The BS Upshot

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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? This podcast tells you what leading economists and market analysts think. 

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,

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 

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.