Mint Primer

After a turbulent 2022, the world is heading into another year of multiple disruptions, apart from an economic slowdown. Shashank Mattoo breaks down five crises, some old and others new, to watch out for in the months ahead. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

Hiring freezes and fewer counter-offers have brought the recruitment frenzy in India’s information technology (IT) companies to a halt. Still, attrition in the sector for the October-December period will hover around 20%. Mint's Devina Sengupta explains why. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

India’s smartphone market is set to contract by 5% in 2022 to 160 million units—the second time since 2020 when the pandemic and lockdowns impacted sales. Why has the market contracted this year and what’s in store in 2023? Mint's Gulveen Aulakh explains. This episode is hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

The government is proposing to make changes to India’s six-year-old Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Mint examines the relevance of the game-changing reform to the economy, and why the changes are necessary now. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

PVR Cinemas has opened its ‘ICE’ theatre in Delhi, a new format that claims to offer an experience that’s impossible to replicate at home. Many immersive movie technologies in India’s theatres have not been particularly successful. Can ICE theatres change this? Mint's Shouvik Das explains in this episode. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

The border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka has simmered ever since the two states were created. With no acceptable political solution, the matter is now before the Supreme Court. N Madhavan explains the recent flare-up. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

Covid-19 cases are rising in several countries including China, as the BF.7 variant of the omicron virus spreads rapidly. India is strengthening surveillance, even though the country has reported a decline in cases and deaths. Mint's Priyanka Sharma  explains the spurt in China and if we should be worried. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

The Parliamentary standing committee on finance, led by the BJP’s Jayant Sinha, has recommended modifying a Bill currently before the Parliament to make the Competition Act more up-to-date. Gireesh Chandra Prasad examines what’s in store for businesses. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

Since the Russian invasion began in February, Ukraine has seen its cities reduced to rubble and critical civilian infrastructure bombed into ruin. The astronomical cost of rebuilding Ukraine is on the minds of major Western leaders. Mint's Shashank Mattoo explains. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

Oil prices that shot up after Russia invaded Ukraine in March plunged as low as $76.1 early December, bringing cheer for the economy. However, retail customers may have to wait longer for relief. Jagadish Shettigar & Pooja Mishra analyse the implications of cheaper oil for the Indian economy. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), in its December meeting, hiked the repo rate by 35 basis points, as against 40-50 basis point increases made since May. Jagadish Shettigar and Pooja Misra explore the central bank’s softening approach, and what it could do next. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

The World Trade Organization’s Goods Trade Barometer says the global economy, hit by strong headwinds and weakening import demand, may see trade growth slow down in the closing months of 2022 and into 2023. Mint examines the implications for India.

AI-powered ChatGPT is rivalling even Fifa World Cup 2022 for social media eyeballs. The smart chatbot is keeping people glued by answering questions, writing code and poems, all with human-like sensitivity. Even Elon Musk and Chris Anderson are impressed. Here’s why: This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

After a cyber-attack wrecked the internal systems of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the premier medical institution switched many operations from digital to manual seven days ago. Mint's Prasid Banerjee explains how devastating such a hack can be.

Kerala’s ambitious Vizhinjam port project, led by the Adani group, is caught in protests and violence. The transshipment container terminal promises to reduce logistics costs and make manufacturing competitive. N Madhavan explains how the project landed in controversy. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

After an extended stretch of rising prices, wholesale and retail price indices in India cooled in October 2022, potentially offering some relief to the common man. Will the trend sustain and what are the implications? Jagadish Shettigar,Pooja Misra and Livemint analyses. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

Farmers in China are now growing a perennial variety of rice which does not need to be planted every year. The invention could transform rice farming by making it climate-friendly, besides using less of labour and other inputs. Sayantan Bera takes a close look. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerje..

Seventeen months since the National Company Law Tribunal approved the resolution plan for Jet Airways, the airline is yet to return to service. What’s preventing the airline, which was India’s second largest carrier until 2018, from taking off? Mint explores. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

After 10 years of negotiations, India and Australia have finally agreed an interim free trade deal. The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) is expected to double trade between the two countries in the next five years. Mint's Ravi Dutta Mishra lists the benefits. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

The government released the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022, for public consultation last week. The Bill, which seeks to govern and safeguard the use of personal data, sets out the rights and duties of users, and the obligations on businesses. Mint explains.

The US is ‘friendshoring’, and a key beneficiary could be India. US treasury secretary Janet Yellen recently said that as the US tries to reduce risks to the supply chain, it is keen to deepen integration with trusted partners like India. Jagadish Shettigar and Pooja Misra explain the new term in town. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup, which began in Qatar on Sunday, has drawn the attention of human rights and environmental groups globally. A claim by the host country is that the event is the first-ever carbon-neutral World Cup. But is it? Manjul Paul examines the promise This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee

India’s first private space mission christened Prarambh—by Skyroot Aerospace based in Hyderabad—is set for a 11:30 am launch today from Indian Space Research Organization’s (Isro’s) Satish Dhawan Launch Centre at Sriharikota. Mint's Shouvik Das explains the significance of the mission.

From being one of the largest markets for diesel vehicles barely a decade ago, India’s share of diesel cars has slid to less than 20% and may shrink further when stricter emission norms kick in. Sumant Banerji charts the trend of decline in diesel car sales and the reasons that led to it.

India has submitted its long-term low-emission development strategy at COP 27, laying down the roadmap to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070. Rituraj Baruah explains. This episode is being hosted by Prasid Banerjee.