Economic Reforms

Time to adapt: India's climate efforts lack alignment with urgent needs

Evidence suggests that both the extent of change and the associated income losses are likely to be higher than expected

From success to anxiety, Shenzhen braces for impact of Trump presidency

Shenzhen stands as a template for spectacular economic success, but now, deep anxiety looms over the impending Trump presidency

Why exchange rate volatility is essential for economic flexibility

While some people view exchange rate fluctuation as detrimental to the economy, it is, in fact, a crucial element of economic flexibility

'Every Indian owes you a debt': Ratan Tata's letter to former PM goes viral

In a letter, philanthropist and industrialist Ratan Tata conveyed his admiration for former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao's "outstanding achievement" in initiating vital economic reforms in India

Argentina to launch new test for 40,000 state staff; failure means 'fired'

The nature of this suitability test is not known yet. Argentina's Javier Milei administration has been aggressively cutting government spending and has fired 50,000 employees since December

Climate change risks grow faster for wealthy, poorest remain at risk: Study

Economic risks for the wealthy due to climate change is growing at the fastest rates because of impacts to global supply chains and goods and services, even as the highest risks remain with the poorest around the world, according to a new study. Across countries, lower-income consumers are known to face higher economic risks in a changing climate because of a low capacity to adapt. However, researchers explained that inequality in consumption between varied income groups within a country is grounded in how easily one is able to substitute goods to adapt to the effects of climate change, including shocks to supply chains. The team from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany found that low-income consumers are more vulnerable to supply shocks as they spend a greater share of their budget on hard-to-substitute necessary goods. On the other hand, high-income consumers spent larger shares of their budget on easier-to-substitute goods so that they suffer smaller

Eye on FDI, Centre to ask state govts for investment-friendly reforms

The Centre is currently engaging with various countries to boost FDI inflows, which dropped to $26.5 billion in FY24 from $42 billion in FY23

Corporate governance: Should govt be market-friendly or business-friendly

Political acceptability comes more readily to a govt visibly involved in supporting non-corporate private sector, reducing income inequalities and regional disparities, and addressing caste concerns

Need far-reaching reforms for India to be developed nation

Since 1990, 34 middle-income economies covering only around 250 million people have managed to shift to high-income status

Road to Viksit Bharat: India will need continuous reforms at all levels

The government's focus should be on rapid economic growth, and it would do well to avoid issues that could hamper its ability to intervene in economic matters effectively

Govt committed to 'major economic reforms', says PM Narendra Modi

PM said, his government has chosen the path of reforms to bring about a change in the lives of the poor, the middle class, deprived people, the urban population, and the youth

Budget 'nudges' in the right directions

But much bolder and comprehensive reforms are needed

Close coordination with govt helped in economy's quick revival: RBI Guv

Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday said the Reserve Bank's relations with the government have been "smooth" during his nearly six-year term, and credited the close coordination between the two for the quick revival of the economy after the pandemic. Speaking at an event organised by Financial Express here, the bureaucrat-turned-central banker said nobody has expected him to be a "cheerleader" for the government during his term. "I am saying from my experience. Nobody expects RBI to be a cheerleader. I have had no such experience," he said, responding to a specific question about a lament made by one of his predecessors in a recent book. Asked if he is open for a new term at Mint Road, Das said he is very focused on the current assignment and does not think of anything outside that. Das said the RBI is optimistic that its estimate of 7.2 per cent growth for FY25 will be met, and added that with steady growth, the focus of the policy has to be "clearly and unambiguously" on inflation

Budget to see historic steps; major economic, social reforms: Prez Murmu

The pace of reforms will be accelerated in tune with the aspirations of people of India for rapid development, says Droupadi Murmu, President

Sri Lanka economic recovery hinges on sustaining ongoing reforms: IMF

The key to Sri Lanka's transition from stabilisation to full economic recovery is sustaining the ongoing reform momentum, the IMF said on Friday after it decided to release the third tranche of USD 336 million from the USD 2.9 billion four year bailout package to the island nation. While releasing the third tranche, the IMF on Thursday noted that Sri Lanka's economy has started recovering, inflation remained low, revenue collection was improving, and reserves continued to accumulate but warned that despite these positive developments, the economy is still vulnerable and the path to debt sustainability remains knife-edged. We encourage the (Sri Lankan) authorities to continue to build on these hard-won gains and remain steadfast with their reform commitments, Peter Breuer, the head of the Sri Lanka IMF mission, told reporters here on Friday. In April 2022, Sri Lanka declared its first-ever sovereign default since gaining Independence from Britain in 1948. The unprecedented financial

Reforms in customs duties, GST, commerce to push India's growth: GTRI

Implementation of key strategic reforms such as simplification of customs duty structure, GST, and not incentivising low value-added electric vehicles would help India ensure its sustainable development and inclusive growth, GTRI said on Thursday. Economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) also said that India is standing on the cusp of a transformative era and there is an urgent need for comprehensive economic reforms. "From simplifying the convoluted customs duty structure to pioneering regulatory sandboxes for cryptocurrencies, and from boosting the MSME sector through GST (Goods and Services Tax) reforms to fortifying our energy security, this agenda lays the foundation for a robust, resilient, and globally competitive India," it said. It said that the current basic customs duty structure, which affects USD 680 billion worth of imports, has not been reviewed in 20 years, leading to over 27 different duty rates and over 100 specific or mixed duty slabs. Currentl

Reforms, PLI: CEOs expect new govt to maintain policy continuity

The election results coincide with a slowdown in manufacturing activity for the second consecutive month in May

Indian PE, VC investments decline 35% to $39 billion in 2023: Report

The Indian private equity and venture capital investments declined by about 35 per cent to around USD 39 billion in 2023 from USD 62 billion in 2022, according to a joint report by Bain & Company and IVCA released on Thursday. The private equity (PE) investments in India dropped by 18 per cent to USD 29.6 billion from a peak value of USD 36 billion in 2022. The drop in VC investments was much sharper, with total investments at USD 9.6 billion in 2023 versus USD 25.7 billion in 2022. "Mirroring the global trend, Indian private equity and venture capital (PE-VC) investment softened by about 35 per cent from approximately USD 62 billion in 2022 to around USD 39 billion in 2023, returning to pre-Covid-19 activity levels," the report said. The report saw 2023 as a marquee year for Indian exits with exit values soaring by 15 per cent to USD 29 billion with sale of shares in 340 entities. "In a year marked by global economic uncertainties, India's private equity landscape demonstrated ..

BJP's Sankalp Patra lacks plans for structural economic reforms, says Citi

The general election starts on April 19 and will be held in seven stages until June 1, with the results expected on June 4

Waiting for the states

The future of key economic reforms seems to depend more on the states