Business Standard Podcast

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term will come to an end in a few months from now. His rise, and that of the BJP's, made us believe that the era of multi-party coalitions was over. But last week, Congress and 25 other political parties announced a new coalition to take on BJP in the 2024 general elections. BJP went a step ahead and gathered over 35 political parties to consolidate an anti-Congress bloc. So is the era of political alliances back?  Navigating the political corridors will indeed be tough for parties as polls draw close. Meanwhile, techies in India too are facing a challenging time. Over 150,000 people were hit by tech layoffs in 2022. And another 10,000 techies have lost their jobs so far this year. So is there an end in sight for tech layoffs?  Prospects of IT firms appear bright going ahead. The NSE Nifty IT Index too has gained 18% from an April low. Moving on, India has dropped the requirement for RT-PCR based testing of a random 2% subset of international travellers. Covid-19 related worries are almost over. This has also led to a rebound for the prospects of healthcare companies, which is getting reflected in their share prices. So, how should investors position their strategy for this space?  The stock of PVR-INOX, meanwhile, was trading close to all-time high on Thursday. The firm hopes that slashed popcorn prices and two Hollywood releases will bring the audience back to theatres. Christopher Nolan's ‘Oppenheimer' is one of them. The movie starring Cillian Murphy in the role of Julius Robert Oppenheimer is one of the most anticipated movies of this year. The film is based on the life of American physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, also known as the father of the atomic bomb. But who was this man? Listen to this episoe of the podcast for answers. 

India pulled out 135 million people out of multidimensional poverty in five years between 2015-16 to 2019-21. NITI Aayog said this in its recent report. The portion of the poor in the country has now come down to 14.9%, from 24.8% earlier. So what does this dip in poverty mean for the country's economy?  But these government schemes - which have lifted millions out of poverty - come at a cost. They put extra burden on the exchequer, forcing the government to look for ways to replenish it. Privatisation of state-owned assets was one of the avenues through which it would have raised capital. But barring Air India, the country hasn't seen any major sale of any state-owned asset. So why has the government's privatisation drive stalled?  Let us turn our gaze to markets now. Gold jewellery retailers have been able to post strong sales in the recent quarter even as the overall consumer sentiment remains on the back foot. As gold prices are expected to continue facing volatility ahead, will the shares sustain their strength at the bourses?  Sensex, meanwhile, touched 67,000 mark on Tuesday, before settling a tad lower. Markets' fear of a weak monsoon due to the El-Nino effect, it appears, have been washed away for now. But rains also spell misery for our cities, like what is happening in Delhi. Civic bodies are yet again struggling to restore normalcy. But is there a way out? The answer may be yes. Several countries are developing sponge cities now. But what are they? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

UPI will soon go live in France. And if talks succeed, Indonesia too will join the growing list of countries which have on-boarded India's payment system. So does this latest linkage with France suggest that UPI's international journey has taken flight? And how indeed can UPI replicate its success overseas? And it is not just the UPI. India's space odyssey too has caught the world's fancy. And if all goes well with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, India will join a club of three other countries that have managed a soft landing on the Moon. This mission will also give a fillip to the country's space start-up sector. So what does Chandrayaan- 3 mean for private sector players?  Like the space start-ups, investors too are reaching for the sky. But amid the ongoing euphoria, there is fear lurking too. Nippon India and Tata Mutual Fund houses have stopped taking lumpsum investment in their small-cap schemes from July onwards. So, why are some mutual funds finding the going tough as regards the small-caps? Is it just the sharp rally in this segment, or are valuations, too, a concern? Will more mutual funds follow suit? And what should investors do?  Bulls, meanwhile, continued to maintain their hold on Dalal Street. On Monday, key indices touched yet another high. But, amid the ongoing party, stocks of online gaming firms cut a sad figure. After the 28% GST, talks of TCS have put the companies in a spot. But what is TCS? And how is it different from TDS?  Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.

India's weather forecaster has cautioned people against visiting hill stations. From Himachal Pradesh to Uttarakhand, rains have brought several cities to a standstill, and turned their hills and roads treacherous. The situation is no different in the cities of northern plains. Parts of Delhi are submerged under Yamuna water. But is it nature which is wreaking this havoc? Or are we also responsible? And did Centre's Amrut scheme - which was launched about eight years ago to improve civic amenities in 500 cities - achieve its goal?  Meanwhile, it's raining bad news for the online gaming industry in India. Last week, the GST council announced a decision to levy 28% GST on full face value of online gaming, leaving the sunrise sector in a shock. And now, revenue secretary Sanjay Malhotra has said that TCS can be imposed on the payment service providers for online gaming. So is online gaming headed for another shock?  Experts believe that 28% GST will have an “irreversible impact” on $2.5 billion worth of investments in the gaming industry. Moving on to markets, the June quarter earnings of Indian IT majors were muted in line with the lowered expectations. However, healthy deal wins despite the overall macro weakness lifted the IT shares. So, has the Street already factored in the likely weakness and will the shares extend the recent strength?  Key benchmark indices and stocks of online gaming firms moved in opposite directions late last week. While markets touched a new high, the shares of most gaming firms crashed after the GST council levied a 28% tax on the face value of online gaming. This move caught the gaming industry off the guard. It had appealed to the Centre to levy the tax on gross gaming revenue, and not on the face value or the total value. But what is gross gaming revenue? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in France for a two-day visit. Apart from attending Bastille Day military parade as a guest of honour, he is expected to seal some crucial deals too. Purchase of 26 Rafale-M fighter jets is likely to be one of them. What else is on the table? And what does Modi's visit mean for India-France ties?  Back home, rivers in north India are in a spate. Most of them are flowing close to the danger mark, inundating low-lying areas and leaving thousands homeless. Parts of the national capital are also submerged in Yamuna water. So are we failing to manage the river systems?  It is not just the rivers. Rains are also, in a way, fuelling the vegetable prices. Retail inflation has reversed the downward march and has jumped to 4.8% in June. And amid the fresh talks of interest rate hikes, gold prices have corrected about 7% in two months. It had touched lifetime highs in May. But is there more downside to this correction? Or should one start accumulating gold at current levels?  Benchmark indices, meanwhile, have been soaring high for a while now. And some defence-related stocks are shooting through the roof. Stock of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders has more than doubled this year. And it hit a record high on Thursday amid news that India may sign an agreement with France to build more submarines. The country has built a fleet of submarines under Project 75. And it now plans to build a fleet of advanced subs under Project 75 (India). 

