The BL Context: Recent Episodes
BL Digital
For the first time in many years, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has cleared the environmental release for GM mustard. This is likely to make way for its commercial release in the near future.
Back in 2002, BT Cotton was the last GM crop approved for commercial cultivation.
What would this mean for India as an agrarian nation and is this a step in the right direction for GM crops in India?
MR Subramani, head, of Commodities and Agri Business, The Hindu businessline, explains.
listen in!
Read the full story here
Delay in capital raising has placed Dhanlaxmi Bank under RBI’s tight monitoring.
What led to the move, What would this mean for the bank in the coming months, and will this make the bank an easy acquisition target?
Hamsini Karthik, tells us more regarding this increased monitoring of Dhanlaxmi Bank.
Listen in.
The demand for returning to the old pension scheme is gaining momentum across several States, and leaders of various political parties are making promises about returning to the old scheme. What is the old pension scheme? Will it be possible to bring it back? Listen in.
The six-airbag norm for passenger cars, which was to be implemented from October 1, has been deferred by a year on account of supply chain issues faced by auto companies. In this backdrop, we look at the evolution of safety norms in the auto industry, the costs involved, and India’s road safety record.
Whether it is a small budget or a big budget movie, whether the actor is a superstar or a newcomer, whether the language is English or regional one, whether the movie is shot in an exotic foreign location or in rural India, one thing that binds all these is the silver screen. Many movie enthusiasts wonder why movies from South India often shine at the box office. But do we have adequate exhibition infrastructure in the country? Let us explore some of these points in this podcast.
2022 is the third consecutive year that La Nina, which has caused unseasonal rainfall in India in 2020 and 2021, is setting in. La Nina is coming at a time when many countries face the risk of recession amid the Ukraine War. This is pushing up costs, which is leading to inflation, as per analysts. MR Subramani, head, Commodities and Agri-Business, The Hindu BusinessLine, explains.
In another move to curb cash flow into Russia, the G7 nations -- Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US -- are working on a mechanism to cap the price of Russian oil. This move would build on the European Union’s sixth sanctions package, which will come into effect on December 5.
In the latest episode of the BL Context, Nivedita V talks to Richa Mishra, Chief of News Bureau, Hyderabad and Kolkata, to understand the reasoning behind the price cap, its mechanism and to know how the oil sector could react to the development.
As the sugarcane crushing season nears, the demand for agri workers increases. In Maharashtra, most of them are from the Beed District. When the parents move away for work during the season, which goes on till April, the children stay back. The daughters of these workers are now focusing on one task -- to earn a new identity for their district and for themselves.
Why are these girls want to change the identity of their district? Can they successfully help change their families’ economic situation?
Deputy editor Rasheshyam Jadhav brings you this special report.
On Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi met Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and the two leaders talked about various issues, including fast-tracking an free trade agreement.
In this podcast, Senior Deputy Editor Amiti Sen talks about the significance of the meeting and why it could potentially help boost India’s trade with its eastern neighbour. Listen in to the latest episode of the BL Context.
The last couple of days has been tough on Bengaluru because of an unprecedented downpour in recent days with life coming to a standstill in India’s Silicon valley.
What does flooding mean for India’s IT capital? What are the issues that need to be sorted out both short-term and long-term?
BusinessLine’s Bengaluru’s Bureau chief Venkatesha Babu explains!
One of India’s leading broadcast media NDTV, may have to change its ownership with the Adani Group after the Adani group launched a hostile takeover bid on Tuesday. If it succeeds, Adani will own about 55 per cent stake in NDTV. This hostile takeover has raised questions among the investors and consumers. In this podcast, Palak shah explains hostile takeover. Listen in!
The ownership of NDTV, one of India’s oldest private media companies, is set to change as the Adani Group started a hostile takeover bid on Tuesday.
In this podcast, Chitra Narayanan talks to Vanita Kohli-Khandekar about the corporate takeover of the media industry and how the media can be manipulated thereafter. Khandekar has been tracking the media and entertainment business for over two decades and is the author of The Indian Media Business to understand.
Listen in!
You'll probably know someone who has a full-time job and is working another job on the side. This is called moonlighting and it has divided the IT industry. Rishad Premji, Wipro's Executive Chairman, tweeted that moonlighting is "cheating". While others like not. Swiggy recently announced its moonlighiting policy -- which is an industry first. Cred, too, has a policy for this. Is moonlighting just a side hustle or is it something that has the potential to threaten firms -- both big and small?
In this podcast, V Nivedita talks to N Venkatesha Babu, Chief of Bureau, Bangaluru, to help understand why some IT companies are not happy with this new trend.
The RBI's recent consultation paper regarding the possible revision of charges on digital transactions -- including UPI -- has become controversial. Many users were unhappy and took to social media to express their disappointment. The Centre, too, isn't happy. The Finance Ministry tweeted that UPI is a digital public good and that "there is no consideration in Govt to levy any charges for UPI services."
