Bhajanlal Sharma, a party apparatchik, with a reputation as a doughty campaigner for the BJP’s pet causes, completes BJP’s social engineering efforts in this poll cycle by elevating an upper caste leader after an OBC and a tribal CM in the two other poll bound states. It also paves the way for Vasundhara Raje’s eclipse. Their age allows the three new CMs to preside for the next decade in their respective states
Caste Census: Kharge’s outburst against Shivakumar reveals deep divide in Congress
Despite Congress high command’s unstinted backing for a nationwide caste census, the party’s own exercise in Karnataka has been kept under wraps for a long time for fear of backlash from dominant groups like Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Kharge’s criticism of DK Shivakumar mirrors this divide in the party and society
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | The silver lining in the CXO exits at big IT
In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: GDP growth does not explain rise in unpaid helpers, global markets keenly await election year - 2024, understanding the digital creator economy, Article 370 verdict an ideological victory for BJP, and more
Telangana: Will national parties dominate in 2024 polls and sideline the BRS?
After JD(S) in Karnataka, it is the turn of BRS to bite the dust. Cut to a Lok Sabha poll where regional parties have lesser skin in the game, it will be the two national parties BJP and Congress that will dominate voters’ mindspace
China faces the risk of a debt-deflation loop
The country should stimulate consumption with spending on education, healthcare and public housing
Desperate retail investors drive India’s options craze
Last month’s total turnover of $78 trillion from futures and options on indexes and stocks trumped the $178 billion from shares changing hands on India’s National Stock Exchange by a multiple of 441. No other major market in the world is as lopsided
Article 370 verdict: The BJP scores a major ideological victory
While the BJP can celebrate the judicial victory, the opposition has been left grappling for a proper response
Address drivers' range anxiety over inadequate EV charging networks
Poor availability of charging is one of the main reasons potential EV buyers cite in holding them back from a purchase. Those consumer doubts, in turn, have encouraged a widening group of automakers to slow down their targets for going electric. This could become a vicious circle
ChatGPT, Google's AI will have to start answering to EU
EU’s AI Act is a decent, if slightly half-baked, start when it comes to regulating AI, and in the absence of anything similar this is a step in the right direction. The legislation will still rely on companies to audit themselves. There’s greater opportunity for researchers and regulators to probe where things are going wrong with AI companies' training data
Why have jobs as unpaid helpers increased when GDP growth is 7.6 percent?
While the unemployment rate has come down, the rise in the proportion of unpaid helpers and of workers in agriculture point to disguised unemployment
Why Glencore's exit from the coal sector is no big deal
Although Glencore is exiting the coal business, coal as a source of energy will take a long time to die. Demand for coal has yet to peak and may take years.
COP28: Fighting climate change can create jobs in India
Global climate finance flows are woefully inadequate to meet the challenges of the warming planet. There are climate-led business opportunities that can create jobs and sustainable growth. Facing the brunt of extreme weather phenomena, India must scale up renewables capacity and invest in sectors creating smart and sustainable solutions
2024 – The year of elections across the world
With 40 countries holding general elections in 2024, it’s very likely that stock markets will be boosted ahead of them. Even if bad news does trickle in, declines may get cushioned by buying from “strong hands.”
Marketing Musings: The creator economy
Goldman Sachs Research expects the 50 million global creators to grow at a 10-20 percent compound annual growth rate during the next five years to grow to a $480 billion economy by 2027 from $250 billion today
Solar project developers in a sweet spot over steady tariffs, falling costs
Solar module prices almost halved in the past one year
Do Indian banks care about climate finance?
Indian banks need to get serious about green finance and Net Zero targets. They should take a leaf out of UAE lenders who have massively scaled up their efforts to achieve Net Zero emissions by channelling $270 billion to green finance
Using risk weights is not without risks for the RBI
Capital allocation may not necessarily become more prudent due to risk weight changes. Commercial compulsions may force lenders to reduce potential lending in less risky segments even as they meet increased capital requirements due to hike in risk weights of a specific loan segment
Global oil in softening mode: Bonanza for India
The war in Ukraine had led to a spike in India’s oil import bill in the last fiscal. But softening oil prices aided by difference in OPEC+ on cutting production, muted demand from China, and swelling US inventories positions could leave the Indian exchequer with a lighter oil import burden compared to 2022-23