Taiwan's Foxconn has pulled out of its pact with Vedanta to build India's first semiconductor plant in Gujarat. The deal -- which was announced about ten months ago -- was on shaky ground as both the firms had no chip-making experience. And the joint venture was struggling to find a technology partner. So what does it mean for India's ambitious chip-making plan?  A broken deal should not chip away at India's ambition to become a global semiconductor player. Meanwhile, an about-turn by the country's telecom regulator has taken many by surprise. Last week, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India came out with a consultation paper, seeking suggestions on regulating over-the-top-players like WhatsApp and Telegram. It comes three years after the regulator had spoken against creating such a regulatory framework. So why has TRAI changed its stance on OTT regulations?  OTT players and the regulator should find a common ground, which will be in the interest of both. Moving on, benchmark indices have been shooting through the roof for a while now. In fact, markets saw positive movement in the entire first half of the calendar year 2023. But, some sectors like oil and gas, metal, and power underperformed the indices. So, why did stocks in these segments lagg behind? And will they regain momentum in the second half of 2023?  After the markets, let us turn our gaze to a rather sensitive subject: The India-Pakistan relations. Last week, New Delhi decided to boycott proceedings started by Islamabad at the Permanent Court of Arbitration against two hydropower projects in Kashmir. India said that a neutral expert was already examining the issue and the Indus Water Treaty prohibits parallel proceedings. But what exactly is the Indus Water Treaty? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

The rivalry between two US giants, Google and Amazon, is finding echoes in Indian courts now. On July 14th, the Supreme Court will hear the cross-pleas of Google and the Competition Commission of India or CCI. Google -- which was slapped with a fine of over Rs 1,300 crore for its alleged anti-competitive practices a few months ago -- has accused CCI of “protecting” Amazon's interests. So what is this allegation about? And why is Google attacking the CCI?  India's wearables industry too is coming of age. And the country is likely to become the world's largest market for wearables by the end of 2023. It comes at a time when markets like North America and China are going through a difficult phase and signs of saturation have begun to emerge. But Apple still leads the global wearables market with a 20 per cent market share, followed by South Korea's Samsung and China's Xiaomi. Indian manufacturer Noise is at fourth spot. With stiff competition at the top, can India become a global wearables powerhouse?  Moving on to markets, a buying spree of foreign institutional investors have unleashed the bulls onto Dalal Street in the past few weeks. At a time when markets trade near record high levels, will foreign investors continue to remain bullish on Indian equities? That apart, can new FPI disclosure norms by Sebi impact flows in the near-term?  And it is not just the benchmark indices. The Indian space agency too is aiming for the moon. Almost four years after its attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon's surface failed, ISRO is ready for another shot at the moon with Chandrayaan-3. What is this mission? And why do we need it? Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more. 

Are you sure that your personal information, like the details of Aadhaar and PAN cards are not in the wrong hands? And are you sure that they will never be misused? Until now, such safety was hard to guarantee. But an attempt is being made to address this, and much more. The government is planning to regulate the processing of personal information through a law. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill got the Union Cabinet's nod last week, and it is likely to be tabled in the upcoming Parliament session. So how different this draft is from the earlier one? And what are the major hits and misses?  Twitter too had a brush with hackers early this year. Email addresses of over 235 million Twitter users were put in public by an online hacking forum. That was about six months ago. Twitter is now facing another big challenge. It has a new rival, and this time it comes from the stable of mighty Meta. Threads was launched in 100 countries last week. And 10 million people joined it within the first seven hours of the launch. So is Threads the real threat to Twitter?  Back home, India Inc. will begin the June quarter earnings season from Wednesday, 12th of July. The Street expects most sectors to report an in-line set of earnings, thanks to easing commodity costs and overall improvement in macros. The weak demand environment, however, is likely to keep the overall numbers in check. Find out the likely winners and laggards of the June quarter. Let us turn our gaze to Mint Street now. The RBI's inter-departmental group last week said that the Indian rupee has the potential to become an “internationalised” currency. This comes at a time when several countries are scrambling to find an alternative to the US dollar in international transactions in the light of sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine. But what does the “internationalisation” of the rupee mean? Listen to this episode of the podcast to know. 

Vegetable prices have increased considerably in several states. Tomatoes are selling at over 120 rupees a kg in Delhi and some other big cities. Supply disruption caused by rains in producing regions is one of the key reasons for this inflation in vegetables prices. And it comes when India's central bank, RBI, had just started to breathe easy on the inflation front. So, will this development complicate RBI's job? And, will it have any impact on its future rate actions?  Car prices too have shot up considerably in the last few years. But that has hardly cast any shadow over the sales. New models are hitting the roads almost every month. Maruti Suzuki recently unveiled its priciest car till date. A rebadged version of the Toyota Innova HyCross MPV, Maruti's Invicto will come in the range of 24 to 28 lakhs. This vehicle is a result of the collaboration between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota. So is Maruti becoming too dependent on Toyota?  Buoyed by the launch of Invicto, the shares of Maruti Suzuki India crossed Rs 10,000 milestone for the first time ever this week. Moving on, the mergers of HDFC twins and then the IDFC twins have put a spotlight on NBFC space, especially the banking segment. This has intensified competition in the financial sector of the country. Will the state-owned banks also come together to ward off the heat? And how should investors approach the pack?  After the markets, let us now turn our gaze to snow-capped mountains of Kashmir. Just about 15-km from Srinagar, in the town of Pampore, purple crocus flower fields will be a dazzling sight in a few months from now. Its yield, called Kashmiri saffron, is famous for its distinct aroma and quality. But why is Kashmir's saffron so special? And expensive too? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