But, why did the RBI want to review the charges in the first place? Also, can we now assume that the plan to levy a charge on UPI payments has been dropped?
Hamsini Karthik helps understand the issue better. Listen in.
Domestic airlines have suffered losses of around $4.1 billion in 2021-22, and are expected to reach the pre-pandemic level by the end of FY2024.
If airlines want to turn their fortunes around, what should they do?
K Giriprakash outlines the focus areas and roadmap the aviation industry needs to take to reach pre-pandemic levels
Listen in!
The freebies versus welfare scheme debate have sparked off a furious war of words. But exactly are freebies anyway? Here is all you need to know.
The Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022 was introduced on August 5, This looks to bring about changes in the Competition Act 2002 that gives the Competition Commission of India (CCI) powers to prevent practices that have an adverse effect on competition and the interest of consumers.
What is the Ambit of the amendments and what are the regulatory gaps that the Amendment looks to address?
Senior Deputy Editor, KR Srivats explains.
Read the full article here.
In May this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that one of his dreams is to see a drone on every farm. Drones are being used extensively in the country for many purposes including spraying fertilisers and pesticides and surveying the farms. Is using the new technology always beneficial to the farmers?
In this episode of the BL Context, Subramani Ra Mancombu explains the pros and cons. Listen in!
In a bid to tackle climate change and reach the goals of sustainable development, for the PM Narendra Modi government, Energy Conservation has gained significant importance. This is the reason the Energy Conservation Amendment Bill 2022 was introduced in Parliament and on August 8, it was passed by the Lok Sabha. But what is the bill all about? Here is all you need to know.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dismissed the fear of India slipping into stagflation in the Parliament. She cited Bloomberg’s report and highlighted that the country won’t fall into recession. What is a recession? Where does India stand?
Listen in.
US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s unannounced trip to Taiwan, during her tour of Asia, has made China upset.
Ahead of her visit, China said that the US will “pay the price” if Pelosi visited Taiwan. “The US side will bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China’s sovereign security interests,” a Chines foreign ministry spokeswoman said.
Why is this visit so controversial? Could this visit put the US and China on a collision course? Listen in.
Recently, the Tamil Nadu Government proposed to increase the power tariff by 10 to 35%. In this podcast, we explain all you need to know about the power tariff increase in Tamil Nadu.
The 90s were an era of change — the Berlin wall came crashing down, the USSR fell, new technologies brought in new opportunities and there was a wave of political liberalisation in various countries, including India.
In this podcast, Baskar B and Siddharth MC take a look at the 1991 economic reforms, which were introduced in the Parliament by the then Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on the 24th of July.
What were the factors that led to this pivotal shift from a command economy? Who are the key reform makers and did these reforms hold up against the test of time?
Listen in!
Podcast producers: V Nivedita and Siddharth MC
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) issued clarification on imposing Goods and Service Tax on pre-packed goods elimiating the differnce in charging tax on branded and unbranded commodities. Shishir Sinha explains us more about the new announcement.
The merger process of HDFC and HDFC Bank is well underway, with the BSE, NSE already giving clearance. The RBI too gave its no objection certificate for the merger on July 4th subject to certain conditions. What is the merger all about? How will this mergerimpact you? Here is all you need to know.
Hamsini Karthik and Surabhi explain.
Nearly 21 years after stock broker Harshad Mehta died of a heart attack in prison, his wife, Jyoti, has claimed he died of medical negligence as jail authorities denied him treatment for nearly four hours.
What was the 1992 securities scam and what are the latest developments?
Palak Shah explains.
Read the full story here
June 30, 2022 will be remembered for its fast-paced political developments in Maharashtra. Political pundits expected the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis to be the next CM, but Eknath Shinde was given the responsibility. There are many questions that remain unanswered — what will be the dynamics of this new govt? What will happen to the Shiv Sena and the Thackereys ?
Radheshyam Jadav explains.
Listen in!
Cotton prices have been falling, but this is almost the same with all commodities. Cotton prices have dropped by over 10 per cent across the country and over 20 per cent globally to a six-month low.
What is the cause behind the fall in cotton prices and how does the year look ahead for Cotton prices and production both domestically and internationally.
MR Subramani, head, Commodities and Agri-Business, The Hindu BusinessLine, explains. Listen in!
The NSE co-location scam is back in the news again. This time, investigators have found evidence that brokers deployed illegal means to set up trading links between the NSE, MCX, BSE, and other global exchanges in China, the US, and West Asia among others.
In this podcast, Palak Shah talks to V Nivedita about how the scandal took place what the investigations by various agencies have found and how to regain investors' trust. Listen in
Listen in!
Read the full story here | NSE Co-lo scam: I-T unearths undisclosed foreign, hawala deals by OPG Securities
The Maha Vikas Agadhi government is in trouble with Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde taking the support of close to 50 MLA and hinting towards supporting a BJP-led govt in Maharashtra.
This has put the tri-party alliance of the Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP into the doldrums and also raised questions on the future of the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray.
