Debashis Basu
 "Debashis Basu")
Debashis Basu
Debashis Basu is a Chartered Accountant by qualification with three decades of experience as a journalist and the author of several business books. He has worked with The Times of India, Business World, Business India, Business Today, Financial Express and has written columns for Business Standard and The Economic Times. He now writes a column for Business Standard every alternate Monday. Along with Sucheta Dalal, he has co-authored two best-selling books, "The Scam: From Harshad Mehta to Ketan Parekh" and "Absolute Power: Inside story of the National Stock Exchange’s amazing success, leading to hubris, regulatory capture and algo scam".
Debashis Basu is a Chartered Accountant by qualification with three decades of experience as a journalist and the author of several business books. He has worked with The Times of India, Business World, Business India, Business Today, Financial Express and has written columns for Business Standard and The Economic Times. He now writes a column for Business Standard every alternate Monday. Along with Sucheta Dalal, he has co-authored two best-selling books, "The Scam: From Harshad Mehta to Ketan Parekh" and "Absolute Power: Inside story of the National Stock Exchange’s amazing success, leading to hubris, regulatory capture and algo scam".
Debashis Basu
New Labour Codes: The main challenge with Indian policy is its execution
India's new labour Codes promise sweeping reform, but weak state capacity, patchy data, and political risk may once again turn ambitious legislation into uneven, middling execution
 "New Labour Codes: The main challenge with Indian policy is its execution")
Mind the gap: GDP growth vs corporate results reveal real lack of demand
India's strong GDP growth masks a deeper disconnect: muted revenues, weak private capex, and demand constraints that leave corporate performance trailing headline numbers
 "Mind the gap: GDP growth vs corporate results reveal real lack of demand")
AI boom, old bubble: Why America's stock surge looks dangerously familiar
Wall Street's AI boom is built on self-reinforcing hype, shadow credit, and trillion-dollar bets - and if history is any guide, the crash could be sudden, sharp and global
 "AI boom, old bubble: Why America's stock surge looks dangerously familiar")
Viksit Bharat through 'useful knowledge': Building a culture that values it
Can India learn from the framework of economic progress as described by Mr Mokyr? India's policymakers have no shortage of economic blueprints
 "Viksit Bharat through 'useful knowledge': Building a culture that values it")
Private capex remains tepid for lack of wage growth that could boost demand
Overall, government capex averaged 4.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) over FY22-25, up from 2.8 per cent in the pre-pandemic days
 "Private capex remains tepid for lack of wage growth that could boost demand")
Trump's H-1B visa salvo: Costly for US firms, boon for India's economy
Students in the US on F-1 visas may be spared if they convert to H-1Bs without leaving - a strong incentive to remain in the country and push for permanent residency
 "Trump's H-1B visa salvo: Costly for US firms, boon for India's economy")
Defiance won't beget India respect, export-focused manufacturing base will
One of the best ways to judge the impact of any policy is to check its effect on stock prices of companies, supposedly benefiting
 "Defiance won't beget India respect, export-focused manufacturing base will")
GST 2.0 could boost consumption, but does little to fix deeper weaknesses
GST 2.0 may cushion consumers against US tariffs, but like the 2019 corporate tax cut, it risks being another tactical fix rather than a structural growth strategy
 "GST 2.0 could boost consumption, but does little to fix deeper weaknesses")
India's economic history suggests Trump tariffs won't lead to reforms
The baseline of Indian reform is a series of slow and half-hearted measures, all the while ensuring that bureaucratic control and the wheels of corruption remain undisturbed
 "India's economic history suggests Trump tariffs won't lead to reforms")
India's derivatives delusion: Regulatory triumph exposes market flaws
The larger question is whether India's F&O market serves any real purpose
 "India's derivatives delusion: Regulatory triumph exposes market flaws")
F&O Market: The real issues and the socioeconomic benefits questioned
Foreign and domestic traders should be treated equitably in tax matters
 "F&O Market: The real issues and the socioeconomic benefits questioned")
Industrial policy redux: India must counter the Chinese supply grip
China needs nothing critical from India - on the other hand, India needs $115 billion worth of goods every year from China to keep various parts of its economy going
 "Industrial policy redux: India must counter the Chinese supply grip")
RBI repo rate cuts alone can't shift India's economic growth gear
Clearly, it is not for the RBI and its monetary policy committee (MPC) to fix any of these deep structural issues and magically create growth
 "RBI repo rate cuts alone can't shift India's economic growth gear")
To counter China, India needs to first crack down on corruption like Xi did
For years, China was viewed as a cheap manufacturing hub. No longer. When Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, he made no secret of his intention to move China up the value chain
 "To counter China, India needs to first crack down on corruption like Xi did")
Donald Trump's tariff deals: End of the beginning in global standoff
Many experts thought that Mr Trump's aim was to lock China out of the global trade chains by striking major deals with big, long-term trading partners and allies. They were wrong
 "Donald Trump's tariff deals: End of the beginning in global standoff")
What the markets seem to suggest about Trump, tariffs, and optimism
The German market has hit a lifetime high. Even though the United States (US) is supposedly facing the prospect of empty shelves in a few weeks
 "What the markets seem to suggest about Trump, tariffs, and optimism")
US-China trade war: Counting chickens in India's opportunity talk
Beneath the optimism lies a more sobering reality
 "US-China trade war: Counting chickens in India's opportunity talk")
Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs: Running blind on a global tightrope
The biggest issue is the assumption that while Mr Trump upends the existing order at his own will, "all other things will remain equal"
 "Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs: Running blind on a global tightrope")
Time for a relook at tax on buybacks to boost shareholder returns
The legal and regulatory framework governing buybacks is primarily under the Companies Act, 2013, and the Sebi Buyback of Securities Regulations, introduced in 1998 and updated in 2018 and 2023
 "Time for a relook at tax on buybacks to boost shareholder returns")
Trump's tariff tantrums: A looming threat that remains underestimated
As Mr Trump takes a wrecking ball to global trade linkages, the impact will be devastating
 "Trump's tariff tantrums: A looming threat that remains underestimated")