One of the hallmarks of reform is that it reduces, or even eliminates long queues. Goods and services tax or GST - which marked six years of its birth on July 1 - cut the serpentine queues of trucks at check posts dotting the country's state borders. After the inevitable teething troubles, GST has put in place a well-oiled tax ecosystem. In June, GST revenue collection stood at Rs 1.61 lakh crore. With this the monthly GST collection has been over Rs 1.4 lakh crore for 15th month running. So can it be called a good and simple tax now? Or there is more to be done?  In April, when GST collections had touched an all-time high of Rs 1.87 lakh crore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a great news for the economy. Meanwhile, in another good news, Google recently announced to set up its global fintech operation centre at GIFT City in Gujarat. CEO of the Internet giant Sundar Pichai told this to PM Modi during his recent US visit. So what does it mean for the GIFT City and also for the country?  Meanwhile, India took a big leap in global trading this week on July 3rd when popular SGX Nifty - which has been re-branded as GIFT NIFTY - started trading at GIFT City. Moving on, stock prices of mid- and small-cap companies have inched up sharply during 2023 as investors turned to their favourite go-to destination to make a quick buck amid improving market sentiment. However, the sharp run up is now making analysts cautious on these two segments. Business Standard's Puneet Wadhwa talks to market experts to decode the road ahead for the broader markets. The stock of InterGlobe Aviation - which runs the country's largest airline IndiGo - has rallied 55% in the last one year. And its market capitalisation topped the 1 trillion-rupee mark last week. But not all airlines are soaring so high. Go First was recently grounded. And its lessors had moved to take back the possession of the aircraft given on lease. The Cape Town Convention guarantees this. But their requests were put on hold as India has not ratified the treaty yet. This episode of the podcast tells about this global treaty and more. 

Mukesh Ambani's 2016 foray into telecom had upended dynamics of the sector. A brutal price war unleashed with the introduction of Reliance Jio had pushed carriers like Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India against the wall. Today, Jio is India's largest telco with a wireless subscriber base of about 430 million, while Airtel is a distant second with about 370 million. Vodafone Idea is struggling to stay afloat. And now, Jio has announced the launch of Jio Bharat, an entry-level, 4G-enabled phone priced at 999 rupees. Will this new phone disrupt the market again?  India's political landscape cuts a somewhat similar picture. BJP has won two successive general elections and it still holds sway. Opposition parties, meanwhile, are trying hard to stitch an alliance to challenge Narendra Modi's juggernaut. But will they be able to do so? Just days after several opposition leaders gathered in Patna to show unity ahead of next year's general elections, there was a vertical split in a key camp. Ajit Pawar walked out of NCP and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government. So has Ajit Pawar's switch dented the opposition unity?  It is not just political activities. The weather in Mumbai too has become intense. The weatherman has issued an orange alert for rains in the city. Meanwhile, the 2023 summer has turned out disappointing for cooling product makers as unseasonal rains soiled expectations of bumper sales. This has also been reflected at the bourses, so what should investors do now?  Benchmark indices continued to extend gains on Tuesday by scaling fresh all-time highs. After markets, let us now shift focus to the government's monetization plan. The National Land Monetisation Corporation gears up to auction its first property in September. Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more about this firm and why we needed it. 

Tata Consultancy Services or TCS -- as we know it – has been hit by a job scam. It has fired six employees after it was found that they received favours from staffing firms to recruit temporary employees. Six staffing firms too have been banned for the alleged wrongdoing, which Chairman N Chandrasekaran described as painful. So exactly what happened at India's top IT company? And what can be done to prevent its recurrence?  India's IT bellwether, in the meantime, is busy giving final touches to its Q1FY24 results. And some reports suggest that it may announce share buyback too with its financial numbers in a few days from now. Moving on, the decades-old debate around implementation of Uniform Civil Code has resurfaced. The BJP-led government has been advocating uniformity in laws governing divorce, succession, inheritance and adoption. It was one of its major poll promises too. So now, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a strong pitch for it and the 22nd law commission is seeking views on it, we ask if India is ready for a UCC?  Unperturbed by political discourse, the country's benchmark indices are charting growth stories. The Sensex and Nifty have scaled new highs on the back of strong FII flows. In the last one month, the Sensex has surged over 2,000 points and breached the 65,000 mark on Monday, July 3. The Nifty50, on the other hand, has hit the 19,300 mark for the first time ever. So, how sustainable is this rally? Which sectors and stocks still offer some headroom? Puneet Wadhwa spoke with U R Bhat, co-founder and director, Alphaniti Fintech to know his views On Tuesday, the markets will look at global cues for direction. Some profit booking due to the sharp run up cannot be ruled out. Meanwhile, with Elon Musk at the helm, Twitter has become an interesting space to watch. In a social media post, Musk said last week that Twitter has applied temporary reading limits to address “extreme levels” of data scraping. But what is data scraping? Lets find out in this episode of the podcast. 

Byju's has been in the news for a while now. Its co-founder and CEO Byju Raveendran is busy fighting battles on several fronts -- from trying to come out with its financial statement on time to winning the faith of investors and employees. The leadership claims it has understood its mistakes and is rectifying them. But is Byju's really ready to turn a new leaf?  Clearly it will be a while before Byju's comes out from this stormy weather. If it does at all. Meanwhile, the hills of our country too are reeling under rough weather. Rains have triggered landslides, and several parts are cut off -- leaving hundreds of tourists stranded. Over the years, monsoon tourism has gained popularity in the country. But concerns are also being raised about its impact on the fragile ecosystems of Indian hills. So is monsoon tourism bad for the country's hills?  Meanwhile, Indian equities are on cloud nine. The benchmark indices closed the first half of CY23 at record high levels. However, as we enter the second half of the year, the risks, too, are piling up. Here's a low down of factors which may dent the market sentiment. After the markets, let us turn our gaze to the corridors of politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently made a pitch for the Uniform Civil Code, just a week after 22nd Law Commission invited the views of the public and religious organisations on it. But ever wondered what is Uniform Civil Code? Listen to this episode of the podcast for more. 

The Ministry of Finance on Wednesday extended the deadline for the implementation of a new rule that mandated 20 per cent tax collected at source on foreign remittances. The increase in the TCS rate from 5 per cent, which was set to kick in on July 1, would now be effective from October 1. More importantly, the ministry added that overseas spending using credit and debit cards as well as remittances under the liberalised remittance scheme, up to Rs 7 lakh would not attract TCS. But, how will this new TCS regime affect you?  The long-speculated merger of India's largest lender HDFC Bank and mortgage entity HDFC Ltd is finalised. HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh had said that the boards of HDFC twins are going ahead with the merger effectively on July 1. In Today's Special, we discuss the implications that the merger is going to have on the two entities and how it will affect the banking sector.  Both the HDFC boards will meet on June 30, which would also be the last board meeting of mortgage entity HDFC Ltd, and its shares will go off-market effective July 13. Meanwhile, market action in the first half of the calendar year 2023 was triggered by moderation in domestic inflation, steady interest rates, return of foreign investors and some support from domestic institutions. Against this backdrop, benchmark indices notched fresh lifetime highs during these first six months of 2023. So, which sectors emerged as the top leaders and top laggards in H1CY23? And will the momentum continue in H2CY23 as well?  Below the boundless blue expanses lies the centuries-old wreckage of RMS Titanic surrounded by mesmerising oceanic flora and fauna – this is what the tourists travelling in OceanGate's Titan submersible must have been looking forward to. While the expedition met with a catastrophic end, it has brought to light how wreck-diving is developing as a popular segment of the global underwater tourism market. Listen to this episode of the podcast and take a deep dive to understand what is wreck-diving.

