TMS Ep520: Diesel vehicles, NVIDIA, Cipla promoter stake, Apple event

Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari clarified on September 12 that the government was not “actively considering” an additional 10% tax on diesel-powered vehicles. The statement came hours after the Union minister said he was going to propose a 10% additional GST on diesel-run vehicles during his upcoming meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This quick turnaround came three months after a panel commissioned by the oil ministry suggested banning all diesel four wheelers in cities with 10 lakh or more population by 2027. So is the end near for diesel-run vehicles? 

The technology has indeed put the automobile sector on a fast lane, and diesel-powered vehicles will face roadblock ahead. Meanwhile,  Artificial Intelligence has also made a headway into the sector, ushering in an era of self-driving cars. Like the world, India too is on the cusp of an AI revolution. Its flourishing tech ecosystem is embracing AI, however, several capacity gaps continue to hamper its march. Top companies, like Tata and Reliance, are now partnering up with global giants like Nvidia to bridge this gap. So, can Nvidia help India overcome the AI gap? 

Like the tech sector, India has a flourishing pharma industry too, which has made its mark across the globe. And a big name in India’s pharma sector, Cipla, is up for grabs. And a three-way fight is going on between Torrent Pharma, Dr Reddy and private equity giant Blackstone to acquire the country’s third-largest pharma company. Experts say that Blackstone may not go ahead with the buyout given the recent rally in Cipla’s share, so which of the other two contenders makes a good fit for Cipla? And what will the deal mean for investors? 

Meanwhile, US giant Apple has been making inroads into India. From 2% in 2019, the company has increased its markets share to 5% now. This week, Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the latest iPhone 15 series, along with Watch 9 series at the company’s “Wonderlust” event. The new launches have put Apple fans, or “iSheeps" into a frenzy. We talk about the new features and pricing of the new Apple products and more in this episode of the podcast.