Economic Policy

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

Focus of TN Budget will shift to investment from expenditure: Chakravarty

Congress MP Praveen Chakravarty says Tamil Nadu's first TVK budget will prioritise revenue reforms, fiscal discipline and investment, while calling for a rethink on jobs and welfare

Half a lifetime after the 1991 reforms: Lotuses bloom in muddy waters

Thirty-five years after the 1991 reforms, India has grown dramatically but unfinished reforms, weak public services and job creation remain major challenges T N Ninan

Economic reforms: India needs a second wave to sustain high growth

Thirty-five years after the 1991 reforms, India needs a new reform wave focused on deregulation, stronger state capacity, judicial efficiency and faster growth

India's regulators need more independent voices, less insider control

Complex markets require independent voices and diverse expertise. India's regulatory architecture is missing both

India and the pitfalls of geoeconomics: A clear security doctrine is needed

A clear security doctrine is needed to ensure economic tools do not harm both the user and the target

Reform delayed is reform denied: Time to make reforms part of everyday life

We have missed the bus before, but now reforms must become part of everyday conversation

The Economic DNA of Bharat: Blurred vision document for 'Viksit Bharat'

For people who want to learn about different government schemes and programmes, this book serves as a handy primer

Best of BS Opinion: Why India must leave retrospective taxes behind

From retrospective taxation and quality reforms to polymer notes, exam glitches and middle-class stress, today's opinion pages examine key policy challenges

Reforms will deliver 10 times the savings from austerity measures

Indians prefer saving over spending. But for this to happen naturally, it requires more than calls to save fuel or work from home

Economist Ashok Lahiri takes charge as NITI Aayog vice-chairperson

Former chief economic adviser Ashok Lahiri assumed charge as NITI Aayog vice-chairperson amid a major overhaul of the government policy think tank

Beyond self-reliance: Why interdependence must shape India's future

An immediate instinct is to turn inwards and seek self-reliance. But the world, and certainly India, is too dependent on other countries for that to be an effective strategy

The cost of delaying divestment: Why Budget must act to create fiscal space

Budget must prioritise divestment to create fiscal space to tackle unexpected shocks and support critical sectors including health and education

India's manufacturing renaissance: Building a new industrial architecture

The architecture of a new industrial era is being shaped by sustained political leadership and long-term institutional thinking

India's economy in 2025: Low inflation, FTAs and GDP growth amid US tariffs

With inflation easing, tax revenues rising and major FTAs taking effect, India's economy held firm in 2025 even as US tariffs and global slowdown fears weighed on trade

A new phase of policymaking emerges with committee-led governance

The government has also succeeded in conveying a message that it is sharply focused on reforms that improve the ease of doing business

Correcting populist policies is essential for India's growth

Populists, whether from the left or the right, have a greater penchant for autarchic policies that restrict trade and view the world through a mercantilist zero-sum perspective

This round of tax reforms can be termed 'MGGA - Making GST Great Again'

To ensure the 56th GST Council is remembered as the most transformative since 2017, the proposed changes must be implemented in spirit, and what must happen next for promises to become policy

GST rate cut may ease CPI inflation by 25bps; 40bps dent on fiscal deficit

Here's how analysts leading brokerages assess the impact of the GST rate rejig on the Indian economy, bond markets and the possibility of an aggressive interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India