Page 68 - Indian Economy

Ratings and reforms

Fiscal position should be improved with sustained growth

India on cusp of long-awaited economic take-off: RBI monthly bulletin

India is on the cusp of long-awaited take-off on the back of rising aggregate demand, and non-food spending in rural economy, according to the Reserve Bank of India May Bulletin released on Tuesday. The outlook for the global economy is turning fragile as the descent of inflation is stalling, re-igniting risks to global financial stability, said an article on 'State of the Economy' published in the Bulletin. Capital flows have become volatile as nervous investors turn risk averse, it added. The article is prepared by a team led by Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra. The article further said "there is a growing optimism that India is on the cusp of a long-awaited economic take-off" as recent indicators are pointing to a quickening of the momentum of aggregate demand. It notes that for the first time in at least two years, rural demand for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) has outpaced urban markets -- in the quarter just gone by. FMCG volume growth of 6.5 per cen

Tweaking the inflation targeting mandate

A key focus for the new govt should be to ensure wider consultation in setting inflation target

Retirement fund body EPFO adds 1.44 million net members in March 2024

Retirement fund body EPFO has recorded a net addition of 14.41 lakh members in March this year, according to the latest payroll data released on Monday. The payroll data highlighted that approximately 11.80 lakh members exited and subsequently rejoined the EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation), a labour ministry statement said. According to the statement, these members switched their jobs and re-joined the establishments covered under the ambit of EPFO and opted to transfer their accumulations instead of applying for final settlement thus, safeguarding long-term financial well-being and extending their social security protection. The EPFO's provisional payroll data released on Monday also showed that the body has added 14.41 lakh net members in March 2024, the ministry stated. The data indicates that around 7.47 lakh new members have been enrolled during March 2024. A noticeable aspect of the data is the dominance of the 18-25 age group, constituting a significant 56.83 pe

Statsguru: Several challenges remain for India-Iran Chabahar port deal

Iran has fewer maritime trade partners compared to India

Share of women in urban salaried jobs at 6-year low in Q4FY24: PLFS

The share of women in wage work was the highest in Q1 of FY21 at 61.2 per cent

Economy: From Modi 1.5 to Modi 3.0

Remember, "development" is not the only thing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised

Commerce ministry holds discussions on formulating SOPs to negotiate FTAs

The commerce ministry has held detailed discussions with senior officials of different departments and trade experts on formulating standard operating procedures (SOP) for negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs), an official said. To discuss the various aspects of these agreements, the commerce ministry has organised a two-day 'Chintan Shivir' on FTA strategy and SOPs for trade negotiations on May 16-17. Suggestions that came up during the discussions included comprehensive consultations with public and private sector players and sharing details of the proposed FTAs with the line ministries, the official said. "Consultations should be held at every stage of FTA negotiations. Representatives of certain ministries suggested the commerce ministry to share FTA details with them in a timely manner so that they can prepare their views on those agreements," the official added. The exercise assumes significance as India is engaging with several trade partners to negotiate free trade ...

Mutual funds likely to get nod to invest in ETFs with India presence

India exposure in such global ETFs could be capped at 20%

UN revises India's GDP growth forecast by 70 basis points to 6.9%

The UN body also noted that surging demand for critical minerals presented new opportunities for developing economies but pointed to a need for innovation and policy and institutional reforms

India could be the third largest economy by 2026-27, says Arvind Panagariya

Panagariya stressed that in order to achieve this, it was important to reform labour laws and for markets to release capital to more labour-intensive industries

Chabahar Port deal 'landmark' for economic ties with India: Iranian envoy

The signing of the Chabahar Port deal is a 'landmark' in India-Iran economic relations and it offers various future investment opportunities, including the development of subsequent phases of the facility, a top Iranian diplomat said in a note. These opportunities include development of the second phase of Shahid Beheshti Port as well as the third and fourth phases on BOT model, among others, Davoud Rezaei Eskandari, Acting Consul General of Iran in Mumbai, said in the note shared with PTI. India on May 13 signed a 10-year contract to operate the strategic Iranian port of Chabahar that will help it expand trade with Central Asia. The Chabahar Port on the Gulf of Oman - which New Delhi had proposed to develop way back in 2003 - will provide Indian goods a gateway to reach landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia using a road and rail project called International North-South Transport Corridor, bypassing Pakistan. The long-term agreement was signed by Indian Ports Global Limited (IP

Lower crude oil prices likely to tilt imports towards Iraq and UAE

As of April, India imported more than 1.72 mn barrels per day from Russia

India to become $4 trn economy in FY25, surpass Japan by FY26: Sanyal

India will be a USD 4 trillion economy in 2024-25 and surpass Japan by early next fiscal to become the world's fourth largest economy, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) member Sanjeev Sanyal said on Thursday. Sanyal further said that a 7 per cent economic growth rate will be a 'very good' growth rate for India, given various constraints, including the country's weak exports. "So, this financial year, we will become a USD 4 trillion economy," he said at an event here. Recently, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India is expected to overtake Japan and Germany to emerge as the world's third-largest economy by 2027. Currently, in US dollar terms, India is the fifth largest economy with a size of about USD 3.7 trillion in nominal terms. Sanyal said Japan is now just a little ahead of us at USD 4.1 trillion. "So, either very early next year or even you know this year, we will cross Japan to become the world's fourth largest economy," Sanyal ...

April exports drop to five-month low on geopolitical woes, shows data

Trade deficit widens to $19.1 bn as gold imports treble

The disappearing audience

Millions of people are joining the creator economy, adding to the babble of films, shows and funny videos. Where is the audience?

Coal India, NMDC, ONGC to scout for critical mineral assets abroad

A Mines Ministry delegation is scheduled for Zambia in June. India is exploring joint exploration with Zambia for critical minerals, including lithium. A separate delegation will head to Congo

More governance and less of govt in Modi's third term: FM Sitharaman

FM Nirmala Sitharaman was addressing a session titled 'Viksit Bharat 2047 - Vision for Indian Financial Markets,' organised by the BSE stock exchange at the BSE International Convention in Mumbai

India's export reliance on US grows despite diversification push

The share of the US in India's total exports continuously declined from a high of 21.7 per cent in 1998-99 to a low of 10.1 per cent in 2010-11

Retail inflation eases to 4.83% in April, surge in food prices continues

Retail inflation eased to 4.83 per cent in April as prices of some kitchen items declined, according to government data released on Monday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based retail inflation was 4.85 per cent in March. It was 4.7 per cent in April 2023. Inflation in the food basket was at 8.70 per cent in April, marginally up from 8.52 per cent in March, according to the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO). The government has tasked the Reserve Bank to ensure inflation remains at 4 per cent, with a margin of 2 per cent on either side. According to the Reserve Bank, which factors in consumer inflation while arriving at its bi-monthly monetary policy, food price uncertainties continue to weigh on the inflation trajectory going forward.