TMS Ep545: Aakash & Byju's, cricket in Olympics, auto stocks, civil union

During its not-so-distant heyday, Byju’s had acquired Chaudhry-family promoted Aakash Institute for close to $1 billion. It was a 70:30 cash-stock deal. While the cash transfer was smooth, the stock-swap deal has been hanging fire for the last two years. And now, Byju’s has reportedly struck a deal with Akash to resolve the impasse. In today’s In-Focus segment, Kasthuri Akhil asks if Aakash -- which remains one of Byju’s most valuable assets -- would bring an end to the ed-tech major’s woes. 

Very few know that Akash founder JC Chaudhry, now in his 70s, harboured a lifelong fascination with numerology. He credited it for his success, and went on to open a firm which offers nationwide nummero services. Let us now see what is happening in the world of sports. Cricket is making a comeback in the Olympics after over a century. What does it mean for the game? 

For cricket fans, Diwali will come a bit early if India lifts the world cup. But for auto companies, it seems, it’s a season of celebrations. Auto stocks have been in the fast lane for the last few months amid easing supply chain issues and an improvement in overall consumer sentiment. So as the festive season kicks off, how should you play this theme to rake in most gains? 

Mutual fund managers too are banking on auto stocks for better returns. Moving on, the Supreme Court on October 17 declined to legalise same-sex unions. The top court refused to grant constitutional protection to civil unions and adoption rights for queer couples. But what is civil union? And how do they differ from marriage? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.