India Economics Update A more formal, more flexible labour market Sweeping labour market reforms in India have been overshadowed by haphazard implementation and will raise compliance cost for firms in the near term. But once the dust settles, several new measures... 26th November 2025 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update India’s core inflation unlikely to rise much further Headline inflation in India has fallen to a multi-decade low, but core inflation is currently at its highest in 18 months. But even if the economy continues to perform well as we expect, low household... 19th November 2025 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Asia Manufacturing PMIs, Korea Trade (October) The October PMI readings for most countries in Asia remained consistent with weak manufacturing activity. We expect economic growth in the region to soften in the near term and, with inflation likely... 3rd November 2025 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update AI offers several upsides to India despite BPO disruption Recent lay-off announcements from several major IT firms in response to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer a stark glimpse of the technology’s potential to disrupt India’s business process... 29th October 2025 · 4 mins read
India Economics Update India isn’t ready to become a global rare earths player India has the world’s third-largest proven reserves of rare earths, but it accounts for a tiny share of global production due to various technical and regulatory difficulties. If these hurdles are... 28th October 2025 · 3 mins read
Commodities Update US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil up the ante On the face of it, the announcement of sanctions by the US on Rosneft and Lukoil is a major escalation in the targeting of Russia’s energy sector and could be a big enough shock to flip the global oil... 23rd October 2025 · 5 mins read
India Economics Update Why the Bihar state election matters The state election in Bihar in November will be the first since the deterioration in relations between India and the US. Bihar also happens to be one of India’s most agrarian states. A strong... 7th October 2025 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update RBI opens door to further policy easing The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) opted to keep the repo rate on hold at 5.50% today but has left the door open for a resumption in the easing cycle over the coming months. We still expect the repo rate... 1st October 2025 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update Asia Manufacturing PMIs (September) The September PMI readings for most countries in Asia remained weak and we continue to expect manufacturing activity in the region to struggle in the near term. With growth set to soften and inflation... 1st October 2025 · 2 mins read
India Economics Update Are Indian households becoming overleveraged? Rising household debt in India should not be a major concern for now given the backdrop of falling interest rates. But it is a risk that will require close monitoring once the easing cycle turns... 23rd September 2025 · 4 mins read
India Economics Update How might the H-1B visa crackdown affect India? Viewed in an optimistic light, President Trump’s overhaul of the H-1B visa programme could benefit India’s economy if more high-skilled workers now stay in the country. But to the extent that... 22nd September 2025 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update Is Trump pushing India into China’s arms? The deterioration in Indo-US relations appears to have expedited New Delhi’s efforts to strengthen ties with Beijing, as highlighted by Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to China in seven years last... 11th September 2025 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Asia Manufacturing PMIs (August) The August PMI readings for most countries in Asia were subdued and we continue to expect manufacturing in the region to struggle in the near term. And with inflation set to remain contained, we think... 1st September 2025 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update How rising defence spending will impact Asia Defence spending across Asia is set to rise over the coming years, driven in part by increased pressure from the US for its allies to shoulder more of their own security costs. While the overall boost... 27th August 2025 · 4 mins read
India Economics Update India’s GST reforms are an encouraging step Reported simplifications to India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) would, all else equal, result in a slightly larger fiscal deficit this year and next, as well as provide some policy-induced support to... 18th August 2025 · 3 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Is Trump the mortar for the BRICS? President Trump’s tariff salvo aimed at some of the BRICS economies has led to growing efforts within the bloc to present a united front in the face of US protectionism. But divisions between the... 12th August 2025 · 3 mins read