The proposed merger of Air India and Vistara has flown into rough weather. It has attracted the glare of antitrust regulator CCI -- which has asked Air India to explain why this merger should not be probed. It comes mere months after Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines filed a merger application with the antitrust body in April, saying the amalgamation of the two airlines will not lead to any change in the competitive landscape of India. So in today's first segment Bhaswar Kumar tries to find out why the CCI is now raising questions about the proposed merger, which was announced in late 2022?  And it is not just the big birds. Indian skies are also increasingly getting swarmed by drones. They are out for delivery. They are employed in security. And now, they are mapping land parcels in rural areas to help clearly define land rights. The recently launched government scheme Svamitva will provide exact coordinates for accurate map making with the help of drones.   Meanwhile, markets too have been flying high for the last few months with the Sensex and the Nifty hitting their fresh 52-week peak levels. Is there more steam left in the markets, or is it time for you to take some money off the table? Puneet Wadhwa spoke with Ajit Mishra, senior vice-president for technical research at Religare Broking on what the charts suggest. India's financial markets, meanwhile, will lose a gem early next month as the shares of HDFC will delist on July 13. This mortgage institution -- which helped over one crore Indians realize their dream of owning a home in the last 45 years - is now merging with HDFC Bank. So how has this journey been so far? And how did these two Indian giants come into being? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

Go First has secured lenders' approval for interim funding of 450 crore rupees. With this, the grounded airline -- which has filed for bankruptcy -- may come to the runway again. But will it finally take off from the runway?  Go First's return to the sky will indeed be good news for consumers, as the aviation market is left with only two big players: Air India and Indigo. From the sky, let us shift focus to the depth of seas -- which has become a favourite destination for adventure-seeking tourists. But the recent implosion of Titan submersible has highlighted the other aspect of adventure tourism: the risks attached to it. So will the Titan sub disaster sink risk tourism?  Dealing in stocks -- with its unexpected movements -- can also be as thrilling as bungee jumping. Amid the ongoing bull rally, micro-cap stocks have been the flavour. With a sharp surge of 15% this year, the Nifty MicroCap index has sharply outperformed the Nifty50, midcap and smallcap indices. Find out the reason behind this rally, and if these stocks are worth your money A lot of investors it seems are over the moon as Sensex is hovering close to all-time high. Talking of the moon, the United States is planning to send humans again to the lunar surface by 2025. And, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the US, India joined the Artemis program -- which is aimed at another moon landing after the Apollo missions. So what are the Artemis Accords and what do they mean for India's space exploration ambitions? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

After a late onset, monsoon seems to be finally making good time. It has covered almost 80% of the country -- arriving in Delhi and Mumbai at the same time. While the rains are again giving the civic bodies a tough time, the policy makers are a relieved lot. But how long will this relief last? Has monsoon solved this year's food inflation problem?  Last weekend, when the monsoon clouds were progressing towards Delhi, neighbouring Russia was grappling with a different kind of march towards its capital Moscow. It was that of heavily armed Russian mercenaries led by former Vladimir Putin ally Yevgeny Prighozhin? While the march was cut short and Prighozhin was forced to leave the country, the development has certainly exposed chinks in Putin's regime. Find out about the controversial Wagner leader and how he came into prominence in Russia.  Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, has described this rebellion as another crack in the Russian façade. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has dealt a big blow to the world economy. India too has been feeling the heat. In FY 23, IPO filings declined nearly 54%. But, this week, it seems, investors will be spoilt for choice as seven IPOs are set to hit the markets. The push comes amid a broad-based market revival. But, as global uncertainties keep secondary markets volatile, will this momentum in the primary market sustain?  Asset managers, meanwhile, are racing to develop artificial intelligence solutions that can help their clients get more returns. People are talking about AI's application in almost every field. AI, it seems, now has baggage of expectations to carry. And a new term has been coined to explain this. It is AI hype. Today we explain what ‘AI hype' is?

Byju's juggernaut has come to a grinding halt. Just over a fortnight after it missed its interest payment on the 1.2 billion-dollar loan and took the lender to a court, its auditor has quit. Deloitte -- which was vetting Byju's book for the last six years -- cited a long delay in its financial statement for the year ended March 31, 2022 as the reason for quitting. So in today's first segment, Thareek Ahmed tries to answer if the country's most valued ed-tech company will be able to revive its fortune.  Notwithstanding Byju's troubles, India's ed-tech market is expected to grow to $10 billion by 2025. India is the second largest market for e-learning after the United States. Moving on, ties between India and the US entered a new phase last week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the country as a state guest. A clutch of agreements were signed during the period. Bhaswar Kumar takes a look at three key developments in the fields of semiconductor, space and jet engines. And he asks experts if these deals will take the relations between the two nations to a new high?  The United States has also emerged as the top destination for Indian IT exports. Select IT stocks have gained 10-26% so far in 2023 on hopes that a pause in policy tightening in the US may lead to a revival in IT spending. However, latest earnings from Accenture suggest that a recovery is still not in sight. So, are IT companies staring at tough days ahead?  Let us shift our focus back to the subject of PM Modi's recent US visit. Giving new wings to the India-US ties, American jet engine manufacturer General Electric and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited have signed a pact to produce combat aircraft engines for the Indian Air Force. The agreement paves the way for the potential joint manufacturing of GE's famous F414 engines in India. But ever wondered what exactly a jet engine is? And does it work? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

A recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has rekindled hopes of electric vehicle maker's entry into the Indian market. And in Musk's own words, the Texas-based company will be in India “as soon as humanly possible”. We focus on the EV components and battery space, and try to gauge whether or not Tesla's entry into India will give a fillip to its nascent ecosystem in these sectors. Tesla's China sales, meanwhile, have tripled in the last three years. But given the ongoing changes in policies and the talented pool of techies, India can become a good alternative. And a lot of these gold-standard techies come out from the country's IITs. But, it seems, older IITs still hold an edge over the ones set up recently. A CAG report has indicated that the newer IITs are falling behind their counterparts in terms of performance and overall quality. So how can newer IITs catch up to Bombay and Madras counterparts?  After this interesting analysis of the country's premier institutions, let us turn our gaze to its financial markets. Shares of select public sector undertaking companies have registered an impressive rally in the last one year. So then, are there any PSU pockets worth your money?  The government, meanwhile, may meet its disinvestment target for the current financial year even without selling any fresh stake in PSU, if its plans for IDBI Bank and Concor go through. But right now, all eyes are on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit. On Wednesday evening, he presented a bunch of gifts to US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jilly Biden. And one of them caught everyone's attention. It was a 7.5-carat lab-grown green diamond. We all have heard of blood diamonds, but what is this green diamond? Let us find out in this episode of the podcast. 

