Himanshi Bhardwaj

Two decades of FRLs fail to rein in debt in several states: World Bank

A World Bank report to the 16th Finance Commission says state fiscal rules improved headline deficits, but debt levels remain high and uneven across several large states

Scrapping revenue deficit grants may strain fragile states: Economists

Economists warn that removal of revenue deficit grants could hurt fiscally weak and hill states, forcing them to seek alternative support from the Centre

Trade deal sweetens FY27 growth arithmetic as exports lift outlook

Economists say the India-US trade deal could lift FY27 GDP growth by 20-40 basis points by boosting exports and reducing uncertainty, though risks from imports remain

16th FC charts Union's fiscal path: Falling deficit, rising capex

The Sixteenth Finance Commission has proposed a consolidation roadmap that balances development needs with fiscal prudence

NSO to launch year-long nationwide migration survey from July 2026

The National Statistics Office will roll out a comprehensive migration survey from July 2026 to June 2027 to capture patterns, drivers, and labour profiles of migrants across India

16th FC moots CSS overhaul, discom privatisation, subsidy bill pruning

To create incentives for privatisation, the panel said private investors need to be shielded from the accumulated debt burden after discom takeover

16th Finance Commission retains 41% devolution, introduces GDP criterion

the 16th Finance Commission kept tax devolution at 41%, added GDP contribution as a new criterion, dropped revenue deficit grants, and pushed states towards stronger fiscal discipline

New CPI series expected to push India's headline inflation prints higher

India's new CPI series, with lower food weight and higher core components, may nudge headline inflation higher but is expected to improve policy predictability and ease RBI's targeting

Centrally funded infrastructure projects see 18.3% cost jump in December

Revised estimates of 1,392 ongoing projects climbed to ₹35.1 trillion as overruns persisted, though the pace of cost escalation eased sequentially from November

States utilise less than half of FY26 capex budget in Apr-Dec period

CAG data show states spent just 45.8% of their FY26 capital outlay in the first nine months, sharply lagging the Centre's capex performance

Economic Survey: Unconditional cash transfers a risk to states' borrowing

Economic Survey warns that rising state-level freebies and revenue deficits could raise India's borrowing costs by crowding out capex and weakening fiscal discipline

Weighting of food and beverages to be cut sharply in new CPI series

India will sharply reduce the food and beverages weight in the CPI basket as part of a 2024 base-year revamp, aiming to better capture evolving consumption patterns

Industrial output hits all-time high in Dec on manufacturing, power gains

IIP growth was fastest in 26 months at 7.8 per cent in December

Youthful states build fiscal muscle; ageing states pay pension price

Demographics now drive state revenue, spending, debt: RBI report

Private-sector capex tumbles for second straight quarter in Q3FY26

New government investment projects rose 26.5% quarter-on-quarter to hit ₹5.64 trillion in Q3, lifting the public sector's share of new proposals to nearly 36% from under 30% in Q2

Gold, coconut oil and consumption: Inside Kerala's inflation streak

Kerala's retail inflation hit 9.49% in December, topping all states for the seventh straight month, driven by soaring coconut oil, gold prices and rural cost pressures

How India's 2027 housing Census questionnaire is different from 2011 Census

India's 2027 housing census trims questions but adds digital-age indicators like internet and smartphones, marking a shift from the 2011 houselisting approach

India's new quarterly GDP estimates to include GST, e-Vahan data

India's revamped quarterly GDP series will use GST, e-Vahan and gas consumption data, adopting IMF-recommended methods to improve accuracy and reduce volatility

India's December core sector output hit highest level so far in FY26

India's core sector output hit a FY26 high in December, with year-on-year growth rising to a four-month peak of 3.7%, led by electricity, cement and steel

Unemployment rate inches up in Dec to 4.8%, still the second-lowest in FY26

The unemployment rate had fallen to an eight-month low of 4.7 per cent in November