BUSINESS
Why GST reform must recognise the pivotal role of beverages in retail outlets
While many staples leave retailers with slim returns, aerated drinks offer margins in the 19–24 per cent range, giving Kiranas the cushion they need to cover costs. GST 2.0 proposal still considers keeping them in the demerit category, even as other packaged goods are likely to move to lower slabs
BUSINESS
GST 2.0: A game-changing overhaul for India's tax system
The 56th GST Council meeting in September 2025 aims to overhaul India’s GST structure with simplified tax slabs, compliance reforms, and sector-specific relief, aiming to boost consumption and ease business burdens
BUSINESS
AI's transformative impact on India's financial services
AI is reshaping financial services in India by enhancing operations, improving customer experience, and expanding access; unlocking new opportunities for startups, incumbents, and consumers across the financial ecosystem
WORLD
Chart of the Day | Currency crisis: Why India's rupee is the weakest in emerging markets in 2025
The Indian rupee has emerged as the worst-performing emerging market currency as President Trump's aggressive 50 percent tariffs trigger unprecedented capital outflows and export challenges for Asia's third-largest economy
BUSINESS
Indians are not ‘arrogant’ and this is not ‘Modi’s war’
India’s approach to energy security, trade, and international relations is rooted in its sovereign rights, democratic principles, and commitment to peaceful progress. Navarro’s criticism that ignores these realities is counterproductive, and ultimately, it is global peace and prosperity that suffer from such divisive narratives
BUSINESS
The Reading List: August 29, 2025
Our research and opinion teams have curated a selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance for your weekend read.
WORLD
Trump’s Transactional Diplomacy: Trade as leverage in conflict mediation
Trump's mediation efforts blend diplomacy and trade, seeking economic benefits for the US and allies. This transactional approach raises concerns over sustainability, conflicts of interest, and long-term peace outcomes
INDIA
The way forward in opening up civil nuclear energy to private participation
Government has shown its intent by setting ambitious targets to enhance the share of nuclear energy in the overall energy mix. It comes in the backdrop of a push towards introducing small modular reactors. To realise the new goals, legislation covering nuclear energy will have to be tweaked and a broad consultative process adopted
BUSINESS
Thermal power and its vital role in India's green energy transition
Thermal power remains crucial to India's energy security despite the shift to renewables. Public and private sectors play key roles in expanding and modernising capacity, ensuring reliable power amidst growing demand
BUSINESS
Full GST exemption on life and health insurance policies will be a mixed blessing
If the GST Council opts to exempt individual life and health policies from tax, insurers are likely to lose the benefit of input tax credit. Without ITC, potential benefits of a GST exemption are likely to capped while complicating operational matters for companies
BUSINESS
Chart of the Day | The growing trend of premiumisation in India’s industrial real estate market
Grade A facilities are preferred by occupiers following demand created by the rising e-commerce, light manufacturing and consumption
BUSINESS
IBC 2025: Ambitious reforms undermined by institutional weakness
The IBC Amendment Bill 2025 proposes major reforms to expedite insolvency resolution and empower creditors, but its success hinges on strengthening the NCLT’s capacity and addressing persistent institutional shortcomings
BUSINESS
The real risk to India’s gig economy isn’t platforms. It’s policy
Flexibility, ease of entry and short-term fallback options are core features of platform-based gig work. Undermining these features by introducing misplaced control can unintentionally harm the very stakeholders the Government is aiming to protect, including gig workers, consumers, and small businesses
INDIA
Karnataka leads water governance with geo-tagging revolution
Karnataka’s geo-tagging of 41,875 water bodies is transforming water governance. By integrating technology, legal enforcement, and community participation, the state sets a model for sustainable, climate-resilient water management in India
BUSINESS
Why the Google Play Store case could redefine India’s digital markets
The Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on Google’s Play Store billing practices will shape India’s digital economy, balancing competition oversight with innovation, market fairness, and regulatory stability for global platforms and local startups
BUSINESS
How a unified Tax Bill will reshape corporate compliance
This unified bill is a foundational reform that establishes the certainty and predictability essential for a modern economy and is set to reshape corporate compliance in India
BUSINESS
Beyond Design: India's strategic bet on semiconductor manufacturing
The first private sector chips fabricated in India will roll out this year. There’s considerable local chip design talent, but without manufacturing India will remain out of the core innovation loop. Fabrication is also essential to safeguard strategic decision making space
BUSINESS
Chart of the Day: Are PSU banks giving more bang for their buck to investors?
Public sector lenders have shown more resilience than their private peers in thwarting erosion in profitability.
BUSINESS
Commerce Without Conflict: Why the world needs a new compact for trade
The world cannot return to the “golden age” of globalization. That said, commerce without conflict is not a naïve aspiration; it is a practical necessity. Therefore, governments cannot afford to abandon the rules-based system altogether – doing so would harm even the most powerful economies
BUSINESS
Chart of the Day: Fund managers take shelter in China
India's stock markets have fallen from grace, sliding from top Asian pick to least favoured as Trump's tariffs trigger a massive foreign investor exodus
WORLD
Sky Grab: China's ambitious plans to dominate the orbital internet race
China’s launched Guowang, a mega-constellation of low earth orbit satellites, which may overwhelm Starlink in scale. What’s unfolding is not simply commercial competition, but a contest over who shapes global information flows. The genuine concern is not the existence of another global constellation — redundancy is healthy. The danger lies in the values embedded within it
BUSINESS
The Reading List: August 22, 2025
A look at some articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance, curated by our research and opinion teams for your weekend read
BUSINESS
Technical factors contribute to wider spreads in longer dates G-Secs, what next?
Rising long-end yields driven by elevated SDL issuance, subdued demand from long-term investors, and RBI's neutral stance, may moderate if growth slows or tenor adjustments are made
BUSINESS
Chart of the Day: EM funds circled back to China in July as tariffs sliced Indian valuations
India was the most underweight market among emerging markets in July
