The Reading List: January 12, 2024
A selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance, curated by our research and opinion teams
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Budgeting for healthy banks
In this edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: Investors await Q3 earnings, time for a second green revolution, don’t buy the multi-asset funds story blindly, Ram Mandirand the electoral gain for BJP and more
Reasons to be optimistic in 2024 — despite everything
Are you optimistic about 2024? The answer from the World Economic Forum would seem to be “heck, no”
Why PepsiCo’s patent win is no small potatoes
The PepsiCo case marks a watershed moment in India’s agri and bio-technology innovation sector
Personal Finance | Multi-asset funds: Don’t blindly buy the story
Besides addressing an investor’s need to put money across asset classes, it also takes care of diverse taxes
Will Q3 earnings provide a reality check or cheer investors further?
Investors should remain prepared for a mixed bag. While some pockets may disappoint, it is important for investors to stay focused on long-term prospects. And keep some powder dry
The Silicon Valley Founder-CEO is no longer indispensable
A recent analysis found that between 2018 and 2021, companies led by founders in the BVP Nasdaq Emerging Cloud Index outperformed those that weren’t by about 50%. But by the beginning of 2022, that edge had evaporated
We don't know how worried we should be about nanoplastics
Tackling the plastics problem requires more information about sizes and kinds of particles that are most dangerous and where they come from. But enough alarming data has now amassed that it’s time to move from fear and outrage to action
Budget 2024: Look beyond sops to energise RE growth
More than budget incentives, the massive financing need has to be addressed to take care of the snags that dim the progress of clean power
Ram Mandir: How much electoral gain can BJP expect
CSDS surveys noted increasing religiosity among Hindus, correlation between this increasing religiosity and voting for BJP, and this correlation becoming progressively stronger in the 2014 and 2019. These big numbers came much before the present day euphoria around Ram Mandir, which suggests that this will be the biggest votecatcher for BJP in 2024
Budget 2024: How Indian Railways smartly improved passenger revenues
Budget 2024: Revenues from passenger services exceeded pre-COVID levels despite a gradual recovery in rail passenger volumes
Time for a second green revolution, this time a sustainable one
Current policy exercises seek to lay down a roadmap for a switch to sustainable farming. This can be done by moving to high value crops like millets, which allow for the minimum use of pesticides and greater use of organic inputs
Ditch green-shaming for positive effort to achieve sustainability goals
Companies, akin to individuals, frequently boast about their dedication to sustainability and environmentally conscious practices. Green-shaming arises when these claims don't align with the real environmental impact of their operations
Budget Snapshot: Healthy banks make for a wealthy government
The government is confident that its banks can run and grow on their own without help from it for funds. In fact, several public sector lenders have tapped the bond market and have plans to explore equity issue to raise money to grow.
Infrastructure and the Union Budget: Beyond numbers, a strong foundation for Viksit Bharat
Budget 2024: India will need to invest around Rs 880 lakh crore in infrastructure projects over the next 23 years to achieve the high growth rate required to meet its 2047 target of a developed country. The infrastructure requirements are also complex and dynamic with capital creation and destruction happening rapidly
Congress’ failure to differentiate between ‘religion’ and ‘Dharma’ will cost it dearly
The struggle for the Ram Mandir was a larger civilisational issue for a majority of the people of this country. Congress, bereft of any sense of Indianness, has failed to understand this
Shadow banking won't give Jamie Dimon a rest
The latest data from the Federal Reserve reveal that bank assets grew by just 2% in 2023, constrained by an evaporation of deposit funding, where volumes were down 2%.
Bitcoin ETF hype is more memestock than gold 2.0
Crypto prices are soaring, hackers are mobilising and Redditors are pumping. But the promise of game-changing, gold-like adoption looks like a meme too far
Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Budget 2024 and the capex conundrum
In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: India should join the Bitcoin party, foreign investors to drive Indian equities in 2024, catalysing start-ups growth and investment, real test for Shinde Sena-BJP-Ajit Pawar lies in winning elections, and more
The GST story – many hits, few misses
The GST law addressed the issue of tax burden by providing a seamless credit and uniform structure. The simplified tax structure under GST has reduced the compliance burden and facilitated a more business-friendly environment. There are a few creases but they can be ironed out in due course
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Where’s the bang for the buck for Congress?
The yatra is spending too much time in states that won’t deliver many seats to the Congress. This was the moment for ramping up political campaigning, prepping cadre and mobilising voters. Instead much of the Congress resources and energies will be focussed on magnifying the cult of Rahul Gandhi
Japan’s market rally lacks solid backing
A weak yen makes Japan more of an export play than ever, but saps returns for overseas shareholders
Bitcoin is here to stay, India should join the party
With the SEC clearing Bitcoin ETFs, investors can now safely invest in another asset class
Budget Snapshot: Corporate capex share drops to decadal low
Budget 2024: A large share of investments appears to be coming from government and households, which includes residential real estate
Bangladesh votes for continuity. It needs change
Awami League’s long tenure has created strong domestic interest groups and incumbent firms with no interest in altering the status quo. A more modern policy mix — one that broadens access to capital and encourages innovation — isn’t what these entrenched interests want to see
