Page 4 - Indian Economy

India's unemployment rate fell to 5.1% in July from 5.5% in June: Govt data

Compared with July 2025, the overall UR and rural UR remained broadly stable in July 2026, whereas the urban UR decreased by 0.5 percentage point from 7.2 per cent in July 2025

Equirus' $20trn economy roadmap: List railways, cut TDS, end STT & more

Equirus Securities in its report 'India's Road to a $20 Trillion Economy' has proposed a 20-point reform agenda across five areas.

From agriculture to services: How India's economy transformed over 80 years

India's economy has undergone a major transformation over eight decades, moving from an agriculture-led model towards a more diverse, services-driven economy

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

How Indian economy has transformed since the landmark 1991 reforms

By 2025-26 the primary sector's share had roughly halved to about 18%, the tertiary sector had surged to some 56% and industry sat almost exactly where it began, at around 25%

India's forex reserves climb past $700 billion on robust inflows

India's foreign exchange reserves rose to a four-month high of $707 billion as of August ​7, bolstered by robust inflows under policy ​measures to strengthen India's balance of payments

RBI turns upbeat as worst of West Asia war shock recedes, demand holds up

Five months after the Iran war stoked fears of an oil-driven inflation surge and economic slowdown, resilient demand and easing price pressures are giving RBI officials more confidence

India's inflation rises to 4.45%, but unlikely to shift RBI rate outlook

India's retail inflation rose for a second straight month above the RBI's 4% target in July, but remained within the central bank's 2-6% tolerance band.

Disinvesting vs Privatising: Why India keeps selling PSU stakes instead of privatising them

The government’s ₹31,552 crore LIC stake sale highlights India’s evolving approach to disinvestment. Here’s why the government prefers minority stake sales over full privatisation

Data centres, nuclear power drive ₹26.75 trillion investment plans: Report

India recorded investment announcements worth Rs 26.75 trillion between April 1 and August 5, led overwhelmingly by data centres, AI and proposed nuclear power projects

Operation Safed Sagar contributed over $24 mn to Indian economy: Netflix

Netflix said Operation Safed Sagar, its biggest India production to date, generated over $24 million for the Indian economy through local hiring, businesses and VFX partnerships

The story now is not 'lower for longer', but the calm before higher rates

Strong growth, above-target inflation projections and near-zero real interest rates suggest the RBI's dovish stance may not last, raising the prospect of higher rates ahead

RBI MPC Outcome August 2026: Why RBI has kept repo rate unchanged again | Inflation | GDP growth

The RBI has kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% for a second straight policy review. Why did the central bank hit pause, what does it expect for inflation and growth,

'Extract after extract in Manmohan's 1991 speech was from my mini Budget'

Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha says his 1990 mini Budget shaped Manmohan Singh's 1991 speech, while calling for continuous reforms and infrastructure-led demand growth

RBI may hold rates, but 50-75 bps hike still in sight: Nippon India MF CIO

Nippon India MF expects the RBI to keep rates unchanged for now, while forecasting a limited 50-75 bps rate hike cycle over the next 12-15 months

CEA Nageswaran warns 'free' public services come at heavy cost for economy

"Free is the most expensive word in public policy," Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran said on Monday, warning that building infrastructure on the promise of below-cost services is a contradiction that ultimately ruins economic balance sheets. Addressing the CII Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Summit 2026 here, Nageswaran said the prevailing political orthodoxies surrounding utility pricing, urban development, and infrastructure financing exact a heavy toll. The CEA pointed out that pricing vital utilities like water at zero leads society to treat them as limitless, invariably resulting in waste and destruction. "The thing we call free is the thing we destroy. This is not a paradox, it is a policy choice and it can be chosen differently," he noted. He systematically debunked the notion that such underpricing acts as a social safety net. Instead, Nageswaran argued that free water effectively subsidises "comfortable" households that already possess piped connections. Meanwhi

Rise in wholesale inflation driven by global commodity, energy costs: Govt

The increase in wholesale price inflation in June to 9.87 per cent was largely driven by price pressures in items that are more sensitive to global commodity and energy costs, Parliament was informed on Monday. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in the Lok Sabha that the government has been actively undertaking a series of measures to control inflation and mitigate its impact on consumers. These measures include augmenting buffer stocks for essential food items, strategically selling procured grains in the open market, and calibrating trade policies. As a result of the government's measures, the retail or Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation rate has been below the 4 per cent target over the last two quarters -- 3.1 per cent (January-March of FY26) and 3.9 per cent (April-June FY'27). On a year-on-year basis, wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation increased from 9.68 per cent in May to 9.87 per cent in June. "The rise in WPI inflation is largely driven

Corrosion costs India ₹14.1 trn annually; infra, energy worst-hit: Report

A Nomura report estimates that corrosion costs India ₹14.1 trillion annually, adding that better corrosion-management practices could potentially save the economy nearly ₹5 trillion every year

Centre exhausted 18% of fiscal deficit in Q1FY27, shows CGA data

Fiscal deficit stood at 18.2 per cent of the FY27 target as higher subsidy spending was offset by robust revenue growth and sustained capital expenditure

Rising heat poses growing risk to India's economy, jobs: World Bank

The World Bank says rising temperatures are reducing labour productivity and straining infrastructure, while stronger adaptation measures could protect growth and create millions of jobs