opinion

Kotak’s Sanjeev Prasad says market valuations ignore looming economic challenges

India’s rural consumption is improving, thanks to good monsoons in 2024 and decent crop output in the last two crop seasons (2024 kharif and 2025 rabi)

The impact of mild summer season on NTPC

Electricity demand slowed considerably in April-May this year

The yawning gap between GDP data and consumer sentiment

India’s GDP grew by 6.5 percent in FY25, and key economic indicators appear robust, according to data from the National Statistics Office. Yet, consumer sentiment surveys from the RBI suggest income concerns and weak urban demand—highlighting a growing disconnect

Dhaka Diary 1: Fading impact of July 2024 uprising

It’s almost a year since street protests toppled the Sheikh Hasina regime. The fervour that undergirded the protests and the anticipation of far-reaching change have given way to something akin to weary acceptance. An Indian journalist in Dhaka spoke to a cross-section of Bangladeshis to discern that they yearn good governance

Global growth slows, but markets soar: What's driving the disconnect?

While global economic forecasts are being lowered, stock indices from the US to developed markets are hitting new highs. Dig deeper to see why TACO, tech dominance, and income inequality may be driving this strange boom

Weekend Wild Card: Kill Bill - Elon’s big beautiful sequel

In a series of tweets, the Tesla chief castigated Trump’s ‘’Big, Beautiful Bill’’, calling it ‘a disgusting abomination’.

A jumbo cut and all accoutrements to meet growth aspirations

Cutting CRR at a time when financial system liquidity is already in a surplus indicates a clear bias to use policy levers to move interest rates in the economy structurally lower and boost credit demand as domestic consumption grows in tandem with aspirational growth trajectory for the economy

The Reading List: June 6, 2025

A selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance, curated by our research and opinion teams

Frontloaded rate cut and CRR cut to push banks to lend 

Constraints in deposit mobilization and high cost of retail deposits, and a fear of downward re-pricing of the fresh loans upon rate cuts in future weighed upon the lending decisions of the banks. With a 50-bps cut in the repo rate to 5.5%, a 100-bps cut in CRR to 3.0% and a change in stance to Neutral, the MPC has tried to address both the issues

Monetary Blitzkrieg: RBI couples 50bps monetary easing with structural liquidity support

The Reserve Bank of India unleashed a powerful monetary stimulus, slashing the repo rate by 50bps and CRR by 100bps, while shifting its stance to "neutral." This aggressive move aims to ensure robust liquidity and faster policy transmission amid moderating inflation and steady growth.

Benign inflation clears runway for MPC’s bold cut and policy reset

In a bold and unconventional move, the RBI cut the Repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.5%, frontloading support for growth amid easing inflation and rising global risks. The policy stance was reset to neutral, hinting at limited future easing but full-throttle action now

With double booster to support growth, RBI likely to pause the rate cut cycle

Going forward, the RBI’s policy announcements are likely to be data-dependent, including its own tweaks to the inflation and growth forecasts

The case for a Fed rate cut

If persistent inflation or unanchored expectations are not in the offing, that gives the Fed more room to cut at the first whiff of trouble in the job market

India’s Microbiome Moment: Where science meets tradition

Hyderabad-based Mapmygenome’s acquisition of Canada’s Microbiome Insights marks a critical moment in healthcare. It provides a platform to marry modern science with the wisdom and insight of Ayurveda. That, in turn, will allow India to lead a transformation in global healthcare

Vault Matters | Why Japanese and Middle East investors should be welcomed into the Indian banking sector

After the early wave of bank licenses rolled out in the 1990s, there has been a dearth of innovation, ideation, creation of fresh talent, and more importantly, capital into the Indian banking landscape has thinned in the recent years. This may change if India embraces serious foreign interest flowing into the banking sector

Chart of the Day | Why Trump will continue to see red on steel imports

An OECD report on the industry outlook points to further capacity additions in the next three years that can exacerbate the surplus situation

RBI’s bold growth move on Repo, CRR masks a cautious core; stance change signals pause ahead

RBI’s 50 bps rate cut and CRR slash signal robust growth support, but a neutral stance hints at caution ahead.

Lessons in Leadership and Unity from Golwalkar: Shaping RSS ideology and succession

RSSFACTS: Marking its centenary, the RSS showcases smooth leadership succession, social reform, and a global vision rooted in Hindutva, as outlined during Golwalkar’s transformative tenure

ASEAN in the Crosshairs: Balancing great powers

The 46th ASEAN Summit highlighted regional security, economic resilience, and Myanmar’s crisis, amid great-power tensions, internal divisions, and evolving partnerships with Europe and global actors

Is WTO looking at India to redeem itself?

The WTO chief wants New Delhi to play a leadership role in the multilateral trade body while acknowledging India’s areas of concern

India’s EV incentive scheme: Incumbents brace for competition

The government’s scheme to incentivise entry of global majors into the electric cars market poses a risk to incumbents, unless they pull up their socks

Curing this costly addiction seems near impossible, regulating it is the next best option

ASCI’s annual complaints report found that offshore betting platforms were the biggest violator of its code. Therein lies a tale and a message

Eye on RBI MPC: A 25 bps rate cut on cards as inflation eases, growth support seen intact

The recent prints of inflation - below the median target of 4 percent – and the surplus liquidity leads us believe that RBI may cut the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.75 percent and to maintain stance as ‘accommodative’ during June review.

How medieval royals escaped the summer furnace

An Indian summer can be brutal. It catalyzed the latent inventiveness of medieval builders and designers to use water and stone to find ways to mitigate the effect of the heat. A journey through some cleverly built artistic structures in North India and the Deccan provide a glimpse of what the forerunners of contemporary engineers and architects were capable of