Specials News

35 years of liberalisation: India's workforce remains largely informal

Despite decades of economic reforms, informal and contractual work remains entrenched as weak manufacturing growth, small firms and skill gaps constrain formal job creation

Setting up NSE was the biggest reform in the capital mkts: Raamdeo Agrawal

Raamdeo Agrawal, cofounder and chairman of Motilal Oswal Financial Services talks about how reforms changed the equity culture in India

India Inc failed to ramp up R&D spends despite '90s economic reform push

Cumulative spending on R&D was just $7.2 bn in FY26, against $61 bn spent by Alphabet alone in 2025

How reforms in banking shifted from boosting competition to building scale

On July 21, 1993, RBI provided in-principle approval to HDFC and Unit Trust of India, or UTI (its lender later became Axis Bank), for starting banking companies

The economic reforms paradox: A few states dominate FDI inflows

Just seven states accounted for nearly 82% of all FDI equity inflows to India from January 2000 to March 2026

Will Turkiye COP bring countries back to the emissions discussion table?

The first of a 3-part series looks at how emission will be a major issue at the Antalya climate summit to be held in November

Gurugram's transformation: From tehsil town to thriving business hub

Gurugram's rapid rise after liberalisation shows the power of private development, but also highlights the need for better urban planning and public infrastructure

35 yrs of liberalisation: Tax system makes progress, but reforms unfinished

India's tax system has come a long way since 1991, but simplifying GST, clearing tax disputes and improving taxpayer services remain key priorities

Frugality, climate and K-pop: The new cultural economics of Gen Z

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are reshaping India's consumption culture around Jap-Kor influences, minimalism and frugality, posing a new challenge for brands

Bluechip valuation slump offers value bets amid weak investor sentiment

The BSE Sensex has fallen 6.8% since the end of September 2025, with its trailing P/E multiple down 10.8%

Wholesale changes have not happened in civil services: M Veerappa Moily

There is a pronounced tendency to centralise now… Centralisation will not take the country forward, either socially or economically, he said

The word control had become anathema for us in 1991: Sudha Pillai

Pillai tells that the CCI could have done more to curb concentration, and social protection should have featured more prominently in the reforms

'Scorpio Man' in space: Pawan Goenka on his journey from autos to skies

As the man steering the organisation tasked with promoting, authorising, and regulating private-sector space activities, Goenka has his task cut out

Delhi's dichotomy: Big infra projects alongside unauthorised sprawl

Delhi's post-liberalisation growth turned it into a services powerhouse, but housing shortages, unplanned urbanisation, pollution and infrastructure gaps continue to test the capital

Govts changed, liberalisation consensus endured, at varying pace

Governments both at the Centre and in states have occasionally been voted out for their inability to sell the reforms to the electorate

Fruits of reforms are often reaped by later governments: Shankar Acharya

Shankar Acharya says that structural constraints need to be addressed for India to become an advanced economy by 2047

How Posco's Odisha steel project, India's biggest FDI deal, fell through

Learning from the setback, the South Korean steel major has returned to the state, but this time in a JV with JSW

1991 liberalisation made a break with the past, says C Rangarajan

C Rangarajan says reforms are a continuous process and we need new measures to tackle new challenges

Kiranas to quick commerce: How the landscape changed for retail trade

India's retail sector has evolved from neighbourhood kiranas to organised retail, ecommerce and quick commerce, driven by liberalisation, technology and changing consumer habits

We are all children of liberalisation: Alphaniti Fintech co-founder UR Bhat

India has come a long way since 1991... But sustaining that progress will require new reforms. If the past 30 years were about opening the economy, the next 30 must be about strengthening institutions