Do government incentives to make babies work? | Solar now undercuts coal? | The Daily Brief #577

Start your investing journey for free! Open a zero-brokerage Demat and trading account with Zerodha to invest in Stocks, Mutual Funds, ETFs, and Bonds: https://zerodha.com/open-account/?c=Z... In today’s episode of The Daily Brief, we take a deep dive into one key story and cover another story shaping Indian and global markets: 1. Do Government Incentives to Have Babies Work? Governments worldwide are offering cash bonuses, parental leave, and childcare benefits to reverse falling birth rates. But evidence from countries such as Singapore, Japan, France, and Germany shows that one-time payments alone rarely lead to more births in the long run. The real challenge is making parenthood affordable through better childcare, work-life balance, and housing support. We’ll cover: Why countries are offering financial incentives to boost birth rates. What cash bonuses and parental leave policies can teach us about fertility. Why childcare costs, housing, and economic insecurity matter more than one-time payments. 2. Can Solar Power Beat Coal at Its Own Game? India has found a potential way to make renewable energy more reliable even after sunset. In a recent auction, developers offered to supply solar and wind power backed by battery storage at ₹5.25–₹5.26 per unit for 25 years, undercutting the cost of new coal power plants. However, whether these projects can be built on time and deliver power consistently remains a key question. We’ll cover: How solar power combined with batteries and wind can meet evening electricity demand. Why round-the-clock renewable energy could be cheaper than new coal power. The challenges of battery costs, project execution, and securing buyers for renewable power. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:32 Can cash incentives boost birth rates? 13:44 Can solar beat coal? 27:53 Tidbits 📬 Subscribe to The Daily Brief newsletter: https://substack.com/@zerodhaonline 🎧 Listen on: Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/2SJiLdv... Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast... Some images may have been created using AI. No copyright infringement intended. This content is for informational purposes only. Nothing mentioned constitutes a recommendation or endorsement.