TMSEp376: IT hiring, Ukraine war impact, aviation stocks, carbon border tax

Global slowdown, it seems, is now casting a shadow over engineering college campuses in India. It’s no longer just a textbook subject. For millions of engineering students and pass outs, it’s a grim reality now. After years of aggressive hiring, major IT firms are now giving a miss to campuses. Those hired are also in a limbo, as their on-boarding has been delayed. New Wipro recruits were recently taken aback when the IT major asked them to settle for a 3.5-lakh rupee package instead of 6.5-lakh rupee offered to them initially. So is the IT dream of Indian youngsters turning sour? 

The Russian attack on Ukraine -- which plunged the world into economic slowdown -- completes one year today. The UN has said that the 8,000 civilian deaths in Ukraine is just a “tip of the iceberg”, as the war-ravaged nation continues to count its dead amid no sign of truce. The world too is paying a heavy price as several major economies are staring at recession. India too couldn’t remain unaffected. So, how did the war affect India’s economy and foreign policy? 

India’s aviation sector, meanwhile, is on the cusp of a change as airlines are planning to induct a record number of aircraft. Air India recently placed an order for 470 aircraft. IndiGo is to take deliveries of around 500 planes, and Go First and Akasa Air have orders for up to 72 aircraft. Analysts believe that these increased capacities will support the world’s third largest and the fastest growing aviation market in the world. But, are these triggers enough to give wings to related shares? Or are there risks that the markets are not factoring in? 

Indian companies with larger greenhouse gas footprints will soon have to pay a new tax on their products in several developed countries. It is called the carbon border tax. India recently wrote to the WTO to register its objections, calling it discriminatory and protectionist. But what exactly is the carbon border tax? Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more.