Is India ready to tackle Mpox?

Top of the Morning

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Wednesday, 21 August 2024. My name is Nelson John. Let's get started.

The Indian stock market saw solid buying on Tuesday, with key indices, the Sensex and the Nifty, closing up by half a per cent, driven by mostly positive global cues.

The World Health Organization has sounded the alarm on Mpox, tagging it as a global health emergency. Originally identified in the tropical rainforests of Africa, this virus, which we used to call monkeypox, was detected in humans back in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mint’s Priyanka Sharma explains that the disease manifests symptoms similar to smallpox, such as skin lesions and flu-like symptoms, and spreads through close contact, making prolonged interactions, especially of a sexual nature, high-risk scenarios. In terms of preparation, India is on alert, with enhanced surveillance at international borders and readiness in specific healthcare facilities to manage potential cases. Despite this, the situation calls for heightened vigilance and public awareness, especially among high-risk groups including newborns, pregnant women, and individuals with compromised immune systems.

The recent turmoil in Bangladesh has put thousands of Indian students in a tough spot, stirring anxieties about their safety and academic futures. Over 19,000 Indians, including 9,000 students, are currently stranded amidst escalating violence, with many worrying about lost academic years and severed communications due to frequent internet shutdowns. This situation echoes students’ plight during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Due to lower fees than that charged by Indian private colleges, Bangladesh was fast becoming a popular educational destination for Indian students, writes Sanghamitra Kar. As of now, violence continues to unsettle Bangladesh, leaving Indian students uncertain if they’ll return to their chosen universities.

India's smartphone exports really took off last year, hitting over $15 billion, thanks in part to Apple ramping up production here. Each month in early 2024, we were shipping out smartphones worth about $1.6 billion! While that's impressive, it's worth noting that India is still playing catch-up to manufacturing behemoths like China. This increase is largely attributed to the government’s production-linked incentive scheme initiated in 2020. Mint’s partners at HowIndiaLives.com write about how, despite this growth, India remains primarily an assembly hub rather than a full-fledged manufacturing giant like China, heavily importing the components required to build smartphones.

Businesses are upgrading their old PCs due to the end of support for Windows 10 and growing AI demands, leading to a significant increase in PC sales across India. The latest data from the International Data Corporation shows a nearly 4 per cent rise in commercial PC sales in the June quarter, the largest increase since 2022, driven by India's IT sector gearing up for a revival. Notably, Apple reported a 65 per cent increase in enterprise Mac sales in the same period, with overall PC shipments in India up 7 per cent year-on-year to 3.39 million units. Mint’s Shouvik Das reports on the rising demand for computers boosted by the $265 billion Indian IT industry.

IndiGo has decided to go fancy and introduce a business class in its Airbus 321 planes. This is exciting news for anyone following their journey from a low-cost carrier to now eyeing those premium seats. This isn't just about more legroom and comfy seats—it’s about capturing a slice of the lucrative business traveller market. Why the shift, you might wonder? Mint’s Mihir Mishra and Anu Sharma might have the answer. IndiGo is looking to beef up its earnings per seat rather than just packing more people in. They're setting the stage for bigger things, like flying longer international routes with their upcoming Airbus models. This strategic shift could really shake things up, making IndiGo a go-to for not just budget travellers but also for a crowd that wouldn’t mind a bit more pampering on their travels.

Show notes:

Mint Primer: Should India be worried about Mpox?

Out of Bangladesh fire, Indian students find themselves in the frying pan

What’s behind India’s surging smartphone exports?

Tech employers look for new laptops after two-year lull

Class war: IndiGo shows Air India it means business