TMS Ep460: IndiGo aircrafts, free power, global markets, Gift Nifty index

India overtook the United Kingdom to become world’s fifth largest economy last year. And it is projected to grow at a rate of over 6% in the coming decade. So like others, Indian airlines too are racing to tap the demand from growing ranks of middle-class consumers. The country’s largest airline Indigo has inked a pact to purchase 500 planes this week. It has pipped Air India to set the new record for the biggest single-purchase agreement in history. So, what does this order mean for IndiGo and its future strategy? And what does it mean for the Indian civil aviation market? 

After these two back-to-back historic aircraft deals, the challenge for Indian aviation is that it is staring at a duopoly now. Meanwhile, another sector critical for the economy is facing its own set of challenges. Parties in several states rode to power by promising cheap or free electricity. At least 27 states and union territories are now providing subsidised electricity to consumers. But it comes at a cost. Some of it is being borne by the industries in the form of cross subsidy. So is free power for households hurting industry? 

Free or subsidised electricity has hit the discoms too, and affected their ability to pay power generators on time. Moving on, global markets have staged a smart recovery this calendar year, outperforming Indian stock markets by a wide margin. However, given sputtering economic recovery in China, and recession fears lingering around the US economy, how should investors approach global markets? 

Staying with the theme of markets, we all know what Nifty is. The Nifty 50 and Bank Nifty indices are most-tracked by traders and are barometers for market sentiment. Starting July 3, market participants will hear another term more often. That is Gift Nifty. Sounds interesting, but what is it? Let's understand it and delve deeper in this episode of the podcast.