In this previous post on Tether, I wrote about stablecoins & how they’re important cogs in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. We also spoke about how Tether is supposed to keep a 1:1 peg with the USD$ and how as per a [really comprehensive] Bloomberg report - that might not be the case. Bottom-line: What happens if everyone makes a run at Tether, withdr…

Up until I recorded this episode, I didn’t really know what ‘Tether’ was. And then I spoke to Anmol Gandhi [the ultimate G when it comes to cryptocurrencies] and he told me that Tether is a ‘stablecoin’. A stablecoin is different from other coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum etc. So, let’s first understand what stablecoins are & how they work - before we…

E-commerce has been one of the fastest growing sectors for the past decade now. In India - Amazon/Flipkart have cornered the lion’s share of the market - and the need to regulate these players was quite important. Enter: E-commerce Rules Unfair trade practices. Consumer grievances. Price manipulations. These rules covered a lot of ground to protect…

Sona Comstar - an auto ancillary player has had a pretty decent run in the markets since it’s listing [up by 50% from it’s IPO price]. It’s IPO provided a great exit for Blackstone which diluted 50% of its total holdings in Sona Comstar - earning a RoI of 8.8x. As is the case with most of the IPOs - the VCs & PEs of the world are the ones that real…

In the final part of our series on Textiles, we spoke about Alok Industries & Trident. #1 Alok Industries Alok Industries operates in the primary stages of the textile ecosystem (i.e. weaving & yarn manufacturing) exporting about 26% of their production to 90 different countries. This company, is one of the classic examples of what happens when you…

In this episode, we covered two textile stocks - Raymond & Page Industries. #1 Raymond Raymond is a name that needs no introduction in India. Incorporated in 1925, Raymond started as a woolen mill & today it’s a diversified group with its feet dipped into Textiles & Apparels, FMCG, Realty, Engineering & Prophylactics. Growth Drivers One of the bigg…

In this episode, we spoke about the characteristics of the textiles business, the ecosystem i.e. the process right from spinning the yarn to stitching/designing the fabric. We also covered the subject of why companies like to get listed on the stock exchanges. #1 The Textiles Industry A. Industry Characteristics One of the most important things bef…

In the previous episode, we demystified certain terms associated with Cryptocurrencies & spoke about how Coinbase’s IPO could be a massive moment in the history of Cryptos. In recent weeks, there was a meltdown in the Crypto world - with all major cryptos taking a big hit on the back of China banning banks/payment firms from processing or entering …

Unless you’ve been living under a cave, you’ve probably heard of Cryptocurrencies. The original idea behind it, was to be a digital form of money which was not controlled by any central authority. But, something entirely different transpired. People started ‘investing’ in Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum & most recently Dogecoin - with the s…

The Government of India recently notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 - and it’s going to have major implications on the Media & Entertainment industry going forward. Why do we need these rules? Big Tech and OTT are indispensable today. Global lockdowns and an all new WFH culture hav…

Nazara Technologies - a diversified gaming company, is going to debut on the Indian exchanges very soon. On the final day, the issue was oversubscribed by 175 times - not surprising, since the Company is backed by Rakesh ‘Big Bull’ Jhunjhunwala. The issue is a complete ‘Offer for Sale’ of INR 582 crore, with IIFL & the promoters offloading the majo…

Easy Trip Planners - an Online Travel Agent (OTA) which makes most of it's money from airline ticket sales - is coming out with an IPO. On the final day, the issue was oversubscribed by around 159 times. Not surprising, since this Company is commanding a grey market premium of 80%. We evaluated the Company based on several parameters to see if it c…

The IPO frenzy doesn't seem to be slowing down, with 3 IPOs already hitting the markets in the past week. A dozen more IPOs are in the beeline to get listed on the markets in the next two months. MTAR Technologies is a precision engineering company which was incorporated in 1999. At the time of recording, the issue was oversubscribed by around 10 t…