Radheshyam Jadhav who has been covering the happenings helps give a snapshot of the political situation in Maharashtra and its likely play in national politics.
Listen in!
On June 21, The BJP announced tribal leader and former Jharkhand Governor, Droupadi Murmu, as the party’s official candidate for the upcoming presidential election.
Who is Droupadi Murmu, and what makes her BJP’s ideal pick for the presidential polls?
In conversation with TR Vivek, BusinessLine’s political editor Poornima Joshi takes a look at Droupadi Murmu - Her rise from the ranks and the long-term strategy behind fielding her as the BJP’s presidential candidate.
Listen in!
Read | Droupadi Murmu: A gentle conciliator
It is layoff season in India’s startup land
The last few years have been go-go season in India’s startup scene. India has the third largest startup eco-system after USA and China. At last count India had 100 unicorns – that is startups which are valued at more than a billion dollars. A lot of this has been made possible by investment from international venture and private equity funds which have helped companies not just with seed capital but provided growth funds and helped them scale to address a potential 1.4 billion domestic customers as well as tackle international opportunities.
However, there is a nuclear winter regarding funds approaching the Indian startup sector. Also, some Indian start-ups are taking longer to become viable businesses.
Listen in.
The Supreme Court has put the application related to India's sedition law on hold. This comes a day after the Central Government had agreed to re-examine the law and some its colonial provisions. What led to this decision and what do legal professionals feel about the move? Listen in.
India's biggest IPO has begun today. After much debate, the LIC IPO is now open to all investors. Many have welcomed the move. Will this move motivate more insurance companies to be listed? What lies ahead for India's insurance sector? BusinessLine's Deputy Editor, Surabhi, tells us more in this episode of BL Context.
Vedanta Group is in talks with strategic investors to sell 25 per cent in each of the three business units of Sterlite Technologies Ltd which is into optical fibre manufacturing, telecom network services business and software services.
Suresh Iyengar explains.
Read the full story here
The Niti Aayog has come out with a draft on battery swapping policy. What is in the policy? Here’s all you need to know.
Listen in!
Credits
Producer: V Nivedita.
VO: Siddharth MC
Elon Musk plans to turn Twitter into a free-speech utopia, internet freedom experts and researchers believe that this is neither desirable, nor possible, given the influence of social media in today’s democracy and political narrative.
Debangana Ghosh tells us more.
Listen in!
A recent article in the New York Times said number of people who died due to covid around the world is far more than the official figures.
It said that the World Health Organization's year-long effort to "calculate the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has found that vastly more people died than previously believed — a total of about 15 million by the end of 2021".
It claimed that a vast majority of these deaths goes "are estimated to have occurred in India...The WHO will show the country’s toll is at least four million, according to people familiar with the numbers".
Another report published in Devex made similar claims.
The Centre has disputed these claims and said that they are holding discussions with the WHO on the matter.
Deputy Editor Jyothi Datta talks to V Nivedita about what we can learn from the Covid mortality numbers.
On Tuesday, Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook spoke out against a set of new rules in the US that would force the company to permit sideloading. He said that the law could compromise users’ privacy. What is the controversy all about?
Here’s all you need to know.
The Ella family which runs Bharat Biotech was a key player in enabling India's fightback against the Covid pandemic by producing Covaxin. What is less known is that members of the Ella family also run a food business of providing healthy nutrition and simultaneously ensuring better value to farmers for their produce. This podcast talks about Ella Foods' journey into pickles to spice powders and how they are trying to differentiate themselves from the competition.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has scaled down its projection for global trade growth (in volume) for 2022 to 3 per cent from 4.7 per cent predicted earlier following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has impacted commodity prices, disrupted supplies and intensified geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Amiti Sen tells us more!
TRAI has come out with its recommendations regarding the spectrum auction. Amongst them-A lower reserve price for Telecom operators. What are TRAI’s recommendations and what does this mean for India’s rollout of 5G services.
BusinessLine’s Thomas K Thomas tells us more.
The recent report of the IPCC was the 6th Assessment Report by Working Group III and deals with mitigation. It, as the name suggests, is the sixth round of reports released by the IPCC. The previous ones were in 1990, 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2013. In 2018, the IPCC released a Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5°C.
M Ramesh tells us more.
The recent announcement by Zomato that it would provide 10-minute delivery has sparked off a lively debate on the quick commerce segment. While most of the attention and angst – rightly so – has been focussed on the safety of the riders or delivery personnel in India’s teeming traffic, there are various other aspects to the business.
Issues like the long-term viability of this model, basket size of orders, margins, size of the market they are trying to address, possible regulatory hurdles, whether such experiments have succeeded internationally all have to be looked into.
Several other players especially in the grocery delivery segment like Blinkit, Zepto and a few others have made such promises and are experimenting with those models. They were not even the pioneers. Even earlier both Ola and Swiggy tried similar quick service through their Dash and Insta programmes with varying degrees of success.
