Beyond alliteration: The PM's knack for wordplay, and economic realities

Anyone can string together alliterative words, but are they a substitute for serious thought and coherent action? Real economics involves choices, or every day would be Christmas, writes T N Ninan

Narendra Modi is back at his alliterative best (or worst). He told the Confederation of Indian Industry early this month about five Is: Intent, Inclusion, Investment, Infrastructure, and Innovation. And on Thursday he told the Indian Chamber of Commerce about three Ps: People, Planet, Profits. This harks back to the three Ds (Democracy, Demography, Demand) and five Ts (Talent, Tradition, Tourism, Trade, and Technology) of the early Modi years. We also had, somewhat embarrassingly in the current context, INCH to MILES: India-China towards a Millennium of Exceptional Synergy.
 
Other elements of the current approach to economic revival also hark