India overtook the United Kingdom to become world's fifth largest economy last year. And it is projected to grow at a rate of over 6% in the coming decade. So like others, Indian airlines too are racing to tap the demand from growing ranks of middle-class consumers. The country's largest airline Indigo has inked a pact to purchase 500 planes this week. It has pipped Air India to set the new record for the biggest single-purchase agreement in history. So, what does this order mean for IndiGo and its future strategy? And what does it mean for the Indian civil aviation market?  After these two back-to-back historic aircraft deals, the challenge for Indian aviation is that it is staring at a duopoly now. Meanwhile, another sector critical for the economy is facing its own set of challenges. Parties in several states rode to power by promising cheap or free electricity. At least 27 states and union territories are now providing subsidised electricity to consumers. But it comes at a cost. Some of it is being borne by the industries in the form of cross subsidy. So is free power for households hurting industry?  Free or subsidised electricity has hit the discoms too, and affected their ability to pay power generators on time. Moving on, global markets have staged a smart recovery this calendar year, outperforming Indian stock markets by a wide margin. However, given sputtering economic recovery in China, and recession fears lingering around the US economy, how should investors approach global markets?  Staying with the theme of markets, we all know what Nifty is. The Nifty 50 and Bank Nifty indices are most-tracked by traders and are barometers for market sentiment. Starting July 3, market participants will hear another term more often. That is Gift Nifty. Sounds interesting, but what is it? Let's understand it and delve deeper in this episode of the podcast.  

The average daily sales of electric-two wheelers slipped into slow lane in June, as the withdrawal of subsidies and the resultant jump in prices apparently forced customers to slam brake on the electric-2 wheeler purchase. So what is the road ahead? Can electric two-wheelers survive without subsidies in India?  Indeed, the fledgling electric two-wheeler segment needs a little push from the government to take off. Its increased adoption will also help the government meet its green goals. Moving on, India's residential real estate market is on a fast lane now, after a sluggish period marked by pandemic. People are loosening their purse strings like never before to purchase luxury homes. But wait. It is not only Mumbai's beach facing areas which are costing a fortune. IT hub Gurgaon too is on the fire.  A recent hike in circle rates too pushed the rates of luxury properties in Gurugram. Let us now shift our gaze to the financial markets. Shares of micro-finance lenders have surged up to 45% over the last six months, even as the benchmark indices added just 2%. We find out the reason behind this rise, and if the current rally will sustain. Powel is widely believed to reiterate his views before the US panel, which he expressed in post-Fed meeting press briefings. People in the US are breathing easy now as inflation has dropped by half from last year's peak. Back home too, people heaved a sigh of relief for a different reason. WhatsApp has introduced a new feature which can address the menace of unwanted calls. What is it? And how can it save us from spammers? Listen to this episode of the podcast for more. 

Cyclone Biparjoy has weakened. But not before wreaking havoc in Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan. While there was no loss of life reported, normal life has been hit hard. Biparjoy has dealt a big blow to the coastal economy. With the frequency and intensity of such cyclones increasing, what are the larger economic implications?  But the good part is that Biparjoy has given a short relief from scorching heat in parts of northern India. Moving on, JioCinema, it seems, is slowly turning up the heat on its rivals – like Netflix and Amazon Prime. And the modus operandi is the same old tried and tested formula: start with freebies. Jio Cinema streamed the 2023 IPL free of charge. Soon it had over 10 million subscribers. So what does Jio Cinema's rise mean for the other players?    Let us turn our gaze to financial markets now. With the Sensex and Nifty trading near their respective 52-week highs, are the markets set for a correction? And, what should be your strategy in this backdrop? Are there any sectors and stocks that are still worthy of investment at the current levels? Puneet Wadhwa spoke with market pundits on how they see the markets shaping up over the next few months, and the stocks and sectors that you can still bet on. Defense stocks, meanwhile, will be in the focus for the next few days as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the United States. And even before the start of his visit, India has approved the acquisition of 31 MQ-9B drones from Washington. As heavy as an African elephant, this drone has earned the reputation of being a silent killer. Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more. 

After hitting sky-high levels on busy routes, airfares have reportedly come down considerably in the last few days. Thanks to government intervention, which had on June 5 asked airlines to “self-monitor” the ticket prices. The prices had skyrocketed in May after the grounding of embattled GoFirst airline. But, is that the only reason airfares shot up in recent weeks? And, does that surge point to a regulatory failure?  GoFirst too plans to take to the skies again by the end of this month. Hope that will further bring down the airfares. Moving on, India's tutoring industry is already soaring high. It is no more a fledgling sector. Kota, Delhi, Prayagraj, Chennai, … the list of coaching hubs seems never ending. But where do we stand? How big is India's tutoring industry? And how does it compare to the world?  No wonder, India's ed-tech sector has done so well in the last few years. Meanwhile, it seems, the country's financial markets are not performing that well. Equity investment has delivered negligible returns over the past year. It was close to one per cent. And 2023 has so far proved to be a subdued year as investors track the trajectory of global monetary policy. But other asset classes like bank FDs are offering as much as over 9% interest in some cases. Against this backdrop, is it time to turn towards FDs over the near term?  Weather on Dalal Street and beyond has suddenly turned pleasant. It is all due to cyclone Biparjoy -- which made landfall in Gujarat last week, leaving a trail of destruction at ground zero. But thanks to the personnel of the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF, the loss of lives was minimal. Thousands were evacuated on time. But what is NDRF? Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more. 

