INDIA: A growth budget in a pandemic year
For the first time since the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in 2014, the government has presented a budget that has drawn praise from all sections of stakeholders across India’s diverse political economy, barring opposition parties. However, th… Become a member to read the rest of this article Username or […]
INDIA: Vaccination drive kicks off amid economic and political challenges
16 January will see the first phase of inoculation of 300 mn frontline Covid-19 fighters. Vaccines will likely be available to those who want to jump the queue – but at a cost – in a few weeks. As emergency economic measures run their course, fiscal and monetary problems… Become a member to read […]
INDIA: An uptick in the economy and Indian vaccines eclipsed by farmer protests
Farmer protests, which laid siege to New Delhi in early December and grow by the day, could not have come at a worse time for the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Everything was heading in the right direction: the economy seemed to be turning the corner … Become a member to read […]
INDIA: Federal policies bring farmers to the streets as opposition fans flames
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is struggling to contain protests against a clutch of agricultural reforms introduced earlier this year after thousands of farmers laid siege to New Delhi over the weekend and have resolved to bl… Become a member to read the rest of this article
ASIA: RCEP heavy on symbolism, but its economic effects will be limited
After eight years of negotiations, the fifteen participants in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) signed a final agreement in a virtual summit on Sunday, 16 November. The economic benefits may be relatively modest in the near term but simplifying rules of… Become a member to read the rest of this article
INDIA: Stimulus and hopes of a vaccine amid the threat of rising prices
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new stimulus package on Thursday, 12 November that includes tax relief on select home sale deals, an enhanced credit guarantee program for small businesses, and incentives for new job creation as crucial elements. Big business found… Become a member to read the rest of this article
INDIA: Politics begins around a vaccine that is yet to be developed
With the last set of restrictions imposed to check the spread of Covid-19 – the near total ban on international travel – about to be lifted, discussion and politics is veering round to the vaccine and how it will be distributed. The government has announced that while co… Become a member to read the […]
INDIA: Farmers hit the streets
What set out to be a substantial package of reforms of the agricultural commodities market has turned into a political crisis for the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, with its oldest and most faithful ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), walking ou… Become a member to read the rest of this article
INDIA: Amid a bleak economic outlook, the government bets big on a vaccine
The economic outlook for India in the last quarter of 2020 does not look promising, and armed forces remain on high alert for another clash on the Sino-Indian border. The government, in turn, is seeking to infuse optimism by talking up hopes that for a COVID-19 vaccine by late 20… Become a member to […]
INDIA/CHINA: Modi meets military threat with economic retaliation
With little sign that the border tension between India and China is anywhere close to resolution, New Delhi has embarked on an aggressive domestic political exercise to wean Indians off their dependence on Chinese goods, even at the risk of political costs. Since hostilities bro… Become a member to read the rest of this […]