TMS Ep309: Tax Rationalisation, OTT Content, Equity Market, Population

In the run up to the last full budget before the ruling BJP faces the general elections in 2024, India’s leading business leaders and representatives from industry bodies have given a set of suggestions to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. One of the key demands is the rationalisation of personal income tax rates. So why is India Inc. so keen on relieving the little guy’s pockets? 

India is also one of the world’s fastest-growing streaming video markets. Over 80 over-the-top or OTT platforms are jostling for viewers’ attention here. But as they say, content is the king. While several big budget shows like Marco Polo failed to make a mark, some budget shows like ‘Panchayat’ and ‘Delhi Crime’ won the audience’s heart. So what makes some stories click instantly with viewers? And how can the Indian OTT platforms achieve consistency of content? 

Netflix had pulled out of Russia in protest against its invasion of Ukraine in April this year. Ukraine, on its part, is still giving a tough time to the invading army. It recently forced Russia to retreat from the crucial Kherson region. The chances of this deadlock giving way to some kind of truce is offering some hope to the world financial markets. Recent corrections in crude oil prices and soft inflation data in the US are also giving Wall Street more space to breathe. So global equity markets are now looking to make up for their underperformance of the past few months. But analysts caution that rally in the Indian markets could take a backseat in the remaining part of 2022. 

A country’s demography is closely linked to its economy. If used efficiently, it can be a key factor in driving its growth. If not, it can be a burden on its resources. The world population breached the eight-billion-mark last week. And India is set to take over China as the world's most populous country in a few months from now. Let us find out how India’s share in the world population has changed since 1950 in this podcast.