The Centre's production-linked incentive, or PLI scheme, which seeks to incentivise manufacturing in India by providing fiscal stimulus, seems to have run into problems. The government is reportedly planning to hold a first-of-its-kind meeting later in June, to address implementation issues being faced by producers under the scheme. Moreover, government sources have indicated that out of the 14 sectors under the scheme, the ones where progress has been sluggish may see a course correction. So, what changes does the PLI scheme need and why?  The detailed analysis and subsequent course correction for the six ‘sluggish sectors' under the PLI scheme would help in better utilisation of fund allocation over the next two to three years. While India Inc is striving to strengthen its industrial base, a significant number of Indian millionaires have been relocating abroad of late. Though the Indian economy is growing at a faster rate and creating more high net worth individuals, the private wealth migration is a matter of concern. So, why are the HNIs leaving India?    Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve's surprise hawkish pause of interest rate hike spoiled investors' sentiment back home, on Thursday. Domestic benchmark indices slipped up to 0.5% after the US Fed projected two more rate hikes this year. Amid the rising interest rate scenario in global economies, will domestic equities face pressure in the near-term? How should investors navigate this volatility?  The Centre recently announced that it will come up with guidelines for ‘dark patterns' on the internet in the next two months. The ministry of corporate affairs and ASCI met with various stakeholders including Google, Meta and Amazon to discuss these manipulative practices. But what are these ‘dark patterns'? Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more. 

Media baron Subhash Chandra's rise wasn't meteoric. It was slow, and carefully crafted. From being a school dropout, he went on to set up India's first private satellite TV channel -- the Zee TV, which reportedly reaches out to 1.3 billion people. Now 72, Chandra has seen many ups and downs. But, it seems, a lot of things are stacked up against him now. Sebi has barred Chandra and his son Punit Goenka from holding the position of a director or key managerial personnel in any listed company. So, is this the end of the road for Subhash Chandra?   Apart from Subhash Chandra, another news which caught people's attention this week was of alleged data theft from the government's CoWIN platform. The Centre, meanwhile, has trashed the reports. Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has tweeted that the data being shared seemed to be from an earlier breach. But, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team has still been told to submit a report on the matter. Amid concerns that the leaked data could be used for identity theft, phishing emails, scams, and even extortion calls, Bhaswar Kumar spoke to experts to understand where the problem lies and how it can be fixed.    Clearly the regulator has its task cut out. And it will not be easy with the swift rise of AI. Meanwhile, markets regulator Sebi has proposed tweaks to the total expense ratio structure-- which is expected to increase cost burden for asset managers. So how can the proposed changes impact stocks of AMCs?  Sebi wants uniformity and transparency by bringing all additional expenses within the TER. Moving on, we are now a step closer to the world of spatial computing -- where the physical world fuses with the digital. Tech giant Apple recently unveiled Apple Vision Pro headset which uses spatial computing. But what is this new technology everyone is talking about? Listen to this episode of the podcast for the answers. 

The battle between Ahmedabad-based Torrent Group and Hinduja Group to acquire debt-ridden Reliance Capital took another interesting turn this week. The National Company Law Tribunal has now restrained the creditors of Reliance Capital against accepting a higher bid placed by the Hindujas after Torrent said that it was submitted after the completion of e-auction. So exactly what is going on in this high-stake bankruptcy proceeding? And why are Hinduja and Torrent slogging it out?  Meanwhile, an altogether different kind of battle is brewing on Indian roads. Several new ride-hailing companies are trying to challenge the dominance of Ola and Uber -- which command over 70% of the market. These newcomers are trying to grab their space with unique offerings. Some let you bid for the lowest price, some are offering eco-friendly electric cars while others are driven by women drivers and only cater to families. The ride-hailing market in India is rapidly diversifying. But is India's ride sharing market ready for disruption?  Pandemic had hit the ride-hailing firms badly. It also made financial market's movements erratic. Nearly 30% companies let their draft IPO approvals lapse in 2022 due to it. Private markets, too, saw funding winter with tighter liquidity conditions. However, with 2023 expected to be relatively less volatile, will capital raising activity gain steam this year? And will India Inc. tap public or private markets to raise funds?  Just about 150-km away from Dalal Street, in the heart of Pune, buses of Karnataka came under attack last month. ATMs of Karnataka banks were also defaced. The decades-old simmering border tension between Maharashtra and Karnataka erupted once again, as assets of Maharashtra too faced similar vandalism in its neighbouring district. So what is this border dispute? And why is the district of Belagavi at the centre of this row? This episode of the podcast all the answers. 

The government has come out with draft rules for online gaming. While releasing it, the minister of state for IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said that the online gaming sector has the potential to grow to a 200-billion-dollar industry. And not just the minister's statement, the draft too had some good news for the sector. One of them was setting up an industry-led self-regulatory body to check online gambling and other issues. So will the self-regulation model work for this industry, given the many challenges associated with it?  This draft, in all likelihood, will be the first step by the government to regulate the online gaming sector. Meanwhile, the country is also seeing a jump in the number of electric vehicles. But, despite last year's record sales, its penetration is still very low. Of the total automobile sales, EV accounted for less than five per cent in 2022. So what will it take for the EV ecosystem to be as big as that of the internal combustion engine market. Will commercial EVs lead the way? How the adoption of more commercial electric vehicles is changing the EV landscape?  Moving on to the markets, the IT sector, which remains at the centre of a global slowdown and a likely impending recession in the West, is set to kick start the third quarter earnings next week. As the global growth outlook continues to weaken, will the sector manage to hold its ground or will it succumb to the global headwinds?  After the markets, let us shift to the higher education segment which will see two big developments this year. The country's first digital university will become operational soon, and the Higher Education Commission of India will also come up. Today we offer insight into the upcoming digital university. How will it work and how will it benefit students and professionals? Let us find out in this episode of the podcast. 

Over six years after the government demonetised 86% of cash in circulation in one go by declaring notes of Rs 500 and 1000 illegal, the Supreme Court on Monday nixed petitions challenging the move and upheld its legality. So what did the apex court actually say in its verdict? And what does it mean?  If note ban put millions in the bank queues, pandemic forced many more to line up at railway stations and bus terminals. With jobs gone, they had no option but to return home. Struggle to feed their families followed. It was then that the government had launched Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to provide free food grain. And after about two years, the scheme has now been scrapped. But the government has made PDS free for one year. So what will be its impact? Will it anyway affect the government's fiscal planning?  Moving on to markets, raw material prices are steadily continuing their downward journey while a firm pick-up in credit cycle has also boosted overall sentiment. Will these positive factors provide succour to India Inc.'s fortunes in the third quarter earnings of FY23?  Inflation played a spoilsport for several sectors last year, and pulled down their stock prices too. Consumers also felt the heat. Those at the bottom of the wealth pyramid were the worst hit. And it is one of the reasons that the government is now mulling shifting to ‘living wage' from the existing ‘minimum wage'. The living wage is indexed to inflation. And, if implemented, it will give a big respite to those living on the margins. But what exactly is a ‘living wage'? We decode it for you in this segment of the podcast. 

