Short deadlines and long weekends

 Short deadlines and long weekends

My kind friends invited me on a vacation outside of town for the most recent long weekend, as they do every long weekend. I had to say no, like I do every long weekend.

My pals have chosen careers other than media because they have atoned for their sins from their former lives. They thus get 9 to 5 work, weekends off, and the opportunity to travel on public holidays. Me? I must work.

I'm not as cranky as I sound. However, discussing my line of work and some of its more irritating aspects is helpful. My lengthy weekend wasn't too horrible; I spent time visiting friends and enjoying Bombay's muggy air. Using a fresh credit card, I also used it to buy meals, pretending that HDFC Bank was covering the costs.

Much to my dismay, Neil Borate, editor of Mint Money, made it plain that I would not be compensated for any personal expenses, even if I claimed they were "research" for a piece I was working on. It was at least worth a shot.

Sincerity dictates that it is strange for me to write about a narrative I authored. It seems more stranger to include it under the "Best of the Week" heading. However, I'll make my mother happy by placing it on this illustrious list and take some personal liberties.

All I ask is that Manu Joseph refrain from writing an article claiming that the BOTW list has lost its significance since I put this one on it.

💳 I wrote about the HDFC Swiggy credit card after doing weeks of "research". Although well-intentioned, the way cashbacks were implemented and the level of customer service were unsatisfactory. There was also a lot to be desired about the aggressive reward capping. However, this may save you money if you use Swiggy frequently—say, at least five times every week. I'll examine the credit card here.

My two-week internship with Neil allowed me to get a glimpse of the team's reporting process. It's a collective effort, and the majority of the team gave me input. The tales and accompanying visuals turn out so good, it's no surprise.

Long-term capital gains tax is a perennial headache for investors, as Shipra Singh writes. It turns out there is a method, provided the money is used to purchase a house. If you have a lump amount coming from investments and are considering purchasing a property, read this article.

👨‍👩‍👧 Many individuals start making investments in their children's future as soon as they are born. Aprajita Sharma discusses the numerous plans designed for investors who wish to put money into their child's name with parents who have already done it. If you're a parent, you'll find this essay very useful since she also discusses the drawbacks, such as the tax ramifications.

This past week, the Mint newsroom also broke many significant stories on investments.

The CEOs of VIP, India's biggest luggage manufacturer, are searching for a way out. The team under Dilip Piramal wants to unload its belongings. According to insiders, the deal might be worth up to $1 billion. Ranjani Raghavan.

Ranjani and Sneha Shah also discussed a potential investment in Oyo in their writings. Oyo was once the darling of the Indian startup scene, but in recent years, the company's economic model has begun to show signs of weakness. The ultimate aim seemed to be an IPO, but that date has also been delayed. The hotel firm is being investigated by General Atlantic and Norwest Venture Partners, who may provide some funding to pave the way for the company's future IPO.

Anirudh Laskar writes on Vedanta Resources, the mining division of the company, almost striking an agreement to restructure $3 billion of its debt and avert a default. Anil Agarwal's firm is in a lot of problems, and to get some cash from unsevered companies, Agarwal announced a big demerger.

💪 Agarwal spoke to Mihir Mishra and Satish John a few days following that story without backing down. Denigrating any possible criticism of his conglomerate and expressing optimism in the future, he spoke about the refinancing, demergers, and the parent company's cashflow.

Vedanta has a sizable coal business. They have good reason to be optimistic because, according to Sumant Banerji, India will continue to rely on coal for many years to come. India is making more attempts to use sustainable energy, but its present energy requirements still heavily depend on the dirty fossil fuel, despite pressure from the rest of the world to become green.

The biggest office landlord in India is Blackstone Inc. And managing the difficulties of being a landlord hasn't been simple. There haven't been many exits for the US-based investment company, and no big investments are on the horizon either. Madhurima Nandy lists the issues that Blackstone is facing.

🏆🏏 I'll provide a fantastic article on the cricket world cup to wrap out this week's column. Tanay Sukumar and Shuja Asrar highlight the primary draws of the grand athletic extravaganza, including the advertising gala that suffers if either India or Pakistan are eliminated from the competition. Thanks to our Plain Facts team, this one features some fantastic charts.

For this week, that is it. I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Please feel free to contact me at shashwat.mohanty@htdigital.in if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or criticism about our work (or subscription). Every single suggestion is valued since our news product is always changing.