TMS Ep125: Overseas flights, cyber-attacks, Chemical stocks, oligarchy

After two years of lull, regular international flights will resume from India beginning March 27. It will replace the expensive air-bubble arrangement with 37 countries, giving a big breather to travelers. So, what does it mean for the aviation and tourism industry? Will it help them recover from the pandemic woes? 

 In the winter of 2015, way before it attacked Ukraine, it is alleged that hackers backed by Russia had breached the power grid, knocked out the electricity and plunged parts of western Ukraine into darkness. Similar attacks have since happened across the world. So, is India prepared to safeguard its critical infrastructure in case of cyber-attack by state or non-state actors?

With Brent crude hovering around $130 per barrel, its highest level since 2008, multiple sectors have started feeling the heat of the subsequent raw material inflation. Among the impacted sectors, chemical is reeling under the pressure just when it had begun coping from the pandemic-induced challenges. Their stocks continue to tumble. So, should investors lap up shares after this correction or wait?

The Russian attack on Ukraine not just highlighted Vladimir Putin’s growing clout in the region, but also trained some spotlight on a bunch of billionaire businessmen -- often referred to as the President’s men. Part of Putin’s inner circle, they are now facing a litany of sanctions from the West, which calls this kind of governance as oligarchy, and not a democracy. But do you know the difference between these two? Or, for that matter, what is an autocracy or monarchy? Listen to this podcast for all the answers. 

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