In this podcast, Deputy Editor Venkatesha Babu who heads the Bengaluru Bureau of Business Line decodes the clamour surrounding the growing 'Quick Commerce' market and the current controversies surrounding it.
What are oil shocks and how would such scenarios affect the Indian economy amidst the Russia-Ukraine crisis? BusinessLine's Richa Mishra tells us more.
The Vladimir Putin administration has decided to suspend exports of fertilizers. The announcement followed after Russian President Putin warned of “negative consequences” of the Western world’s sanctions.
Listen in for further details.
Read the full story here
Oil prices have been soaring and now the US says that they will ban oil imports from Russia. This development seem to be taking place at a time when the world is finally finding its footing after being immensely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Would the move obstruct the Indian economy's path to stability?
BusinessLine's Amiti Sen explains.
All of us have been closely monitoring and engrossed in the developments with regard to the clash happening at Bharatpe, a fintech that has raised nearly $700 million in funding and was at the last round valued at a little over $2.85 billion.The company’s co-founder Ashneer Grover had resigned recently due to corporate governance issues. Bharatpe’s case is not unique, and there have been similar instances in the past. In fact, several founders do not want to take in external investors, even though they bring money, skills and open new doors to entrepreneurs. So is venture capital a kind of vulture capital as some allege?
Venkatesha Babu N, Chief of Bureau, Bengaluru, talks to Krishnakumar Natarajan the former CEO and MD who was a co-founder MindTree.
Similar to NSE disposing of its former CEO Chitra Ramkrishna’s devices as e-waste, Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX) is also likely to be questioned why it did not store laptops and data from personal computers of its former MD and CEO Mrugank Paranjape and the head of research V Shanmugam in the case related to alleged data leak in 2016.
Palak Shah tells us more about the story.
The ongoing corporate saga at BharatPe a four year old start-up holds several lessons for entrepreneurs, investors and Public at large.
BusinessLine's Chief of Bureau, Bengaluru -Venkatesha Babu explains.
Listen in!
The pace of administering booster doses is yet to rise in India. According to the data published on CoWIN, the number of booster doses administered has reduced in the last one month.
The Hindu BusinessLine's Parvathi Benu explains the reasons behind the fall in vaccination rate across the country amid the surge in cases due to the Omicron variant.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Chitra Ramkrishna, the former CEO and MD of the National Stock Exchange (NSE). Recently, the SEBI had barred her from associating with any MII registered under the SEBI for a period of three years. Who is this spiritual guru who was allegedly guiding her during her tenure at the NSE and will this penalty suffice?
BusinessLine's Palak Shah gives us more details.
In her union budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has more green to talk about, but missed major announcements regarding a crucial sector- the oil and gas sector.
What awaits the oil, gas and Energy sector in the long run and what is likely to be India’s strategy in this regard?
Richa Mishra, BusinessLine’s Chief of Bureau, Hyderabad, and Kolkata helps us understand India’s short-term and long-term strategy in the sector.
Listen in!
BusinessLine's M Ramesh tells us more on why this budget disappoints on the green front
Listen in!
Budget 2022-2023 does not seem to have introduced any major changes for the tax payer. But there are a few provisions that could change the way in which the public manage their personal finances. BusinessLine's Chief of Research Bureau, Parvatha Vardhini C, tells us more
In her presentation of Budget 2022-2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that farmers will get Rs 2.7 lakh crore as payments for MSP. What are the other provisions that the Budget offers to the agrarian sector?
Siddharth MC speaks with Subramani Ma Mancombu for more details.
Budget 2022-2023 has proposed a few alterations with regards to policies pertaining to finance and investment. Cryptocurrencies have also been discussed. How would these changes impact investors and what would they mean to private cryptos?
BusinessLine's Associate Editor, Lokeshwarri SK, shares her views.
Budget 2022-2023, presented by Finance Minister - Nirmala Sitharaman, on February 1, has seen many new provisions with regards to agriculture, telecom and even taxes. But has the Budget proven to be a boon to the middle class and would it impact the future of certain political parties in the upcoming election held in some of India's crucial States (including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab)?
BusinessLine's Delhi Bureau Chief, Poornima Joshi, shares her thoughts.
On February 1, 2022, the Union Finance Minister - Nirmala Sitharaman - presented the Budget for 2022-2023. Among the many announcements, the statement pertaining to 5G services has brought many smiles and is likely to make the telecom game more interesting than ever before.
BusinessLine's Mumbai Bureau Chief, Thomas K Thomas, gives us a few insights.
The Parliament has begun its Budget Session and on February 1, 2022, Union Finance Minister - Nirmala Sitharaman - would be presenting the Budget for this fiscal year. There has been a lot of buzz about the allocations towards different sectors and the impact of the Budget on the Indian economy in the days ahead. What should the Government emphasise on and what is the need of the hour?
BusinessLine's Editorial Consultant, Aarati Krishnan, tells us more.
We are more than halfway into the Modi government's second tenure and we are heading into an election season. Is this budget the semi-final for the Centre?
