TMS Ep127: Price rise, Colombo Port City, markets, IMPS

The invasion on Ukraine by major energy and metals producer Russia has led to a rally in commodities ranging from edible oils to aluminum. Consumer goods companies, hit with high raw material costs, are now passing on the price increases to customers. Will India face further inflation on FMCG products and consumer durables?

Meanwhile, inflation in Sri Lanka recently soared past 14%. The island nation is going through its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, and an economic emergency has been clamped. But the government has taken several steps to tame inflation and boost growth. The upcoming Colombo International Financial City or Colombo port city is one of them. Touted as “an economic game changer”, its relaxed business environment is expected to attract global firms. Saliya Wickramasuriya, Director General of the project, tells more about this ambitious project in an interaction with Business Standard’s Aditi Phadnis.

From Sri Lanka’s ambitious project, let us move on to markets back home. Somewhat stable crude oil prices and ruling BJP’s impressive show in state polls boosted the morale on the streets as indices snapped the losing streak last week. But this week investors will keep an eye on the two-day Federal Reserve meeting against the backdrop of US inflation skyrocketing to 40-year high. 

Swift transfer of money between bank accounts has made all types of transactions smooth, including those happening in markets. Gone are the days when people used to wait in serpentine bank queues to send money across. Through IMPS, we can transfer money within seconds. Know more about this platform in this episode of the podcast. 

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