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Business Daily meets: Mahen Kumar Seeruttun

Business Daily meets: Mahen Kumar Seeruttun

The island of Mauritius is well established as a luxury holiday destination with five star hotels, beautiful beaches and clear blue waters.

But in the last couple of years it has also become Africa’s financial hub, attracting billions of dollars of investment by leveraging on decades of political and economic stability, a strategic location on the Indian Oean plus a multiple taxation system that incentivise investors.

Critics say it’s a tax haven - an allegation the island is keen to put at bay.

Can Mauritius sustain its status as a high income country and attract the skilled labour it seeks to expand the economy?

Presenter/producer: Peter MacJob

(Port Louis is Mauritius main settlement. Credit: Getty Images)

How to shut down a nuclear power station

How to shut down a nuclear power station

We’re going behind the scenes at two former nuclear power stations – one that’s recently closed, and another that’s been out of action for 25 years.

Both are at Hinkley Point in Somerset, in the south of England.

What happens when the generators stop? We look into the unique challenges of cleaning up radioactive sites safely.

Produced and presented by Theo Leggett

(Image: Steam escapes from Hinkley Point B in 2022. Credit: Getty Images)

Should dynamic pricing be regulated?

Should dynamic pricing be regulated?

In the second part of the series, in the second part of the series, we look at supermarkets and restaurants.

Dynamic pricing it could help cut down on food waste, but would it favour people who can choose when they shop? And we ask why restaurant-goers have yet to develop a taste for it.

We also find out how artists like Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift have experimented with dynamic pricing to set the prices for their concerts.

Finally, we ask if dynamic pricing needs to be regulated more strictly. Is it fair? Does it allow companies to get away with price-gouging? We speak to the head of a consumer rights group who says that more transparency is needed to protect shoppers.

Produced and presented by Gideon Long

(Image: A food market in the US. Credit: Getty Images)

The rise of dynamic pricing

The rise of dynamic pricing

The retail strategy allows companies to constantly tweak their prices in response to changes in the market.

In the first of two programmes, we look at how dynamic pricing works in the airline industry, at ride-hailing companies like Uber and on India’s sprawling rail network.

And we speak to a director of e-commerce at US electronics firm Harman International, who tells us how dynamic pricing has enhanced its business, increasing revenue, margins and making the company more efficient.

Archive of India: Our trains, electric, used courtesy of Made In Manchester.

Presented and produced by: Gideon Long

(Image: The Mumbai to Solapur Vande Bharat Express at Pune India. Credit: Getty Images)

How can tourism become more accessible?

How can tourism become more accessible?

The tourism sector could be missing out on billions by not adapting to the disabled market. However, some businesses and individuals are trying to change that.

Speaking to people in North America, Greece and Spain who are making a difference, we find out the challenges in accessible tourism and the potential revenue if things change.

We also travel to Amsterdam to meet a woman helping businesses become more accessible.

Presented and produced by Sean Allsop

(Picture: Man using a wheelchair takes a photograph with his camera. Credit: Getty Images)

Business Daily meets: Masaba Gupta

Business Daily meets: Masaba Gupta

Not many fashion designers can say they've starred in their own TV series alongside their mother.

For this edition of Business Daily, Devina Gupta talks to Indian entrepreneur and social media influencer Masaba Gupta.

The daughter of Indian actor Neena Gupta and West Indian cricketer Sir Viv Richards, Masaba discusses how her mixed heritage has inspired the vibrant prints she's become famous for.

(Picture: Masaba Gupta)

Presenter: Devina Gupta Producer: Lexy O'Connor

Can the Olympics change an area’s reputation?

Can the Olympics change an area’s reputation?

We’re in the Paris suburb of Seine -Saint-Denis which will host most of the games this summer.

It’s an area with some of the highest levels of poverty in the whole of France, and a bad reputation.

In the minds of most French people, the area conjures up images of drugs, crime and riots.

Locals say that reputation is unfair – and they’re hoping the investment of the games, and a place on the world stage, goes some way to changing that. But can it?

Presented and produced by John Laurenson

(Image: Inside the Aquatic Olympic Center (CAO). It will host artistic swimming, diving and water-polo. Credit: Getty Images)

Why are we ageist?

Why are we ageist?

We look at how many employers still base decisions on a person's age, despite the strong pressures in higher income countries to retain and encourage older staff.

What are the underlying reasons for this prejudice?

And Ed meets a cosmetic doctor at a central London clinic to discuss the increase in demand for anti-ageing procedures, for people who want to look younger at work.

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood

(Picture: A man and a woman sit at a table at work, with a woman standing up talking to them. Credit: Getty Images)

Tackling ageism at work

Tackling ageism at work

One in two people are ageist, according to the World Health Organization. Ed Butler looks at the scale of the perceived problem, hearing from workers and experts.

In the UK and US, for instance, more than a quarter of over-50s report experiences of ageism in the last 12 months. One recent global survey found that it’s the most socially accepted prejudice, more widespread than either racism or sexism.

And how much is ageism a factor in this year’s US presidential race?

(Picture: Timothy Tan working alongside a colleague at a computer)

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood

The business of bed bugs

The business of bed bugs

Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to deal with - and they're a nightmare for any town or city that relies on a thriving hospitality industry. In October 2023, French government officials had to act rapidly following news headlines claiming there'd been a rise in infestations in Paris, in the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games.

Infestations can damage reputations, and lead to financial losses due to compensation claims and costly pest control treatments. But scientists are developing solutions to deal with the problem.

In this edition of Business Daily, we speak to hotel owners, entrepreneurs, and travellers who’ve been bitten - plus the companies creating technology to help hospitality bosses tackle the problem.

(Picture: A hand in a blue glove, holding a magnifying glass over some bed bugs. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Dougal Shaw

Goodbye blue tick?

Goodbye blue tick?

Once a much desired badge of authority and quality, on some social media platforms the blue tick (or check) is now available to anyone who chooses to buy one.

But has this been a popular move?

And has the monetising of verification meant that the blue tick has lost its credibility?

We hear from industry experts who can shed some light on verification, which has dramatically changed since Elon Musk bought Twitter, now X, in October 2022.

Presenter: David Harper Producer: Victoria Hastings

(Image: Two workers look at a phone. Credit: Getty Images)

Can cars and tourism boost Spain's economy?

Can cars and tourism boost Spain's economy?

We look at how the country can grow its economy in 2024.

In November 2023, Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez won a second term as Spain's prime minister, and said his focus would be reducing public debt and helping key sectors such as tourism and the automotive industry.

Plus the government wants to become a leader in renewables.

Presenter: Ashish Sharma

(Image: Woman takes a selfie in Madrid. Credit: Getty Images)

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