V Nivedita speaks to Poornima Joshi, Chief of Bureau, Delhi to understand why this budget is important for the Centre and for the BJP.
Over the past two years, thousands of new investors have joined the stock market and have enjoyed a good rally. Now, the markets have become more volatile and there are several headwinds, like high inflation, rising crude oil prices and selling by FPIs, that could impede the rally.
Senior Assistant Editor Palak Shah talks about some of the expectations of retail investors from the upcoming Budget.
Amid the many discussions over the economy and corporate world, certain aspects of personal finance have also caught the public's attention this time around. Will there be a hike in standard deductions and what should the Government focus on in Budget 2022?
BL's Chief of Research Bureau, Parvatha Vardhini C tells us more.
Lokeshwarri, Data Editor, BusinessLine tells us about what’s on the stock and bond market wishlist,besides what is likely on the crypto-currency front from Budget 2022-23.
Listen in!
India Inc is part of the countries economic success story and by the numbers it looks like Corporate India saw growth over the previous quarters of this fiscal.
Is there anything on India Inc's wishlist from the union budget 2022-23. Swaraj Baggonkar, Senior Assistant Editor, BusinessLine tells us more.
Listen in!
After sinking to historic lows in 2020, crude oil prices are climbing up once again on the back of economic recovery and rising demand. Brent crude prices have jumped from around the $70-mark at the end of last year to about $87 earlier this week, and prices are set to go up as tensions are rising between the US and Russia.
This is certainly not good news for India, which imports more than 80 per cent of its crude oil. The government will lose revenue if it cuts the taxes on petroleum products, and rising prices makes oil more expensive for the government. The question is how to balance both?
Richa M Tripathi explains the impact the rising prices will have on the economy and how the government can tackle it.
Last year, the Union Budget 2020-2021 saw announcements for the agri-sector including enhanced credit for the sector, higher allocation for micro-irrigation and raising duties on some farm products to protect the domestic growers.
BusinessLine’ commodities editor Subramani Ra Mancombu tell us more on what is likely on the Agri-sector’s wishlist for Budget 2022-23.
We are now in the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic and it looks like the Indian economy is slowly recovering from the ill effects of the pandemic. But uncertainties remain and the omicron variant threatens to curtain the recovery. The IMF has just cut India’s GDP growth rate for FY22, but has upped the growth projection for FY23 and FY24. Given this scenario, what are some of the key areas of concern for the govt? And, what are its priorities for this year's budget?
Nivedita V speaks to Shishir Sinha, Senior Deputy Editor, about what to expect from this year's Budget. Listen in.
Last year, The outlay for health was increased by 137 per cent to ₹2,23,846 crore in FY 2021-22 which included ₹64,180 crore for newly-announced PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Yojana and ₹35,000 crore for Covid vaccination.
Businessline's PT Jyothi Datta tells us more on What is it that India's healthcare sector is looking forward to in Budget 2022-23.
On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden took over as the President of the United States of America. After winning a historic mandate, he declared that America was back and promised that normalcy will be back. But after a series of issues, Biden's approval ratings have sunk to a new low. As he completes one year in office, Nivedita V takes a look at some of the hits and misses of the Biden presidency so far and why 2022 is a crucial year for Biden and the Democrats.
Even as Sri Lanka increased its engagement with China once again, a row over "substandard" organic fertiliser from China has strained ties between Beijing and Colombo. India has stepped in to help, resulting in a game of one-upmanship in the island nation.
So, what's happening with our southern neighbour?
Follow us on:
Website: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHinduBusinessLine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/businessline
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hindu_businessline/
Yesterday, Swami Prasad Maurya, a current BJP minister in UP and an influential backward caste leader has defected to the SP along with a handful of other OBC MLAs. He cited the neglect of OBCs and dalits by the BJP as the reason for his exit. In 2019, OP rajbhar, another OBC leader and ally of the BJP teamed up with the Samajwadi Party.
All of this has set off the question whether the BJP's carefully build OBC base on the back of PM Modi's image as India's greatest ever OBC leader is crumbling. Non-Yadav OBCs comprise close to 35% of the state's voters. Losing this solid block could mean curtains for the party. Poornima Joshi, Business Line's political editor, and Delhi bureau chief and TR Vivek discuss.
Vodafone Idea has opted to offer 35 per cent stake to the Government against outstanding payments related to spectrum auction installments and AGR dues.
BusinessLine's Chief of Bureau- Mumbai, Thomas K Thomas tells us more about this development.
Listen in!
The trusted middlemen that brands have traditionally relied on to reach millions of small neighborhood stores in 8,000 towns and 660,000 villages are now revolting against the global brands.
Here why!
France took over the rotating presidency of the European Union earlier this week and many believe that French President Emmanuel Macron is making his move to fill the leadership vacuum in the bloc and to hasten European integration. What's on the agenda?
Bank employees mainly from public sector banks are on a two-day strike on December 16, 17
What is the reason behind the strike and what are the unions looking to accomplish through the strike.
