TMS Ep557: Human error in railways, alcobev sector, Ethics Committee & more

Just over four months after close to 300 passengers lost their lives in a collision of two trains in Odisha, a similar mishap in Andhra Pradesh has now left 14 dead. And there is a likely common thread. That is human error. Even last month’s train derailment in Bihar was also attributed to a goof-up by its driver -- who had applied a sudden brake. So how can railways eliminate human error and make the tracks safer? What are the lessons learnt? And what difference technology is making? 

Over three years on, the number of passengers railways is carrying has still not reached the pre-pandemic level. And a big chunk of them have shifted to air travel, thanks to the rising income level. Apart from air travel, Indians are also splurging on alcohol. From a market size of $52.4 billion in 2021, the alcobev sector is expected to reach $64 billion in five years. Find out what is brewing in this sector.

No wonder, liquor stocks have rallied up to 200% in the last one year. Moving on, the September quarter results season is drawing to a close with nearly 2/3rd of Nifty50 companies announcing their results. A read through of the results show cyclicals and commodity-linked companies haven stolen the show, while IT has disappointed. Take a deep dive into the Q2 report card of India Inc, and examine if the growth trends are here to stay.

After vetting quarterly results, let us now shift our focus to the country’s politics. Last week, TMC MP Mahua Moitra stormed out of a meeting of the Parliamentary Ethics Committee alleging that she was asked questions related to her personal life. She even called some questions “filthy”. The panel is looking into allegations that the MP took cash to ask questions in Parliament, a charge she has denied. But what is an Ethics Committee? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.