opinion

A stimulus on the cheap

Finance minister announces a bunch of measures to ease liquidity. But question of boosting demand remains.

Day 1 of FM stimulus announcement was a no-show for markets

Since the entire set of measures would be revealed over the next few days, the market would stay nervous until it gets the entire details. Volatility is likely to remain high for the rest of the week.

There’s hope in Tamil Nadu’s fight against COVID-19

A few errors from the state government and the inevitable easing measures have countered the good work done so far—but, with one of the better public health systems in India, Tamil Nadu has the capability to flatten the curve

COVID-19 | Remonetise gold to tide over the economic crisis

The value of gold in India is estimated to be 40 percent of the nominal GDP. Monetising 10 percent of this will ensure a liquidity of Rs 13 lakh-crore, which can be used to overcome the crisis

Saudi Arabia’s voluntary oil production cut could be counterproductive

The stress of low oil prices is clearly showing. But Saudi’s independent action signals the end of the oil cartel. That could keep prices low for a long time.

Could this be Modi’s 1991 moment?

There is great disorder under Heaven, the situation is excellent​

Quick Take | The economic package is finally here, how much will be an actual fiscal stimulus?

It is the right thing to do especially since the PM hinted at the continuation of the lockdown.

Tech | What to expect from Facebook’s Libra 2.0?

While the Libra Association has come out with a new digital currency, expect authorities running fiat currencies to continue their criticism

What HUL can do with its mounting cash piles

HUL's growing cash balances can be put to better use, here are two ways of doing it

Will ‘Made in India’ iPhones have price advantage over ‘Made in China’ ones?

Yes, they will be cheaper but don’t expect a drastic price reduction because of component sourcing inefficiencies.

Chart of the day: Global food prices tank but domestic takes an inflationary turn

Global food prices fell as the pandemic hit demand in international markets but domestic data shows retail inflation building up in several pockets

COVID-19 | Kerala must abandon its old ways and redefine its growth mantra

With remittances tapering and the tourism sector down, Kerala must focus on a scientific and profitable agriculture sector

March quarter earnings: how scary is the picture?

Initial numbers indicate things were going downhill even before the shutdown

Labour Laws | States could turn to the four codes set by the Centre

While reforms were much needed, some of the hastily drawn changes will do more harm than good

Jio’s recent deals will cause a tectonic shift across sectors

An Indian company has emerged as the torchbearer of our nation’s digital opportunity. Its shareholders stand to gain over the next decade

Chart of the Day: What satellite data says about the health of industrial activity after COVID hit

A newly launched industrial activity tracker attempts to show the state of the world as COVID hit. India suffered severe damage, it shows.

Policy | Restructure labour laws to benefit one and all

The labyrinth of labour laws are the main reason why medium-size enterprises are entirely missing in India. These laws must be restructured

Focus on factor market reforms

Easier land and labour rules, better infrastructure facilities are imperative for an investment-led growth wave in the country

The politics behind the drastic changes in labour laws

To do away with the laws altogether amounts to throwing the baby out with the bathwater

Rs 4.2 lakh crore extra borrowing may not be enough for a fiscal stimulus

As nominal GDP growth plummets, there is a risk of a huge shortfall  in revenue receipts

Chart of the Day | Banks’ flight to safety

Long before the virus struck, loan growth was decelerating, while growth in investment in safe and secure government bonds was rising

Crude oil price – positive but don’t uncork the bubbly yet

The government relies excessively on oil receipts – the petroleum sector contributed as much as Rs 5.8tn to the Central and State exchequers, together, in FY19 – equivalent to 3 percent of GDP

COVID-19 | Why it was a bad idea to regulate sale of alcohol during lockdown

The ban cost states dearly in terms of revenue, depriving them of monetary resources at a time when they needed to increase spending on the social sector

Why a post-COVID-19 global order led by China is only a distant threat

The world order might require changing but such change is not about to happen soon for political and economic reasons