Page 9 - Economic Survey

Economic Survey lauds Tamil Nadu's moves to attract global majors like Nike

The survey also highlighted the state's innovative public education scheme Illam Thedi Kalvi (Education at Doorstep)

India sees 17.9% increase in FDI inflows, at $55.6 bn in Apr-Nov in FY25

Economic Survey 2025: India's foreign direct investment between April 2000 and September 2024 surpassed the $1 trillion mark

Economic Survey 2025 calls for 'health tax' on ultra-processed food items

The Economic Survey 2025 highlighted the urgency of regulatory measures, recommending that the FSSAI establish clear definitions, labelling requirements, and stringent monitoring of UPFs

India a net steel importer in Apr-Nov amid price pressures: Eco Survey

India remained a net importer of steel even as the industry faced price pressures, the Economic Survey 2024-25 said on Friday. The decline in export of finished steel during FY25 was mainly driven by gaps between international and domestic prices, the pre-Budget document for the 2024-25 fiscal year said. The survey said India has been a net importer of steel from April to November period of the ongoing financial year, even as companies faced price pressures and lower global prices. The low price in the international market during this period resulted in a low margin on exports and cheaper imports, it said. Capacity utilisation in manufacturing remains above the long-term average, and private sector order books have shown steady growth, alongside a rise in investment intentions. However, these gains could be tempered by the global excess capacities in sectors such as steel, leading to aggressive trade policies in search of demand, the survey pointed out. On steel demand in India,

Insurance sector gets over 62% of $5.7 bn services sector FDI inflows in H1

The insurance sector was opened to foreign investors with an FDI limit of up to 26 per cent in 2000

Economic Survey FY25 warns of energy risks amid India's green transition

Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran, in the survey's preface, emphasised the need for "strategic thinking" to avoid geopolitical risks

Why do your vegetables cost more? Economic Survey blames climate change

Extreme weather events are disrupting vegetable production, driving inflation as heatwaves, unseasonal rains, and supply chain issues continue to push prices higher

Understanding Budget documents: Identify changes relevant to your finances

The July 2024 Budget changed little for taxpayers, heightening expectations for relief this year

Capital goods sector rebounds in FY24, import reliance persists: Eco Survey

The survey also states that the government has acknowledged these challenges and taken steps to address them

Projects worth Rs 1.5 trn completed under Smart Cities Mission: Eco Survey

The Economic Survey on Friday highlighted that under the Smart Cities mission, nearly 7,500 projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore have been completed so far. The mission, which was launched in 2015, aims to develop smart cities with essential infrastructure, good quality of life and a sustainable environment, it noted. "As of 13 January 2025, 8,058 projects worth 1.64 lakh crore have been proposed, with 7,479 projects worth 1.50 lakh crore completed," said the survey, which was tabled in Parliament on Friday. The mission was launched on June 25, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It aims to enhance the quality of life in 100 selected cities by providing efficient services, robust infrastructure, and a sustainable environment. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban's website, the objective of the mission is to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and ...

Pension sector needs boost to improve social security coverage: Eco survey

The Economic Survey 2024-25 on Friday made a case for scalability of pension coverage to bring more people under the social security net. Despite significant advancements in the pension sector, just 5.3 per cent of the total population is covered by the National Pension System (NPS) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) combined. "This highlights another critical aspect of the Indian pension system: scalability. Low costs are essential to enhance coverage meaningfully. Achieving this will require highly competitive, low-cost fund management and minimal transaction costs, which is particularly vital for small-ticket transactions," it said. In principle, it said, taking into consideration both scalability and sustainability, India's pension system design seems robust and stable, the survey tabled in Parliament said. NPS is one of the lowest-cost pension schemes globally and its framework is based on a defined contribution model, which ensures that future payouts are determined by market ...

What Indian Railways achieved in FY25? Economic Survey sheds light

Between April and October 2024, Indian Railways launched 17 new pairs of Vande Bharat trains and manufactured 228 new coaches, keeping pace with last year's expansion

Economic Survey sounds alarm on AI, calls for education-industry links

The survey highlighted that critical thinking, creativity, and deep domain expertise will soon outweigh narrowly focused technical skills

Impose higher GST, stricter labelling rules on UPFs: Economic Survey

The government must focus on a multi-pronged approach with stricter FSSAI labelling norms, higher GST, and awareness campaigns to curb consumption of ultra processed foods (UPFs), according to the pre-Budget document tabled in Parliament on Friday. "A multi-pronged approach would be required to address the concerns emerging from the increased inclusion of UPFs in diets in India," it said. Misleading nutrition claims and information on UPFs need to be tackled and should be brought under the scanner, it said. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) could consider bringing UPFs under regulation with a clear definition and standards, including stricter labelling requirements. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare should urgently define nutrient thresholds for sugars, salt, and saturated fats to regulate advertising, adopt warning front-of-pack labels (FOPL), and impose stricter marketing restrictions on unhealthy foods, especially targeting children under 18. A ..

Economic Survey highlights real estate boom, demand to hit 93 mn by 2036

The residential property market had achieved an 11-year high in sales volume during the first half of 2024 and sales across the top eight cities registered an 11 per cent year-on-year growth

EU carbon tax, deforestation regulation may impact exporters: Eco Survey

The European Union's (EU) non-trade measures - carbon tax and deforestation regulation - are expected to impact Indian exporters, Economic Survey 2024-25 said on Friday. It said globally, non-tariff measures such as subsidies and export-related measures, have risen in aid of nations' industrial policy goals. Unlike broad-based tariffs, these non-tariff measures tend to be granular in their approach. They are often less visible, making them harder to assess. In the future, the imposition of climate-change-related NTMs by the EU in the form of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is anticipated to have broad implications for exporters in emerging economies such as China, India, and Turkey," the survey said. Implemented by the EU and under consideration by the UK, CBAM aims to align the cost of carbon emissions for imported goods with that of domestically produced products. Under the mechanism, importers will buy carbon ...

Gold prices likely to decline, silver to rise in 2025: Economic Survey

Gold prices are expected to decline in 2025 while silver prices may increase, according to Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled in Parliament on Friday. Citing the World Bank's Commodity Markets Outlook for October 2024, the economic survey highlighted that commodity prices are projected to decrease 5.1 per cent in 2025 and 1.7 per cent in 2026. The projected declines are led by oil prices but tempered by price increases for natural gas and a stable outlook for metals and agricultural raw materials. Among precious metals, gold prices are expected to decrease while silver prices may increase. Prices for metals and minerals are expected to decline, primarily due to a decrease in iron ore and zinc prices, the economic survey said. "In general, the downward trend movement in prices of commodities imported by India is a positive for the domestic inflation outlook," it added. Meanwhile, the survey said "a global rise in uncertainty has led to fluctuations in the composition of foreign exchang

Amid 90-hr workweek debate, Eco survey bets on employees' mental well-being

The Economic Survey 2024-2025 document argues that the ramifications of low levels of mental well-being is detrimental, not just to the health of the person, but to the economy as well

India Inc investments set to rebound as Economic Survey signals recovery

The RBI's report on private investments highlighted that investment intentions increased to Rs 2.45 lakh crore for FY25, compared to Rs 1.6 lakh crore for FY24

India's corporate profits hit 15-yr high, but wages lag behind: Eco Survey

Corporate profits have surged to a 15-year high, but sluggish wage growth raises concerns about rising inequality and weaker demand, warns the Economic Survey 2024-25