Economic Growth

India's sub-optimal industrial policy

From gender bias and employment to equal pay, this book traces various policy developments and the lessons they hold for policymakers today

Best of BS Opinion: Rules that read well vs those that work

Good rules matter only when they work in practice, from regulation and governance to business and public services

India has several growth engines

At points last year, some economists reckoned that AI-related investment was adding more to American growth than all consumer spending combined

India's economic growth brings confidence, new opportunities to world: Modi

India and Belgium on Thursday agreed to significantly expand their cooperation in trade, defence, critical minerals, clean energy and technologies following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wide-ranging talks with his Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever. In his media statement, Modi highlighted India recording a 7.8 per cent growth rate in the last quarter and said the country's economic rise was a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world. The Belgian prime minister described the conclusion of the India-European Union free trade pact as a major milestone, and said New Delhi and Brussels are building a relationship that is broad and more strategic than ever before. "Today, the world is passing through a phase of great upheaval. In many parts of the world, situations of conflict persist. Food, fuel or supply chains- uncertainty is affecting every sector," Modi said. "Even in this challenging environment, India's economy has maintained its momentum. In the last quarter, we

Beating the odds

The data from the expenditure side showed that private final consumption expenditure increased 7.1 per cent during the quarter, an improvement over the previous year but below the headline rate

Centre's FY27 fiscal deficit touches 26.8% of full year target at end July

In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit, or gap between the government's expenditure and revenue, was Rs 4,55,144 crore in the April-July period of the 2026-27 fiscal year

Alternative pathways to more jobs

New markets and stronger demand from lower-income households can drive productive employment

Bombay Club fears were misplaced; family biz raked it in after reforms

Family-owned companies accounted for 72 per cent of the combined revenues of listed firms in FY26, up from 50 per cent in FY01

Best of BS Opinion: Building stronger foundations for durable growth

Durable growth depends not just on expansion but on stronger foundations across telecom, education, energy, skilling and institutions

China unveils new measures to boost consumption in counties, smaller cities

China on Tuesday rolled out a series of measures to boost consumption in its counties and smaller cities to revive sluggish domestic demand, which has become a major source of its economic slowdown. The measures herald a policy shift to boost domestic demand from top cities and tap the potential of vast lower-tier markets as a new source of economic growth, an official announcement here said. The government calls for upgrading consumption channels in counties, including renovating township commercial centres, rural markets and local fairs. It includes encouraging domestic and international brands to open regional debut stores and promote the revitalisation of existing land resources to improve services, according to the guideline issued by the Ministry of Commerce. The lower-tier markets, generally referring to third-tier and smaller cities, counties, townships and rural areas, account for about 70 per cent of China's population and 60 per cent of total retail sales of consumer ...

Judging the RBI by the wrong rule

Has the RBI been biased toward tight monetary policy, or is its rate-setting framework flawed?

1991 reforms demonstrated confidence that we could compete: Rakesh Mohan

Rakesh Mohan talks about the trajectory of India's economic development, why the reforms could be pulled off as quickly as they were, and what India can do now to boost manufacturing

Renewed reform push: India must speed up its growth to meet challenges

To assuage the anxieties of the youth and children, the country must broaden the avenues for gainful employment available to them and reduce the unemployment rate among graduates

India finds favour in Europe; America remains sceptical: Pew survey

Pew Research Center survey across 36 countries shows India's global image tilting slightly positive, with sentiment improving across several European countries

Reforms@35: India grew nine-fold, but its Asian peers grew faster

In 1991, five years into the Doi Moi reforms, Vietnam's per capita income was $141, less than half of India's. Today it is $4,829, nearly twice that of India

Reforms for higher growth: India must capitalise on international trade

India needs faster tariff cuts, deeper trade integration and stronger investment treaties to boost exports, attract FDI and sustain the high growth needed to become a developed economy

Prosperity: The visible hand of leadership in driving sustained growth

Economic theories explain growth through capital, technology and institutions, but leadership may be the missing force that turns sound policies into sustained prosperity

1991 marked a paradigm shift in industrial, trade policy: Jairam Ramesh

Jairam Ramesh says the 1991 reforms transformed India's economy, but reviving private investment is now the country's biggest economic policy challenge

Reforming the law for land: State capacity, productivity and growth

Unlocking factors of production - land, labour and capital - is crucial for growth in an AI-driven economy. Reducing administrative frictions in land markets will attract investments

US GDP grows less-than-expected at 1.5% despite strong consumer spending

US economic growth slowed to 1.5% in the second quarter as weaker net exports offset robust consumer spending and strong AI-led business investment