EQ Saturday Sapience #58

Equity Intelligence 16th March 2024

The Indian government is enhancing its economic data quality by initiating a long-delayed census, amidst other measures. In the automotive industry, a shift towards diversified vehicle offerings suggests a gradual transition to electric vehicles, contrasting sharply with previous all-electric ambitions. Harsh Mariwala of Marico shares insights on outmanoeuvring larger competitors and establishing leading consumer brands in India. Additionally, the implementation of GST in 2017 marked a significant shift for businesses, particularly in the SME sector, significantly influencing their operational dynamics and access to credit.

  • India’s government is planning a number of steps to improve the quality of its economic data, including kicking off a long-delayed population census, according to people familiar with the matter... Read more
  • A broad return to a more mixed offering of vehicles—with lineups of gas-powered vehicles alongside hybrids and fully electric options—assumes an all-electric future at a much slower pace, and it calls attention to ambitious EV targets set for the years ahead… Read more
  • From Parachute to Saffola, Marico’s Harsh Mariwala on building India’s biggest consumer brands… Harsh has a lot of stories—from creating differentiation in consumer products even when the market is crowded, to how he fought back and won against the much larger Hindustan Unilever when it wanted to acquire Marico… Listen more
  • The Implementation of GST in July 2017 has been a watershed event, reshaping the way businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, operate and access credit in India. Data shows that introduction of the new tax regime has enabled an increase in credit offtake to micro, small, and medium enterprises even as overall credit growth took a sharp knock… Read more
  • "The investor's chief problem—and even his worst enemy—is likely to be himself." —Benjamin Graham