TMS Ep493: India Inc's recovery, biosimilar regulations, superconductor etc

Most of the corporate results for the first quarter of Financial Year 2024 are out now. The combined net profit of 983 companies -- that the Business Standard analysed -- has soared by over 64% year-on-year. Impressive isn't it? But a closer examination suggests that all is not well. Most of the incremental growth was led by a bunch of companies. And the revenue growth rose by just 7% in the first quarter year-on-year. In today’s first segment, find out if India Inc’s recovery is lopsided.

Early bird results from the pharma sector are not impressive either. Sun Pharmaceutical has reported about 2% year-on-year drop in consolidated net profit in the first quarter of FY24. Meanwhile, in the realm of pharmaceuticals, biosimilar products have emerged as potential game-changers. They hold promise for millions of people suffering from serious ailments, especially for the poor. Recently civil society groups urged the government to revise India’s biosimilar guidelines so that quality drugs are available at affordable prices. 

Even as efforts are on to put a check on the rising cost of healthcare, there’s no stopping the soaring oil prices. They have been on an upward trend for six straight weeks and are now hovering at four-month highs amid supply cuts. Other commodities like gold and silver, too, have been firm. So, what is next for oil and precious metals? Will the strength sustain? 

After oil, let us move on to a subject which rarely makes news. That is solid-state physics. At the fag-end of July, a group of South Korean scientists claimed they had developed a lead-based compound which displayed superconducting properties at room temperature and normal pressure conditions. The claims led to unprecedented excitement in the scientific community. But what is a room-temperature superconductor? And why is this claim making news? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.