TMS Ep604: Lakshadweep tourism, AI City, markets, Sheikh Hasina

Maldives’ new government has sacked its three ministers. And it is trying hard to douse flames erupted due to their comments against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their controversial remarks had come in response to PM Modi’s posts in which he was promoting Lakshadweep as a tourist destination. So how can we make Indian tourist spots more attractive? 

Government meanwhile is trying to project Ayodhya as a global religious tourist destination. The city is going through a massive facelift. With Ram Temple inauguration drawing close, it seems all roads are leading to the temple city. And just 150-km away, UP’s capital city Lucknow too is being spruced up, but in a different way. The state government is developing an Artificial Intelligence City there. The idea is to make it an IT hotspot like Bangalore. So what will be the significance of India’s first AI city? 

A recent report said that about 70% startups are investing in AI to boost their efficiency. Moving on, global and domestic equities alike have remained unfazed by the geopolitical crises in the year gone by. The ongoing war in Gaza, however, risks roping in world powers as tensions brew in the Red Sea, while upcoming Taiwanese elections are keeping the mood in East Asia sour. So, are markets ignoring the geopolitical risk in 2024? 

Meanwhile, broad indexes in Bangladesh surged to two-month high after results of national elections were declared. Sheikh Hasina has won a fourth straight term amid a boycott by the main opposition party. But who is Sheikh Hasina? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.