TMS Ep517: Crude oil price, celeb brand names, markets, MAHARISHI

The decision of Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend voluntary oil production cuts through the end of this year pushed the crude prices close to 90 dollars a barrel. For India, it comes at a time when prices of food items are on fire, and monsoon rains are evasive. So will rising crude oil prices add to the woes of India? 

But certain items are out of bounds for inflation. They are luxury branded items. Brands, across the world, have long been a fan of celebrity endorsements. They add their unique touch to a brand’s overall narrative. And so when celebrities launch their own brands, especially in the west, they often add their names to it. There’s Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, Serna William's 'S by Serena', Posh Spice’s namesake collection 'Victoria Bekham' … the list goes on. But this is not always the case with Indian celebrities. Even the biggest Indian celebrity powerhouses often skip their own names from their brand mastheads. Why is this the case? Why do Indian celebs not bank frequently on their own names? 

After luxury goods, let us turn our gaze to items of mass consumption. CPI and WPI numbers will be out in the next few days. In July, headline inflation had shot up to 7.44%. Globally, too, firm crude oil prices that had hit the 90 dollars a barrel mark can further aggravate inflation woes for India, which imports nearly 80 per cent of its oil requirement. So, how should you navigate the week ahead? What are the key Sensex and Nifty levels you need to keep a tab on?

Moving on, India has successfully hosted the G-20 summit. One of the key outcomes of the meet was the unanimous decision to launch MAHARISHI. This is an acronym for Millets And Other Ancient Grains International Research Initiative. Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.