TMS Ep206: India Inc succession strategy, Viren Shetty, markets, swimming

Telecom-to-oil conglomerate Reliance Industries is going through a transition. The 65-year-old man at the helm, Mukesh Ambani, is now passing the mantle of key units to his offspring -- almost a year after signalling the change. On Tuesday, the eldest, 30-year-old Akash Ambani, was made chairman of the company’s telecom arm. And just like Reliance, reins of several companies are passing on to the next generation -- like TVS, Godrej and Emami. This is unlike the western model where ownership and management are in separate hands. Apex market regulator Sebi also wanted them separate, but budged after resistance. So in today’s show, we ask why some Indian firms are not keeping the two roles separate? And is it good for them in the long run?

India’s second-largest healthcare provider, Narayana Health, is also at the cusp of similar leadership transition. Viren Shetty -- an engineer and a management professional -- is now executive vice-chairman of the company which his father and renowned surgeon Devi Prasad Shetty had established to provide affordable healthcare. In an interview with Business Standard’s Sohini Das, Viren tells about the extensive expansion plans within and outside India. He also talks about lessons learnt during the pandemic and how medical tourism is slowly returning to normal. 

The stock of Narayana Health touched a new high recently, which can be attributed to its soaring profits. But all are not that lucky. As investors complete the first half of the calendar year 2022, which left them with burned pockets, all eyes are on what the remaining six months will look like. Take a dive into some factors that may set the market’s direction in the second half of 2022.

After the markets, let us move on to the world of professional swimming. FINA, the top governing body for swimming, recently voted to restrict transgender athletes from competing in women’s elite races. Instead it created an altogether different category for them, an “open category”. The move was met with both praise and criticism. Let us find out more about this new ruling in this episode of the podcast.