Over six years after the government demonetised 86% of cash in circulation in one go by declaring notes of Rs 500 and 1000 illegal, the Supreme Court on Monday nixed petitions challenging the move and upheld its legality. So what did the apex court actually say in its verdict? And what does it mean? This podcast brings you the answers. 

If note ban put millions in the bank queues, pandemic forced many more to line up at railway stations and bus terminals. With jobs gone, they had no option but to return home. Struggle to feed their families followed. It was then that the government had launched Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to provide free food grain. And after about two years, the scheme has now been scrapped. But the government has made PDS free for one year. So what will be its impact? Will it anyway affect the government's fiscal planning? This podcast has the answer. 

Moving on to markets, raw material prices are steadily continuing their downward journey while a firm pick-up in credit cycle has also boosted overall sentiment. Will these positive factors provide succour to India Inc's fortunes in the third quarter earnings of FY23? This podcast brings you a detailed report. 

Inflation played a spoilsport for several sectors last year, and pulled down their stock prices too. Consumers also felt the heat. Those at the bottom of the wealth pyramid were the worst hit. And it is one of the reasons that the government is now mulling shifting to ‘living wage' from the existing ‘minimum wage'. The living wage is indexed to inflation. And, if implemented, it will give a big respite to those living on the margins. But what exactly is a ‘living wage'? We decode it in this segment of the podcast. 

Despite uncertainties, India's equity market scaled new highs last year. It made investors richer by more than 16.36 lakh crore rupees. But how will the markets and the economy behave in 2023? Will they remain resilient amid familiar challenges? Puneet Wadhwa tells you what leading economists and market analysts think It looks like a familiar territory, but with somewhat greener pastures. Is it a mirage or will this year turn out to be better for us? What will be the key developments that need to be tracked in 2023?  The government's ambitious asset monetisation plan was on track last year as it surpassed its target in the fiscal year 2021-22. It reportedly collected Rs 1 trillion against the target of Rs 88,000 crore. But what is the current situation like? Is the plan on track to meet the target in the current fiscal too? The much-awaited decadal census didn't kick off last year due to the pandemic. And it is unlikely to happen this year too as at least nine states will see elections. But what is a census? Why do we need it? We decoded it in this segment of the podcast. 

Despite uncertainties, India's equity market scaled new highs last year. It made investors richer by more than 16.36 lakh crore rupees. But how will the markets and the economy behave in 2023? Will they remain resilient amid familiar challenges? This podcast tells you what leading economists and market analysts think. 

It looks like a familiar territory, but with somewhat greener pastures. Is it a mirage or will this year turn out to be better for us? What will be the key developments that need to be tracked in 2023? Listen to this podcast to know more

The government's ambitious asset monetisation plan was on track last year as it surpassed its target in the fiscal year 2021-22. It reportedly collected Rs 1 trillion against the target of Rs 88,000 crore. But what is the current situation like? Is the plan on track to meet the target in the current fiscal too? Listen to this podcast to know more 

The much-awaited decadal census didn't kick off last year due to the pandemic. And it is unlikely to happen this year too as at least nine states will see elections. But what is a census? Why do we need it? We decoded it in this segment of the podcast,

One of the upsides of lockdowns was that it fueled the growth of several sectors. Fintech was one of them. Of the 100-odd Unicorns in India today, 21 are fintechs. Meanwhile, an SBI report recently said that the use of UPI has jumped 70 times in the last four years. Against this backdrop, a big question emerged this year. Should there be charges on UPI fund transfers? Some in industry believe that it cannot continue forever. Amid all of this, today we ask, did the fintech industry come of age in 2022? And, how will 2023 play out?  The next year will also be marked as the International Year of the Millet. India spearheaded the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution, which was supported by 72 countries and passed in March 2021. A staple grain variety of the past, millets are also reemerging as Nutri-cereals or smart foods today, thanks to their therapeutic qualities and nutritional superiority compared to rice, wheat, and corn. So what will it take to make this “wonder food” become a “wonder crop” of masses in India?  2022 was a rough year for global equity markets amid rising rates and the Russia-Ukraine war. But Indian markets managed to recover some ground in the second half of the year. Of all the segments, small-cap was the worst-hit. So what led to a dismal performance of small-caps in 2022 and which segments emerged victorious?  Banking sector, meanwhile, turned the corner in 2022 and its stocks clocked maximum gains in the last five years. But this year will also be known for the arrest of sector giant Chanda Kochhar -- who was one of the founding members of ICICI Bank. In this episode of the podcast, we explain what is the ICICI Bank loan fraud case and more. 

One of the upsides of lockdowns was that it fueled the growth of several sectors. Fintech was one of them. Of the 100-odd Unicorns in India today, 21 are fintechs. Meanwhile, an SBI report recently said that the use of UPI has jumped 70 times in the last four years. Against this backdrop, a big question emerged this year. Should there be charges on UPI fund transfers? Some in industry believe that it cannot continue forever. Amid all of this, today we ask, did the fintech industry come of age in 2022? And, how will 2023 play out? This podcast brings you the answers.  

The next year will also be marked as the International Year of the Millet. India spearheaded the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution, which was supported by 72 countries and passed in March 2021. A staple grain variety of the past, millets are also reemerging as Nutri-cereals or smart foods today, thanks to their therapeutic qualities and nutritional superiority compared to rice, wheat, and corn. So what will it take to make this “wonder food” become a “wonder crop” of masses in India? This podcast explores the idea. 

2022 was a rough year for global equity markets amid rising rates and the Russia-Ukraine war. But Indian markets managed to recover some ground in the second half of the year. Of all the segments, small-cap was the worst-hit. So what led to a dismal performance of small-caps in 2022 and which segments emerged victorious? Deepak Korgaonkar and Puneet Wadhwa bring the answer in this episode.

Banking sector, meanwhile, turned the corner in 2022 and its stocks clocked maximum gains in the last five years. But this year will also be known for the arrest of sector giant Chanda Kochhar -- who was one of the founding members of ICICI Bank. In this podcast, we explain what is the ICICI Bank loan fraud case.  