Tesla. Bitcoin. Dogecoin. Cryptocurrency. These might be the internet's most searched words in the past month. Why wouldn't it be? The price of Bitcoin has shot up by > 1000% since March 2020. Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency which was created out of a meme - has risen by almost 1400% in the past month or so. Greed, has really overtaken the markets - wit…

In this episode, we talk about key highlights of the Union Budget 2021. It's a topic which has been covered quite a lot in the past week, and we just want to give it an analytical angle for the 'Aam Aadmi'. The markets were on fire during the Budget week. Sensex was up by more than 4% in a single day and was up by 8% for the week - on the back of a…

January has seen a flurry of IPOs, starting with IRFC, bouncing to Indigo Paints and Home First Finance and now, StoveKraft. And, there might be a few more in the pipeline. StoveKraft's issue size is INR 413 crore out of which INR 95 crore is a fresh issue which will be used to prepay debt on the books. The rest is Offer for Sale - the major benefi…

The IPO frenzy is here to stay with IRFCL becoming the first company to come out with it's IPO in 2021. We touched upon the history and the business model of the company. We spoke about the growth of the Industry (i.e. Indian Railways) and how IRFCL is in a pole position to benefit from it's growth. We analyzed the pros and cons of IRFCL's business…

Get full access to Sid's Blog at blog.sid.business/subscribeSiddharth Bothra

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'Hemp' or 'Bhaang'?. For most it's a glass of Thandai during Holi. What if I told you, that apart from getting you high - Hemp has the potential to disrupt 8-10 different industries? I invited Aman (Host of TexWired), and we decoded what the difference is between Hemp & Marijuana. We …

It’s raining IPOs at the moment. Burger King had a phenomenal listing, delivering 265% above the issue price in just 4 days after listing on the stock market. Next in line is Mrs. Bectors Food Specialities Limited - a lessor known biscuit and bakery company, which has it’s major operations in the Northern part of the country. Here, I will break dow…

Burger King India is coming out with an IPO, and the timing could not have been better. Markets are at an all time high, and it wasn’t a surprise that the issue was oversubscribed by 156 times. In this episode, I invited Rishabh Khanna - and we spoke about the objects of the issue. We also compared Burger King India over several parameters like - C…

In this episode, I invited Shankesh Jain - who is a banker by profession to analyze the turn of events that took place with Lakshmi Vilas Bank in the past few weeks. We spoke about the reason why LVB finds itself in a rut, about the other suitors for the bank before the DBS India merger deal. We talk about what’s in it for DBS India buying a bank w…

In this episode, I invited Siddhant and Anmol and we spoke about Jet's rise and how it became the largest private airline in India. We also spoke about Jet's iconic fall and the events that led to it. We evaluated the revival plan submitted by Kalrock Capital and Murari Lal Jalan and in our final piece we discussed how Jet Airways - a bankrupt comp…

In this episode, I invited Utsav to cover updates on the Antitrust hearing. Turns out, the Congress has released a 449 page report which includes their findings and their recommendations. We analyzed the Committee's recommendations and how it could effect Big Tech. We also covered the Antitrust lawsuit which the DoJ filed against Google! Get full a…

Dunkin', the company which sells doughnuts, coffee and ice cream is going to be acquired by Inspire Brands for $8.8B ($11.3B including debt) which is one of the biggest deals in the restaurant space. We analyze why Inspire paid such a premium, how Dunkin' operates and how a franchise model works. You can read more about the deal at https://www.fool…

In this episode, I invited Hardik - who has personally transformed his physical and mental health by changing his eating habits. We discuss Hardik's personal journey, we talk about how the food industry works, how you can take control of your health and lots more! You can read all about it here : Dr Berg (for fixing health problems) - https://www.y…

In this episode, we talk about the long term potential of UTI AMC and analyze how it fares against it's listed peers, viz HDFC AMC & Nippon AMC. We also run the stock through 6 parameters - Moat, Industry & Company growth, Customers, Quality of Management, Financials and Valuations! Let us know if you want us to cover any other Company/Industry by …

