What does the Buffet indicator say about Indian markets?
It shows markets are not totally unaffected by the slowdown
West Bengal will borrow to pay for freebies but keep creditors at bay
On the negative side, West Bengal has a high debt-GSDP ratio and low own tax revenue to GSDP ratio, huge debt liabilities; the positives are the numerous social sector schemes, infant mortality and maternal mortality rates are far better than the national average, its total fertility rate at 1.6 is the lowest in the country, it is the first in terms of school enrolment
Challenges to auction of coal blocks
Rules have to be in sync with ground reality to attract serious bids for commercial mining of the fossil fuel
Policy | Will Budget recommendations improve quality of education?
The budget promises to take steps to enable sourcing of external commercial borrowings and FDI for the sector. Whether this is an indication of certain relaxations in terms of use for other legal entities to set up educational institutions and ease of repatriation of funds remains to be seen.
Bond yields are nosing down. It’s only the beginning
A fall in prices coupled with the government’s clear commitment to inflation control should lead to significantly lower policy rates
Politics | Reinventing the BJP in Delhi
In retrospect, the BJP suffered for a host of reasons which it knew all along, but has done little to redress since its defeat in Delhi in 1998.
Putting intraday margins on hold a wise decision by Sebi
But there is an area of the market that requires more stringent policing – expiry day trading of index options
Food inflation down, overall inflation up
Core inflation edges up too
Chart of the day | No green shoots in bank credit growth till end-January
Despite various steps taken by RBI and the government, bank credit growth is still weak
Chart of the Day | Stagflation is here
Inflation rises, industrial production shrinks
Did the green shoots seen in November wilt in December?
Without the contribution of the steel sector, industrial production would have contracted significantly from a year ago
US stand on GSP a boon in disguise for trade
New policy must incorporate sops that are globally acceptable and help exporters compete on the global stage
Tourism | Bhutan puts ecology before the economy
A country that has a tourism sector that both cares about the sustainability of the environment and nurtures its places of natural beauty is going to attract discerning international and local visitors who are willing to pay the extra dollar.
Delhi Results | BJP unlikely to dump its polarising campaign style
If the BJP feels that its campaign style in Delhi has worked for it, the party is unlikely to change it. It will further perfect the model in Bihar, and later use it in West Bengal for the 2021 state polls.
Delhi Results | Four challenges for AAP in the road ahead
Now that the results are out, Arvind Kejriwal and AAP must unambiguously state their position on the CAA. Riding on a historic mandate, Kejriwal’s decision will crucially influence the future course of the anti-CAA protests.
Free falling LNG – one of the worst affected victims of coronavirus
While coronavirus has accelerated the fall in the last few months, there is also a structural weakness in LNG prices, which the current crisis has exposed
Higher slippages in banks show end of NPA cycle is not in sight
Unless growth picks up and credit conditions improve, the risks to bank balance sheets will linger
Delhi Results | The Delhi voter makes it clear — vote is for development
This victory is a result of Arvind Kejriwal’s careful tightrope walk between projecting AAP’s development achievements and avoiding booby-traps.
Delhi Election | Kejriwal makes it 3 in a row, will he now spread his wings?
The Delhi verdict is unlikely to have a major impact on the national politics beyond giving the Opposition further evidence that BJP can be beaten if there is a credible face at the state level
Delhi Results | Elections in India can be fought and won on the development plank
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP will have to continue to deliver, the BJP will have to reassess its strategies and the Congress will have to wake up and smell the coffee.
Will abolishing dividend tax boost private investment? | Corporate Corridor
The government wants to encourage companies to invest in the business and restart the investment cycle. Will that work?
Get nutrients right for fertiliser reform
Subsidy recast, urea decontrol, promotion of organic fertilisers and balanced use of chemical compounds are need of the hour
Politics | The stalemate over CAA must come to an end
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly sought to allay the apprehensions of Indian Muslims that they could face deportation under the new law. However, apprehensions continue.
Coronavirus | An epidemic of incompetence and insecurity
China’s repeated crises point to the weaknesses in the political system of reporting and accountability.