A host of high-value deals -- including the ones sealed by Adani Group and HDFC Bank -- were the highlights of 2022. It was the year when India Inc. clinched its highest ever mergers and acquisitions, beating the previous record set in 2021 by a considerable margin. So what were the factors that led to this year's stellar numbers? And, how will 2023 play out?  Several Indian states are now rolling out the red carpet to India Inc. for investment. Some of them, like Punjab and West Bengal, need it more than the others. An RBI report recently highlighted the grim fiscal condition of ten states. And of them, five seem to be in dire condition. So what ails these states? And what can be done to revive their economy? Is giving them power to levy income tax an answer? Business Standard spoke to academicians and economists to find the answer    Moving on, equity markets were hit by bouts of volatility in 2022 as geopolitical tensions and drying liquidity dented sentiments. Find out the key factors that will shape the markets in the year ahead Weather outside the eight-block long Wall Street is also grim as the New York governor has issued another set of warning over extreme cold. The US and Canada are weathering a powerful arctic winter storm. Scores of people have died, thousands of flights have been cancelled and travel bans have been imposed in some parts. News reports are now citing terms like arctic blast and bomb cyclones. We decode it for you in this episode of the podcast.

A host of high-value deals -- including the ones sealed by Adani Group and HDFC Bank -- were the highlights of 2022. It was the year when India Inc. clinched its highest ever mergers and acquisitions, beating the previous record set in 2021 by a considerable margin. So what were the factors that led to this year's stellar numbers? And, how will 2023 play out? This podcast brings you the answers.

Several Indian states are now rolling out the red carpet to India Inc. for investment. Some of them, like Punjab and West Bengal, need it more than the others. An RBI report recently highlighted the grim fiscal condition of ten states. And of them, five seem to be in dire condition. So what ails these states? And what can be done to revive their economy? Is giving them power to levy income tax an answer? This podcast reaches out to academicians and economists to find the answer.    

Equity markets were hit by bouts of volatility in 2022 as geopolitical tensions and drying liquidity dented sentiments. This podcast brings you key factors that will shape the markets in the year ahead

Weather outside the eight-block long Wall Street is also grim as the New York governor has issued another set of warning over extreme cold. The US and Canada are weathering a powerful arctic winter storm. Scores of people have died, thousands of flights have been cancelled and travel bans have been imposed in some parts. News reports are now citing terms like arctic blast and bomb cyclones. We decode it for you in this podcast. 

The year gone by has proven to be an inflection point for Digital India. From Big Tech to the government, India's digitisation drive has received, or is poised to receive, a fillip in both innovation and regulation. 5G rolled out a red carpet of promises. And despite crypto's epic fail, Web 3.0 has emerged as THE watchword in tech innovation, with both start-ups and big techs flocking to the metaverse. How big was the year 2022 then, for tech in India? And what new frontiers can 2023 conquer?  The Fifa World Cup in Qatar is over, and Messi's Argentina team has taken home the trophy, but the questions about the fate of migrant workers still linger. The World Cup and the attendant media coverage focused on the deplorable conditions migrant workers find themselves in, especially in countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council or GCC. It also begs the question: Why are more and more Indians flocking to GCC countries despite reports of human rights violations?  To protect Indian workers, the Emigration Act of 1983 was passed and it required Indians travelling to some countries for work to get an emigration clearance. Passports which carried the Emigration Check Not Required or ECNR stamp weren't required to seek such a clearance. Since, 2007, only those passport holders that carry an Emigration Check Required need to get such a clearance. All other passports are deemed to be ECNR passports. From the worries of migrant workers let us move to the worries to market watchers. It has been a choppy fortnight for the markets amid a resurgence of Covid-related fears. How do technical chartists see markets play out in 2023? Which sectors and stocks hold promise in the year ahead? Business Standard's Puneet Wadhwa caught up with Gaurav Ratnaparkhi, head of technical research at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, on the key levels he is tracking for the frontline indices and the stocks that are a ‘must-have' in your portfolio. Last week, we had news from China about the new SARS- CoV-2 variant BF. 7 and how quickly it is spreading in the region. There are few cases reported in India of the new variant leading to a slight surge in the cases of Covid-19. While, experts say there are no serious concerns for India, this podcast decodes the new Covid-19 variant BF.7 and more. 

The year gone by has proven to be an inflection point for Digital India. From Big Tech to the government, India's digitisation drive has received, or is poised to receive, a fillip in both innovation and regulation. 5G rolled out a red carpet of promises. And despite crypto's epic fail, Web 3.0 has emerged as THE watchword in tech innovation, with both start-ups and big techs flocking to the metaverse. How big was the year 2022 then, for tech in India? And what new frontiers can 2023 conquer? This podcast examines the source code. 

In its meeting on Saturday, the GST Council approved the decriminalisation of certain offenses and clarified the tax provisions on a number of items, including sport utility vehicles. However, the Council ran out of time and about half its agenda, including setting up a GST Appellate Tribunal, was left undiscussed. So, what were the key decisions taken at the meeting and what's going to be their impact?  No tax increase on any item was announced at GST Council meeting last week. That's welcome news for the masses. But the men at the helm of affairs in government are apparently unhappy with the long vacations of Indian courts. The justice and law minister of India Kiren Rijiju recently said that the vacation period of Indian courts is an inconvenience to the people. The law minister's remark on the functioning of the judiciary has opened up a debate if Indians, in general, take plenty of leaves?  Moving on to the markets, despite firm revenue growth in Q1, Dublin-based Accenture Plc left analysts unimpressed as it pegged the next quarter's revenue growth below projections. The company also sounded cautious about client spending. So does this signal more trouble for Indian IT companies ahead?  The government recently cleared the ‘environmental release' of a genetically modified variety of mustard. The move has triggered a debate around it. It has been challenged in the Supreme Court too. Environmental activists and several groups representing farmers are bent against GM crops. But exactly are they? And why is so much debate going around them? Listen to this episode of the podcast to know it all. 

In its meeting on Saturday, the GST Council approved the decriminalisation of certain offenses and clarified the tax provisions on a number of items, including sport utility vehicles. However, the Council ran out of time and about half its agenda, including setting up a GST Appellate Tribunal, was left undiscussed. So, what were the key decisions taken at the meeting and what's going to be their impact? This podcast brings you the answers.