Senior Deputy Editor, KR Srivats explains.
Listen in!
Visit: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bank-employees/
While public places, malls, and theatres have fully opened up, the Government continues to restrict the entry of journalists inside the Parliament. Does it make sense to keep the temple of democracy a closed shop? Is this part of the trend to shield the Parliament and parliamentarians from media scrutiny?
TR Vivek and BL's political editor Poornima Joshi discuss.
Earlier this week, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh repealed two acts to create three capitals – Amaravati (legislature), Visakhapatnam (executive) and Kurnool (judicial). The government is now planning to bring a new law to ensure proper decentralisation. What led to this controversy? Is the State going back on its three capital plan?
Deputy Editor G Naga Sridhar decodes Andhra's unique problem in this episode of the BL Context. Listen in!
There seems to be a lack of transparency at one of India’s leading paint manufacturers - Asian Paints. What is the controversy about? BusinessLine's Senior Assistant Editor, Palak Shah, speaks to Gitanjali Diwakar about the nitty-gritty of the story and the best way forward for the company.
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is trying to dislodge the Congress as the fulcrum of opposition to Modi nationally. Can she succeed where Nitish Kumar and Arvind Kejriwal have spectacularly failed? Could the opposition coalesce around her by 2024? TR Vivek is in conversation with Poornima Joshi, BusinessLine's political editor, and Delhi bureau chief.
Listen in!
Climate negotiations have their own lingo. Phrases that are peculiar to climate talks, such as net-zero, NDCs, ratchet mechanism, transparency framework, market mechanism, and so on.
One of such climate-peculiar expressions is a bunch of three words and phrases namely mitigation, adaptation, and loss & damage.
In this BL Context podcast, BusinessLine's Senior Deputy Editor, M Ramesh helps decipher what exactly mitigation, adaptation and loss & damage are, and what they mean to us.
Listen in!
The Central Government is moving a bill to ban private cryptocurrencies. This is the second attempt to bring a Bill in the House to ban all private cryptocurrencies and comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that cryptocurrency can fall into “the wrong hands” and can “spoil the youth”. Now, how will this impact India's crypto scene, and where does India stand globally?
IndiaTech.Org’s CEO, Rameesh Kailasam speaks to Gitanjali Diwakar about a few details on these lines.
The Glasgow pact recently signed at COP26 deals with many issues of the Paris Agreement, such as finance, reporting of climate actions, transparency in climate actions, and rules for creating global market for trading in carbon offsets (carbon credits).
BusinessLine's Senior Deputy Editor, M Ramesh tells us more on Carbon Credits, what was agreed upon about it at COP26, and what the implications for India are.
Listen in!
PM Modi announced the repealing of the farm laws in a televised address this morning. Is this a capitulation as the legion of this government’s supporters are lamenting or is Modi stooping to conquer the upcoming UP assembly elections? What’s the political calculus behind the prime minister himself fronting up for the failure, and will this surrender to street power scupper other reform measures of this government. TR Vivek is in conversation on these issues with Poornima Joshi, the BusinessLine's political editor and Delhi chief of bureau.
The number of coronavirus cases has come down and we are going back to what was once “normal” like going working in our offices. But the thing is, we might not be going back to the usual 9-4 office structure. Over the past two years, the definition of work and office has changed for many sectors, especially the tech companies.
IT companies in India are now encouraging their office workers to come back to work and they are adopting something called a hybrid workplace model.
What is behind the decision? Will these models work and will the move benefit the companies and workers?
Chief of Bureau Bengaluru N Venkatesha Babu speaks to us in this episode of the BL Context.
Sources have said that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is likely to approve the National Stock Exchange’s application for an initial public offer (IPO).
This comes nearly five years after it filed for its IPO. The application had been withdrawn as the National Stock Exchange was embroiled in the algo trading scandal.
Should investors considered subscribing to the NSE’s IPO?
BusinessLine's Senior Assistant Editor, Palak Shah, helps to put these aspects in context during a conversation with Gitanjali Diwakar.
Listen.
ITC has been panned by analysts for burning cash spewed out by its lucrative cigarettes business in the low-margin FMCG and capital-intensive hotels segments. The FMCG segment contributes just under 6 per cent to earnings and has absorbed a major share of the company’s investments in the last several years along with the hotels business. In this episode, BusinessLine's Editor Raghuvir Srinivasan and Abhishek Law speak with ITC's Chairman and Managing Director, Sanjiv Puri, on the company's future and strategies.
At the 26th Conference of Parties (CoP) in Glasgow, UK, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a few enhancements to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) made in 2015. Why did he do so and would India be able to live up to these commitments? BusinessLine's Senior Deputy Editor, M Ramesh, tell us more in this episode of BL Context.
A few weeks ago, the high prices of food commodities made headlines nationally. Additionally, fuel prices are also at near all-time highs. A recent report has shown a sharp fall in rural demand for FMCG goods. It said that the rural market growth (by volume) fell to 1.5 per cent in the September quarter, compared to 4.5 per cent (by volume) last year. It is not just the people in rural areas, the urban poor are also feeling the impact of high inflation.
