The new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement has grim implications for India Nafta (North American Free Trade Agreement) is dead. Long live USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement). US President Donald Trump has bullied Mexico and Canada into a new free trade agreement to replace […]
With a Strategic Ally Like This… Read More »
To combat severe spinal arthritis, I underwent major surgery on my back last year. The surgeon reconstructed three vertebrae using titanium rods. Alas, one and a half years later the pain is almost as bad as before. On every post-operation
Surgical strikes better for surgeon than the patient Read More »
Falling, not rising, cronyism is the main cause of non-performing assets Former RBI chief Raghuram Rajan has dissected the banking crisis in his recent analysis of non-performing assets (NPAs). He implies that cronyism is an important cause. I would say
Pop Has Gone the Weasels Read More »
Indian politicians and diplomats fear China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to finance and build massive infrastructure projects in 78 countries, controlling infrastructure running through Asia and Europe. China believes this will help it dominate the 21st century.
Why China can’t win the world with easy money Read More »
India’s middle class, supported by many opposition parties, wants a cut in fuel taxes to stem the sharp rise in petrol and diesel prices. This would be wrong for several reasons. The same political and middle classes claim they want
Yes, petrol and diesel taxes are steep. No, don’t cut them Read More »
BJP would do well to ignore Rahul Gandhi and Congress’ advice to the contrary The Bharat Bandh called by Congress and sundry opposition parties, to protest against rising fuel prices and a falling rupee, represents the sad populism common before
Let Fuel Burn, Rupee Melt Read More »
In these columns last week, I noted that lacklustre GDP growth in Modi’s first four years boded ill for his re-election chance in 2019, and that he badly needed to accelerate growth in his final year to 8%. That might
BJP’s hopes for a final-mile gallop just got a booster shot Read More »
Jailing traders is no remedy for unrealistic minimum support prices Month after month, as India approaches the next general election, BJP is ditching its claim to be the party of economic freedom and reform, and rushing into zany populist schemes
MSP, Maharashtra’s Zany USP Read More »
No election was ever won because of statistical revisions. Yet the recent revisions to GDP data, backdated to 1993-94, have sparked intense political debate. The revisions show that GDP growth averaged a record 8.87% during the first term of the
Lacklustre growth endangers Modi’s re-election chances Read More »
Even as the trade deficit has widened to record levels and exports remain below the 2013-14 peak, the government is crippling one of the few sectors where India has a huge export potential — livestock and meat. A combination of
Don’t lynch the livestock business with export bans Read More »
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