Recovery signs visible at capital goods companies, government support crucial
With workers returning, execution is normalising. Customers are investing in efficiency improvement measures. Orders are emerging from new age industries and efficiency improvement investments by clients
Indian fliers need a revitalised Jet and Air India
A reasonable number of airlines, with healthy financials and sound management make for a consumer-friendly combination
FMCG: The small guys get their revenge
Contrary to what one would expect, small FMCG companies have done far better than the bigger ones during the pandemic
Top Democrats back compromise plan to revive stimulus talks
In a virtual event with laid-off workers and a small-business owner struggling amid the pandemic, Biden said the bipartisan package “wouldn’t be the answer, but it would be immediate help for a lot of things, quickly”
Is the farmers protest a silent revolution?
Beyond its core demands, the protesting farmers are also questioning the increasing centralisation of decision making in a federal structure, lack of consultations with stakeholders on the ground, including on subjects such as land
Political economy and fear of the future behind farmer protests
The roots of the APMC goes back to colonial rule to ensure the cheap supply of raw cotton to mills in Britain. Furthermore, the roots of price control go back to the infamous Khilji era when policy to ensure a cheap supply of agricultural produce
Chart of the Day | Composite PMI for November highlights inflation pressures
The MPC will worry that the data suggests inflation is not only persisting but becoming more broad-based
Two reasons why the banking sector is not out of trouble
Bounce rates in debit transactions are high; lenders want to extend restructuring window
The ‘everything rally’: Vaccines prompt wave of market exuberance
Retail investors led the dramatic equity market recovery from the Covid-19 shock, flooding internet message boards to share memes, boast of wins and lament losses
Autos: Headwinds lose speed, pave the way for a broader recovery
The upward trajectory may not, however, be a smooth one as seen by stuttering auto retail sales in October and November
SEBI’s peak margin norm strikes the first blow
Brokers are expecting volumes to drop by a third when SEBI’s Peak Margin norms will be fully implemented in September 2021
A section of farmers wants to cling on to a system that has outlived its utility
Today’s national needs are different and the system needs to change. The crux of the farmers’ objection to the new policy is that it will end his life of risk-free farming
Amazon and Apple are powering a shift away from Intel’s chips
Both Apple and Amazon are increasingly leaning on their own home-grown chips, causing ripple effects across the $400 billion semiconductor industry
Reinventing workers for the post-COVID economy
The US' economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will hinge to some extent on how quickly show managers can become electricians, whether taxi drivers can become plumbers, and how many cooks can manage software for a bank
Farmers Protest: Why Congress was right in 2019, and is wrong in 2020
For too long, the story of Indian agriculture has been a tale of market distortions. These seemingly insurmountable hurdles frustrated successive policymakers whose repeated counsel to dismantle these barriers often ran into political resistance, like now
Attending AGMs from home
Corporate India’s adoption of virtual AGMs amidst the COVID-19 lockdowns has been remarkable. Given the experience of the 2020 AGM season, regulators must consider making hybrid meetings a permanent part of the AGM process
MPC has a tough balancing act
How can the central bank reduce excess liquidity while maintaining monetary accommodation?
Smaller firms outpace Page Industries
Sales of Lux Industries, Dollar Industries, Rupa & Co. grew at a decent pace in the September quarter, helped by sales of economy range products and growth in smaller urban centres
Foreign Affairs | Why a major escalation in West Asia is unlikely
While the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh aims to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities on the one hand, it also seeks to weaken the Iranian regime from within. The method points to the enemy within and sows suspicion and discord within the ranks of Iranian security and intelligence
Richcore Lifesciences acquisition marks successful diversification for Laurus Labs, scale-up key
Acquisition of Richcore Lifesciences will give Laurus Labs a foothold in the growing biotechnology sector. Scale-up of the business can be time consuming but can yield meaningful earnings benefits
Is OPEC+ fast becoming a lost cause?
The oil market continues to be flooded with supplies with OPEC+ nations themselves producing 25.31 million bpd in November, 750,000 bpd higher than in October
Cap on surge pricing — App cabs hit a speed hump
Proposed regulation not in sync with the mechanism of dynamic pricing; can increase compliance cost of ride-hailing aggregators
Apprentices hiring is a risky game for SBI
Hiring temporary staff with no stake in the system could be security risk for banks
Bitcoin hits new record, this time with less talk of a bubble
Rather than quickly trading in and out of it, more investors are seen using Bitcoin as a place to park part of their investment portfolios outside the influence of governments and the traditional financial system
Biden’s economic picks suggest focus on workers and income equality
The transition team will be focussed initially on increased federal spending to reduce unemployment and an expanded safety net to cushion households that have continued to suffer as the coronavirus persists and the recovery slows