How will these affect the economy which is on a path towards recovery? Is high inflation here to stay? And, most importantly, will India achieve its goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025? CRISIL's Principal Economist Dipti Deshpande joins V Nivedita to discuss the state of the Indian economy.
For feedback, please email: nivedita.v@thehindu.co.in
The COP26, or the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be mostly about three issues: raising countries’ commitments for climate action, mobilizing more funds and framing rules for carbon markets. The need for an agreement on these counts is urgent because the world’s fever is getting worse, but given the almost intractable positions of the negotiating countries, a solid settlement seems difficult.
Nykaa's IPO is open for subscription till Monday. Interestingly, Nykaa's is India’s highest-priced IPO. So what triggered the excitement and should you consider investing in it?
Listen to the conversation between BusinessLines's Senior Assistant Editor, Palak Shah, and Gitanjali Diwakar.
Recently a number of companies and their brands have been forced to drop or modify their advertisements after online backlash. For example, Dabur was forced to drop an advertisement for one of its bleach products which was promoted by a same-sex couple celebrating Karva Chauth. The company is not alone. A number of other players like CEAT Tyres, Fabindia, Tanishq, Manyavar and others have also faced similar backlash.
To understand how corporates can get their messaging strategy right, we have with us K S Narahari, a veteran communications consultant who has helmed communication for companies like Wipro, IBM, Dell and Texas Instruments.
The Indian Premier League will be bigger from the next edition. Two new teams, Lucknow and Ahmedabad, have been added to the eight existing teams. CVC, formerly the venture capital arm of Citigroup, and Sanjiv Goenka of the RPSG group that beat several big names to win the auction.
Sanjiv Goenka's decision to buy the Lucknow franchise has become the most interesting story of this round of the bidding battle. Why? TR Vivek explains.
The quarterly results are in for several leading Indian software and services companies with the sentiment upbeat with almost all players witnessing significant growth and the sector as a whole likely to see double-digit growth after several years now.
But these companies have also seen a spike in attrition levels.
To find out why, we speak with Venkatesha Babu, Businessline's Chief of Bureau -Bengaluru, to know more.
Listen in!
Read the full story here
Companies are devoting more attention and resources to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) than ever before. Measuring the impact and the pace of progress is crucial in this journey. The Avtar Group, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consulting company, announced the top 10 companies featured in the Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI) that recognises inclusion intent that transcends all diversity dimensions. For 2021, the list includes Accenture, Citi India, Cushman & Wakefield, Deloitte, EY, IBM, Mastercard Incorporated, Pegasystems Worldwide India, Target Corporation India, and Tech Mahindra.
In this conversation, Avtar Founder Dr Saundarya Rajesh talks about the soul-searching companies did to examine biases, how Covid has been a true ally to LGBTQ+ communities in creating inclusive workplaces, and the importance of remote work in offering women the much-needed flexibility to advance in their careers.
Listen in!
Over the past few months, a shortfall in shipping containers has made global headlines. This shortage is now so acute, that it has triggered a crisis, not only for the exporter and importers but for the entire global trade. But, what exactly led to this crisis? V Nivedita speaks to Raghusankar G, the Executive Director of the ICSA Group, to understand the issues behind the crisis. We explore the steps the government needs to do to address the crisis.
Tata sons has emerged as the top bidder for Air India. The group will now take over the airline that was nationalised in the 1953. Nivedita V speaks with BusinessLine's Associate Editor, K Giriprakash, to know more about this acquisition.
Follow us on the Spotify
India now has two crypto unicorns. How have these exchanges, dealing with "virtual currencies" been able to make their park despite the lack of regulation on transactions involving them? Rameesh Kailasam, CEO, Indiatech.org, tells us more on this episode of BL Context
The RBI is expected to soon initiate the process of resolution of Srei Infrastructure Finance and Srei Equipment Finance. But what led to this situation? BusinessLine's Deputy Editor, Surabhi, tells us more in a conversation with Gitanjali Diwakar.
A new global investigation revealed that world leaders, billionaires and influential people used shell companies and offshore accounts to keep trillions of dollars out of government treasuries over the past quarter-century. This has limited the resources governments all over the world have to fight poverty, combat climate change or improve access to education and health. This investigation has once again brought the issue of tax evasion to the forefront and many experts have urged governments to end financial secrecy and probe the role of tax havens.
BusinesLine's KR Srivats explains what these revelations mean for India. He also analyses the steps taken by the government to stop tax evasion by the rich and powerful.
Stories from the pages of India's aviation history to understand why the Tata Group and its chairman emeritus Ratan Tata are so emotionally attached to Air India. If Tata wins the bid for Air India it will be a sweet homecoming for the Maharaja. But bringing him home maybe easier than making Air India soar again for the House of Tata.
