TMS Ep483: Jio Financial Services, Indian surveys data, markets, IMAX

India’s most valued company - Reliance Industries - has a big consumer base, a deep pocket and cutting-edge technology at its disposal. So, in October last year, when it announced to demerge and list its financial services business as a separate entity, not many were surprised. And last week, we finally saw the birth of Jio Financial Services. But should the existing players in the sector worry? 

Given Reliance’s past, it may well pull up a surprise in the lending business too. Meanwhile, in another surprise of sorts, Shamika Ravi, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, recently questioned the quality of economic data collected in the country. Her statement has triggered a debate around what Ravi called "archaic" sampling methods. So what are the arguments in the debate, and do India’s surveys really need a revamp? 

Shares of Reliance soared over 8% after the company announced the date for the demerger, before starting the downward spiral. The benchmark indices too have declined nearly 2% in two days as investors booked profit following a sharp 15% rally from March lows. However, as Indian markets continue to sit on considerable gains, is it time to take the money off the table completely? Or should one buy the dips and hike allocation to equities? Explore the near-term market strategy in our next segment.

And it is not just the markets. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer too is giving some nail-biting moments. Just a 30-minute drive from Dalal Street, at PVR Icon Phoenix Palladium IMAX, a ticket for the movie was sold at a record Rs 2,450. But why so? How is IMAX different from others? Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more.