Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Monday, June 17, 2024. My name is Nelson John. Let's get started:

Hyundai, the South Korean carmaker, has announced plans to list its Indian unit. The company, which began its Indian journey 25 years ago with the Santro hatchback, aims to raise between $2.5 billion and $3 billion by offering 142.2 million equity shares, representing 17.5% of Hyundai Motor India Ltd.’s post-offer paid-up equity share capital, valuing the subsidiary at $25-30 billion. This proposed IPO could surpass the record set by the Life Insurance Corp of India’s $2.46 billion issue in May 2022, making it the largest in the country’s history. The IPO also aims to address the traditional undervaluation that Korean companies face due to the dominant, often opaque, chaebol structure—a term for large family-controlled business conglomerates. Hyundai's IPO would make it the fourth major passenger vehicle manufacturer in India to be publicly listed, joining Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Mahindra & Mahindra, as reported by Mint’s autos correspondent Alisha Sachdev. The timing of this public offering is crucial as it coincides with Hyundai’s rival, Tata Motors, making significant strides towards EVs and SUVs, efforts that have helped close the market share gap with Hyundai.

Following the recent Lok Sabha election results, which resulted in the formation of a coalition government, bank stocks took a hit due to the perceived political uncertainty. Public sector banks saw sharper declines than the broader market on the results day. While the Nifty 50 index fell 5.9%, the Nifty PSU Bank index dropped about 15%. Although these indices have since recovered, the plunge and subsequent rebound highlight the transformative changes public sector banks have undergone in recent years, thanks primarily due to government decisions. These initiatives have dramatically improved the profitability of these banks. In fiscal year 2023-24, the net profit of the 12 PSU banks exceeded ₹1.4 trillion, a 35% increase from the previous year and a fourfold increase from 2020-21. Our partners at howindialives.com have explained how these PSU banks - the stock prices of which are heavily dependent on policy and regulation - are on an upward trend again. Click on the link in the show notes to check out the charts prepared by howindialives.com. 

Since the recent election results, foreign investors have been rapidly cutting down their bearish bets on Indian stock indexes, helping the Nifty and Bank Nifty reach new highs. Initially, these investors held a significant number of short positions—essentially betting that stocks would fall. By June 14, they had dramatically reduced these positions, suggesting a potential shift towards betting on stocks to rise, reports Mint’s markets correspondent Ram Sahgal. This substantial change is largely due to increased political stability with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government continuing. Interestingly, retail and high net worth investors seized this opportunity to cash in by selling their long positions—where they bet on stocks going up—to these foreign investors.

Your seafood is in danger, and climate change is to blame. People across the country—from Goa to Kolkata—are finding it increasingly difficult to source fresh fish due to marine heatwaves. Rising temperatures are severely impacting marine life, especially in inland water bodies. Trivesh Mahekar, a fisheries scientist at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute in Goa, told Mint’s Puja Das that an alarming 2-5% of fish populations in lakes and ponds may have perished. Warmer water temperatures reduce dissolved oxygen levels, leading to a decline in fish populations. Fish consumption in India varies widely by region, with the highest intake in states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Kerala. While per capita consumption has more than doubled over the past two years, prices have increased exponentially. This deep dive by Puja Das explores the perils facing the fisheries industry and the effects climate change is having on our dietary habits.

To address the sharp rise in pulse prices, the Indian government has mandated that major retail chains and online grocers report their pulse stock levels twice a week. These retailers include D-Mart, Reliance Retail, BigBasket, Amazon, and Flipkart. This move aims to improve transparency and prevent price manipulation. Recent inspections by government officials at ports and industry hubs revealed that some major retailers had been neglecting to disclose their stocks as required. In response, the Department of Consumer Affairs updated its stock disclosure portal mid-April to more closely monitor these retailers' stock levels, report Mint’s Puja Das and Dhirendra Kumar. This regulatory step comes at a time when the prices of common pulses such as chana dal, tur or arhar, urad, masur, and moong have seen significant increases, ranging from 0.6% to 25% year-over-year.

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Show notes:

Hyundai Motor India IPO set to help parent drive past ‘Korea discount’

Why PSU banks are on a roll, explained in charts

FPIs cut bearish bets ahead of budget session

Dead in the water: How heatwaves are killing fish

Retail chains face pulses stock rule

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