It is widely reported that China's second-largest real estate developer Evergrande has a massive debt burden and is at the risk of a collapse. The company is saddled with more than $300 billion in liabilities and is scrambling to raise funds to pay lenders and suppliers. The news of the imminent fall of the company sent shock waves across the global markets, and many believed that it could affect China's growth and plunge the global economy into another crisis.
What is the crisis all about? Should Indian investors worry? Editorial Consultant Aarati Krishnan explains the crisis in this podcast.
Cryptocurrencies have created a lot of buzz over the years. In fact, NASSCOM, in a recent report, has said that the cryptocurrency market is expected to reach up to $241 million by 2030 in India and $2.3 billion by 2026 globally.
But what exactly are they and what should you watch out for before you invest in them? V Nivedita talks to Vincent Lau, MD, International Operations, Huobi Global, to understand the concept that drives these currencies.
PM Narendra Modi has returned from the US after a jam-packed tour. He attended the first-ever in-person Quad summit. He met US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga and addressed the UNGA during the trip. He also interacted with many business leaders and encouraged them to invest in India.
V Nivedita talks to Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation, about the visit, countering China and India's place as a superpower in the future.
Paras Defence and Space Technologies IPO saw a subscription rate of 300 times. it is the largest ever in the history of IPO by a number of times subscribed. Will other IPO's in the coming days see such gains? What does this mean for the capital Market?
BusinessLine's Market Editor KS Badri Naranayan explains.
After the $1bn Nasdaq listing, the Chennai born tech company Freshworks is worth more than $10 bn and its founder Girish Mathrubootham, a new posterboy of Indian IT. What's the man like, behind the gushing press Mathrubootham and his company have received? Is the company's culture really all that unique, and what makes Chennai the great SaaS bhoomi? TR Vivek is in conversation with Sairam Krishnan, marketer in residence at venture capital firm Accel that was one of the earliest investors in Freshworks. Sairam was also Freshworks' employee No.8 in 2011, when the startup was fresh but not quite hot yet. Do tune in!
The world is in the midst of a climate crisis. Climate change not only affects the day-to-day life of the people, but it also impacts public health and finance. Governments the world over are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Even corporates are stepping up and are trying to cut emissions. Anish De, Partner and Head, Energy and Natural Resources, KPMG, talks to Nivedita V about the need to shift away from fossil fuels and the ways to embrace new technology for a better future.
Chandra Singh Channi took charge as the new Chief Minister of Punjab on Monday after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned on Saturday. Could this bring to an end the long tussle for power between Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu?
BusinessLine's Associate Editor Poornima Joshi joins us today to explain what this means for the party ahead of the elections, which are scheduled to take place next year
The Central Government has recently announced a relief package for the telecom sector, which has recorded a debt of about Rs 4 lakh crore. Some feel that the relief measures might only be a temporary solution to the sector's problems. Also, India's telecom space has not seen any significant growth in its revenue. Would these measures help telecom operators survive? Or should the Government do more?
BusinessLine's Chief of Bureau (Mumbai), Thomas K Thomas, tells us more.
India has not yet endorsed a proposal on a permanent solution for public stock-holding made by the G-33 group of developing countries in at the WTO. The proposal suggests that subsidies for food security programmes should be allowed without any limits. What are India's concerns?
Amiti Sen helps us to put things in context.
The Telangana government has urged the farmers in the State not to grow paddy as it will not purchase them. This has put lakhs of farmers in peril, as the rabi season is just a few months away. Why did the government take this decision? What are the farmers' alternatives this season? Senior Deputy Editor KV Kurmanath explains.
Bhupendra Patel took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat after Vijay Rupani tendered his resignation last week. Why did Rupani quit suddenly? And, why did the BJP choose a first-time MLA to head the government? BusinesssLine's Rutam Vora explains the politics in the State in this conversation with Gitanjali Diwakar on the BL Context.
Stock markets in India can soon transfer shares and money into client accounts in under 24 hours with SEBI set to usher in a T+1 (today plus one) settlement cycle for equity transactions from January 1, 2022.
Businessline's Markets editor KS Badri Narayanan tells us more about the T+1 settlement cycle
Economic activity is on the uptick once again after the second Covid wave – the GDP for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, grew exponentially, exports, freight movement and gold imports are all rising. So, is the economy back on the path of recovery?
Dipti Deshpande, Principle Economist, CRISIL, talks to V Nivedita about the State of India's economy.
Sri Lanka's economy is not doing well, the inflation rate is raising steeply and the debt burden is taking its toll on the economy. The situation is so grave that the country's government was forced to impose a financial emergency. In The Hindu BusinessLine's latest podcast series, Senior Deputy Editor Amiti Sen explains the factors that lead to this emergency and what it means for India.
Recently, The proposal of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs to block virtual private networks (VPNs) in India has left many multinational and Indian companies in a tizzy.
Many companies have been using VPN for enabling secure work-from-home during the pandemic.
BusinessLine’s Debangana Ghosh tells us more on why this move is worrying India inc.