BUSINESS
October CPI hits rock-bottom 0.25%: GST cuts shine, but food deflation rings alarm
October’s CPI just hit 0.25%—the lowest since the 2011-12 series began. A triumph of policy? A statistical mirage? A rate cut in December? Or a warning bell for rural India?
BUSINESS
IMF sees India’s fiscal deficit stalling after FY26
According to the IMF’s Fiscal Monitor, India’s fiscal consolidation is set to lose momentum after FY26, signalling deep-rooted structural limits in its public finances
POLITICS
Bihar's Job Promises: A confession of crisis
The extravagant job pledges dominating Bihar's elections reveal a deeper truth about the state's crippling underemployment and economic distress
BUSINESS
Tepid tax revenue growth raises stakes for consumption-led recovery, post festive season
With only 2.8% tax revenue growth in H1, the government’s fiscal roadmap hinges on a strong consumption rebound fuelled by GST cuts and lower rates—any shortfall risks spending cuts and a tighter FY27 budget
BUSINESS
Data Story: India’s Golden ATM
A massive Rs 1 lakh crore expansion in gold loans in the last six months is unlocking the vast, dormant wealth of India's unproductive family gold hoards
BUSINESS
Lopsided IIP Growth: Five sectors drive gains, half of manufacturing languishes
September's industrial production data reveals a troubling paradox: while consumer durables and automobiles surge on festive demand, the broader manufacturing base is shrinking, with staples contracting and robust growth concentrated in just five of 23 sectors
BUSINESS
Aatmanirbharta with Chinese characteristics: How China's five-year Plan counters America
China's 15th Five-Year Plan is a blueprint for economic fortification, pivoting towards technological self-reliance and domestic consumption to counter US rivalry
BUSINESS
Data Story: September 2025 core sector data signal caution, but policy tailwinds could stabilise outlook
India's core industries contracted sharply in September, highlighting a significant slowdown, though newly implemented GST cuts and anticipated RBI rate moves are expected to stimulate a recovery
BUSINESS
Decoding India's Trade Deficit -- Strong domestic demand, not tariffs, is the real story
Recent trade data reveals that while Trump's tariffs impacted specific US-bound exports, India's overall trade story is dominated by resilient export diversification and a domestic demand-driven import surge, particularly in gold
BUSINESS
Data Story: Trump’s Tariffs and Indian Jobs: What the latest PLFS data reveal
The sharp 50% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian exports have raised alarms about job losses, but September’s unemployment data reveal that the impact, while real, remains concentrated and nuanced rather than a broad spike
MARKETS
IMF flags fragile foundations beneath market optimism
The IMF’s latest reports reveal a global economy holding firm on the surface, but hiding deeper financial vulnerabilities that investors shouldn't ignore
BUSINESS
The message from this year’s Economics Nobel: Ideas drive development
The pioneering work of Nobel laureates Mokyr, Aghion, and Howitt reveals that economic growth is fundamentally powered by the institutions that fuel innovation and the market processes of creative destruction
BUSINESS
As tariffs, rare earths roil markets, will Trump settle for a deal?
As new tariffs and rare earth controls trigger market panic and supply chain fears, the central question becomes whether economic pressure will once again force a tactical pause in the US-China trade war
BUSINESS
World Bank wants South Asia to cut tariffs despite global protectionist wave
As the world builds tariff walls, the World Bank wants South Asia to tear them down. With 16 million people entering the job market annually but only 10 million finding work, the region faces a stark choice: embrace trade liberalisation that could unlock manufacturing growth or maintain protectionist barriers that may be trapping workers in low-productivity sectors
BUSINESS
Moneycontrol Pro Weekender | Festive fumes
Festive spending surges with GST cuts and supportive RBI policies, but growth continues to be below aspirations
BUSINESS
GST cuts to fuel demand — But is consumption already at full throttle?
The latest GST rate reductions aim to boost consumption, but data show India is already operating near peak demand levels
BUSINESS
Policymakers missed what Project 25 spelled out for India
The Trump administration's recent moves against India—from H-1B visa restrictions to tariff threats—weren't sudden policy shifts but predictable outcomes clearly outlined in the Heritage Foundation's Project 25 blueprint
BUSINESS
Will the Fed ignore BIS’s bubble concerns as markets bet on rate cuts?
As the FOMC meets on September 16-17, 2025, the BIS’s stark warnings about fiscal risks and market exuberance cast a shadow over expectations for dovish rate cuts
MARKETS
Global macro shifts and their impact on Indian markets
Global markets are grappling with the clash between cyclical economic slowdowns and persistent structural pressures, driving unprecedented volatility and reshaping the financial landscape
BUSINESS
Jobless Growth: Decline in employment in India’s small enterprises despite Q1 GDP surge
India’s strong 7.8 percent GDP growth in April-June 2025 masks a worrying decline in jobs within unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises, raising questions about the inclusiveness of economic progress
BUSINESS
Inflation risks loom as PMI data show strongest growth in 17 years
Robust demand and pricing power point to a heating economy and core inflation pressures, even as policymakers approve additional stimulus through GST rate cuts
BUSINESS
RBI’s crystal ball badly needs polishing
A string of large GDP forecast errors raises questions about the RBI’s economic models and their policy implications
BUSINESS
Data Story: The ‘Financial Services, Real Estate and Professional Services’ sector is powering India’s uneven growth
The GVA data reveals a services-driven growth model in India that is leaving behind key job-creating sectors
ECONOMY
A look at the Q1 FY26 unemployment numbers, on the eve of the GDP estimates
India’s unemployment rate stands at just 5.4 percent, but that number hides a troubling reality of underemployment and unpaid work