In this episode, we talk about our personal shopping experiences, the retail vs online strategy, how technology can change the game & the growth of fashion in India and India's chance to capitalize on the Anti-China sentiments. Check out Aman's Podcast 'TexConnect' here - https://open.spotify.com/show/4rFdQBwgUxLkS4LB4WFnNV?si=ZBUZTIOTTViqvNREdc5pC…

In this episode, we spoke about the alternative meat industry - plant based meat. We spoke about the players in this industry and it's growth potential. We also discussed about cell based meat and how that works. Given the choice, would you try out plant based meat? Let us know at thebazaarpodcast@gmail.com Get full access to Sid's Blog at blog.sid…

In this episode, we talk about the potential of the Indian Payments Industry, decode the difference between a Payments Bank and a Mobile wallet and answer a very essential question - 'Does it make sense to operate a Payments Bank?'. You can read Sonakshi's article here - https://firstindia.co.in/epaper/Jaipur/25082020?page=4. You can reach out to u…

In this episode, we talk about the recent antitrust hearing - in which four of the world's most powerful people were extensively grilled by the Congress. We talk about the allegations levied against Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google and the responses given by the CEOs. We also explore how Antitrust works in different countries and the potential im…

In this episode, we talk about how COVID-19 has forced countries to diversify their supply chains and how that presents a window of opportunity for India. We also talk about increasing FDI inflows, why India is a very attractive investment option for foreign nations to park their money. We cover the recent developments from the Chinese App Ban and …

With the clock running out on TikTok, we decode Microsoft's deal to acquire TikTok, the political angle, the complexities with this acquisition and how overall this could be one of the best deals for Microsoft over the next few years. You can reach out to us at thebazaarpodcast@gmail.com Get full access to Sid's Blog at blog.sid.business/subscribe…

In this episode, we talk about Tesla's Q2 earnings, it's future potential, and whether the valuation is justified. We explore a world where Elon Musk becomes a Monk, and how the competition is heating up in the electric car market. Should you buy/hold/short the stock? Tap the play button to find out! You can reach out to us at thebazaarpodcast@gmai…

In this episode of Bazaar, we talk about Buffett's investing strategy, his recent purchase of Dominion Energy's assets, how other legends performed in March, and how a retail investor should go about investing during these precarious times. Let us know what you think of the show at thebazaarpodcast@gmail.com Get full access to Sid's Blog at blog.si…

In this episode, we demystify ESG investing, what's driving the growth in ESG Investments, what's forcing companies to be more socially aware, tools you can use to gather ESG data, and what are the ESG based financial instruments available in India. You can reach out to us at thebazaarpodcast@gmail.com Get full access to Sid's Blog at blog.sid.busi…

In this episode, we talk about Zoom's security issues, the company's updated privacy policy, why Zoom's stock has been on a tear, about the competitors in this space, privacy laws in India & if the entire concept of privacy is a MYTH. You can reach out to us at thebazaarpodcast@gmail.com for any topic suggestions/feedback. You can also read Utsav's…

In this episode, we talk about the recent SpaceX launch planting two astronauts to the ISS, why it's a big deal and how SpaceX disrupted the space industry, why we don't have a human on Mars yet, how Elon Musk has generated the excitement back in Space, the commercial activities that can be executed up above, other private players in the space indu…

In this episode, we talk about the recent investments in Jio Platforms, the future potential, Mukesh Ambani's role in lifting Jio to where it is today. You can reach out to us at thebazaarpodcast@gmail.com. Get full access to Sid's Blog at blog.sid.business/subscribeSiddharth Bothra

In this episode, we discuss about the history of the Vision Fund, it's performance & the VC landscape in general. Reach out to us at thebazaarpodcast@gmail.com. Get full access to Sid's Blog at blog.sid.business/subscribeSiddharth Bothra