Mint Primer

India plans to set up its own protection and indemnity (P&l) entity— the India Club—for providing insurance to ships operating in Indian coasts and waterways. Currently, the shipping industry relies on global firms for insurance. Mint explains the significance

The HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, surprisingly fell to an 18-month low in December. This came at a time when the economic growth has crossed expectations. Mint reviews its possible effect on the economy.

The second half of 2023 saw an uptick in office demand and leasing, propelled by global capability centres (GCCs), flex operators, and domestic corporates. Is this the beginning of a sustained recovery curve for the commercial office sector?

Truckers are protesting against proposed stringent punishment for hit-and-run accidents. It has led to fuel shortages in many cities and put the spotlight on the importance of this sector. Mint looks at the economics of truckers and their impact on the economy.

Recent weeks have seen the Indian IT services industry raking up no-poach clauses when it came to senior employee exits. Legal claims have been made. What explains this sort of reaction? Are these clauses even legally enforceable?

The government on Sunday named former vice chairman of Niti Aayog and Columbia University professor Arvind Panagariya as the chairman of the Sixteenth Finance Commission (SFC), a constitutional body. Mint takes a look at what to expect from the SFC.

Retail is a major contributor to GDP and employment, and India is expected to be the third largest consumer market by 2030, after China and the US. Yet, the trade is undermined by difficulty of doing business. The Centre’s retail policy could change things

A charter plane with 276 Indian passengers, grounded in France for four days due to suspected human smuggling, returned to Mumbai on Tuesday. The incident underlines the risks of illegal migration, also highlighted in the film Dunki.

A new and more scientific way of calculation has put India’s logistics cost much lower than before. How sharp is this drop? Mint explains the reduction, where India stands globally when it comes to the cost of logistics, and what more needs to be done

A new strain of covid-19 has emerged, raising concerns. The first recorded instance of this virus, known as JN.1, was found in Kerala on 8 December in a 78-year-old woman. More cases have been detected since. How serious is the strain?

Two-wheeler sales are speeding again. At least that’s what production data and retail sales in the festive months of September, October and November show. Does it mean the segment, hurt by income disruptions during covid, is back on its feet?

A hydropower policy is in the works. This comes at a time when India has set ambitious energy transition goals with plans for 500 GW of installed non-fossil power capacity by 2030. Hydro projects are also strategically important. Mint explains the policy imperatives.

Affordability to buy homes dipped in 2022 and 2023 after interest rates went up and property prices shot up in some cities. However, market watchers believe that affordability may improve next year. Why is this so?

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has notified guidelines on dark patterns to stop online firms from force-selling, pushing unsolicited subscriptions and showing misleading ads. Mint explains how these guidelines may change online shopping.

Placements at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are a barometer for how the hiring market shapes up in any given year. The battlegrounds of IITs t,his year are calm, indicating weak appetite among companies across sectors. Listen full episode here

Cyclone Michaung has brought India’s fourth largest city, Chennai, to its knees. Its recent efforts to prepare for such extreme weather events have been found to be wanting. Mint explains why the city, which prides itself as an ideal investment destination, needs to do a lot more.

On 14 July, India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves stood at $609 billion. On 20 October, it hit a recent low of $583.5 billion before rising again slightly to $597.9 billion on 24 November. What explains this yo-yo-like behavior? Mint examines the ups and downs of the rupee:

While the result of the state assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh has surprised many, it will calm the markets. Fears of fiscal profligacy or a rickety coalition government at the Centre in 2024 have eased.

Off-budget borrowings by states rose sharply in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Worried (they widen the fiscal deficit), the Centre cracked down on the habit in March 2022 and they have decreased. Mint looks at off-budget borrowings and their implications.

After vegetables and cereals, it’s the turn of pulses now. Prices of commonly used dals are soaring. But unlike other food crops, taming pulse prices is harder, as India is both the largest producer and consumer. Mint explains the background.

A Dubai-bound business jet from Europe flew into Iranian airspace with no clearance in September—due to a false signal on the aircraft navigation system. After about 20 planes faced similar issues, the Indian aviation regulator issued an advisory last week Listen to the full episode here...

E-SIMs or embedded SIMs will soon replace those fiddly physical SIMs in smartphones and other devices. Airtel’s top boss Gopal Vittal has urged subscribers to move to e-SIMs. But what exactly are they, how do they work, and what does it mean for us?

Retail investors have been at it. Futures and options (F&O) average daily turnover (ADT) has surged 34.5 times from FY19-24, while cash volumes only doubled, prompting deep concern from the Sebi chairperson. Brokers now expect more curbs to rein in the frenzy:

The government wants to replace the ‘use-and-throw’ design philosophy of products with a ‘right to repair’ framework. Benefits are many. Mint explains the concept, its need and how this move may disrupt the way businesses operate.

OpenAI chief executive and founding team member Sam Altman was last week fired from the company he helped make famous. Many startup founders have been made to leave their companies. What’s behind this trend?