TMS Ep481: NDA and INDIA, tech layoffs, healthcare stocks, Oppenheimer

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term will come to an end in a few months from now. His rise, and that of the BJP’s, made us believe that the era of multi-party coalitions was over. But last week, Congress and 25 other political parties announced a new coalition to take on BJP in the 2024 general elections. BJP went a step ahead and gathered over 35 political parties to consolidate an anti-Congress bloc. So is the era of political alliances back? 

Navigating the political corridors will indeed be tough for parties as polls draw close. Meanwhile, techies in India too are facing a challenging time. Over 150,000 people were hit by tech layoffs in 2022. And another 10,000 techies have lost their jobs so far this year. So is there an end in sight for tech layoffs? 

Prospects of IT firms appear bright going ahead. The NSE Nifty IT Index too has gained 18% from an April low. Moving on, India has dropped the requirement for RT-PCR based testing of a random 2% subset of international travellers. Covid-19 related worries are almost over. This has also led to a rebound for the prospects of healthcare companies, which is getting reflected in their share prices. So, how should investors position their strategy for this space? 

The stock of PVR-INOX, meanwhile, was trading close to all-time high on Thursday. The firm hopes that slashed popcorn prices and two Hollywood releases will bring the audience back to theatres. Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ is one of them. The movie starring Cillian Murphy in the role of Julius Robert Oppenheimer is one of the most anticipated movies of this year. The film is based on the life of American physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, also known as the father of the atomic bomb. But who was this man? Listen to this episoe of the podcast for answers.