TMS Ep623: RBI on Paytm, Hero E2W, investment strategy, Lakhpati Didi

Come March, and most Paytm soundboxes might fall silent. It is a void which will be difficult to fill. But the RBI has given a decent window, and merchants are slowly porting their accounts to rivals like Phonepay and Google Pay. While Paytm is trying hard to put its house in order, its Wallet and FASTag services will come to a halt after February 29. So what does it mean for you? 

The market value of Paytm has crashed by over 20,500 crore rupees in three straight market sessions. And its circuit filter has been reduced to 10% to stop the bleeding. On its part, Paytm has denied any wrongdoing. Moving on, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer HeroMotoCorp is planning to increase its pace in the electric vehicle market. It is rolling out three new two-wheeler EV models. Clearly, the company is eyeing a big pie in India’s growing EV two-wheeler segment. But what are the challenges? 

The government too is doing its bit to boost EV infrastructure in the country. The interim Budget for 24-25 has placed a special focus on supporting EV manufacturing and charging infrastructure. The budget has also given a fresh momentum to the markets. The NSE Nifty 50 scaled a fresh life-time high a day after the Interim Budget. Experts believe that the government's stance towards fiscal prudence even in an election year was commendable. Given the positive domestic cues in the backdrop of an uncertain geopolitical situation, what should be your investment strategy? 

The interim budget has also offered a roadmap for empowerment of rural women. The number of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ will now be increased to 30 million. But who are they? What is this scheme all about? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.