Page 2 - T N Ninan

Being people-centric: Indian govts no slouches when it comes to spending

Percentages can mislead: A higher percentage of a lower GDP per head can translate into less absolute spending per head than a lower percentage of a much greater GDP per capita, notes T N Ninan

Seeking cultural roots: Beyond name change, regimes, and identity politics

With changes to Delhi's architectural map, a re-naming rash, and more Hindu symbolism in secular spaces, the govt is making it clear it wants a clean break with post-colonial India, writes T N Ninan

India's growing heft: The dichotomy between domestic and global opinion

Handicapped without a UN Security Council veto, India can nevertheless become a great power, but what that will entail remains a work in progress, notes T N Ninan

Beyond forming an alliance: INDIA must offer more than the govt's criticism

Building the temple in Ayodhya, removing J&K's special status, and ending the so-called minority appeasement may be Mr PM's pitch to beat the criticism on inflation and unemployment, writes T N Ninan

Test for Opposition: How many of BJP govt's laws will it undo if elected?

If the Opposition wants to offer a different approach to political and economic issues, could it spell out the action it would take on the Bills that were passed despite its opposition, asks T N Ninan

Back to the licence-permit raj in this season of bad ideas

It may be time to restore economics and prior consultation to their rightful place in the policy-making process, writes T N Ninan

PM's 'guarantee', cyclists, and the challenge of long-run economic growth

The important question is whether India can also get rid of multi-dimensional poverty - a modest concept that stipulates a bare-bones minimum income, education and quality of life, writes T N Ninan

Back to the new-old: West wind, East wind, or the warnings of a storm?

India has been well and truly bitten by the big-country bug, and is committed once more to import substitution-on-crutches, writes T N Ninan

'Shastri was someone who could work simultaneously with polar opposites'

According to Ninan, the devaluation of the rupee in 1965 was another example of Shastri's determined decision-making

Why China may not challenge Western strategic dominance anytime soon

While the earlier facile assumption of China becoming a larger economy than the US may need revision, a re-balancing of global power seems more likely than a substantial power shift, notes T N Ninan

The Byju's story: What is ailing India's once booming start-up sector?

While Byju's has stumbled and may well fall, one must hope that most start-ups learn to thrive in the changed context. The economy would be much less vibrant without them, writes T N Ninan

India-US bilateral relationship: Is it soft power at work or hard?

While it feels good to talk about yoga, the diaspora and other manifestations of soft power, the true driver of relations is hard power; soft power only contributes some garnish, writes T N Ninan

Is India creating an economy productive enough to pay for a welfare system?

With manufacturing, merchandise exports and employment all lagging despite govt efforts, politicians have re-discovered the old idea of fiscal transfers through subsidies and payouts, writes T N Ninan

Consumers as political bellwether: What duality in sentiment may mean

If inflation cools, employment improves, and growth is above average, it is possible the current consumer confidence level will cross 100 again, for the first time since 2019, writes T N Ninan

Shadows on sweet spot: Manufacturing grew the least among sectors in FY23

Some might conclude that manufacturing cannot be a leading sector without subsidies on inputs and cash pay-outs given for agri. But will such a manufacturing sector be viable, wonders T N Ninan

India as 'developed country' by 2047: Attainable goal, or chimera?

Even as India strives to climb the development mountain, the fact is that the mountaintop is already crowded. If it got there in 2047, India would be very much a late-comer, notes T N Ninan

A sustainable growth rate: At what level will India have no output gap?

Domestic commentators need to engage with the issue of growth rate at which India will have no "output gap" - is it really significantly lower than that achieved over two decades? - writes T N Ninan

When facing foreign criticism, India's defensive aggression won't help

India needs a more measured response to criticism from abroad while the West needs to check the lens through which it views places like India, writes T N Ninan

India's demographic dividend: More talked about than actually encashed

In a country that often touts achievements ahead of their actually being achieved, the story about the demographic dividend being largely wasted is unfortunately likely to continue, writes T N Ninan

Is Apple's focus on India as momentous as Suzuki's entry 40 yrs ago?

The full measure of Apple's success in India will depend on its becoming more than a phone company. Still, this promising start is sufficient for the moment, writes T N Ninan