Weekly Wrapup: Tipping the scales
In this week’s wrapup, we’ll talk about the global recycling problem, the burgeoning wealth inequality in India, Zomato’s acquisition of Uber Eats, China’s dreaded Coronavirus pandemic and the rise of the attention economy.
Let’s get started!
The global recycling problem
On Monday, we spoke about how China’s restriction on scrap imports has led to a global recycling problem.
China was once the recycling capital of the world. And developed countries like the US, UK and Japan sent them their paper, plastic and metal waste in bulk. Eventually, though, China decided to call it quits, and these countries were left with very few options. They processed what they could and shipped the rest to other places like Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and India. Unfortunately, the surging volume of scrap metal imports is now becoming a big problem for indigenous metal producers.
Want to know why? Click here to find out.
Why is there such steep wealth inequality in India?
On Tuesday, we spoke about the wealth inequality problem plaguing India. There’s a new study stating that India’s richest 1% hold four-times as much wealth as the bottom 70% of the country’s population. This isn’t really surprising, but it’s definitely a problem. The major consensus is that economic growth is leading to this divergence, but that might not be true.
So what is? And how can we bridge this gap? Find out here.
The biggest deal in the food delivery space
On Wednesday, we offered our two cents on the biggest Food-Tech deal in India. So if you haven’t heard yet, Zomato acquired Uber Eats India for a whopping $350 Mn. This deal makes perfect sense for Uber. After all, they were suffering huge losses and had very little to show for all the money they were pouring in. But the question remains- what’s in it for Zomato? Why would they part with such a huge sum to acquire a dying business?
If you want the low-down, dig into the story right here.
The economic angle in the Coronavirus pandemic
On Thursday, we talked about the impact of a disease outbreak on the Chinese economy. An outbreak of a new Coronavirus is causing mayhem in China. But in the midst of treating patients and imposing preventive measures, the economy is taking a beating. If you're wondering how investors are viewing this whole crisis, you can get a full account right here.
The kings of the attention economy
On Friday, we talked about how social media networks are profiting off the attention economy. Facebook’s stock has rallied to historic highs. And advertisers are paying through the roof to feature their ads on Facebook. So it's in the company’s best interest to make sure you spend as much time on their platform as possible.
But how are they doing this exactly? And what's the potential downsides to the emerging attention economy. Find out here.
That’s all, folks! Catch you next week.