India Economics Update Revisiting the fiscal cost of loan waivers The trend of political parties in India promising loans waivers to farmers ahead of state elections seems increasingly well entrenched. As a result, the fiscal costs are continuing to mount. We... 9th May 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Inflation set to resume accelerating Consumer price inflation is likely to have risen in April, due in large part to a rise in fuel inflation. Core price pressures are also continuing to build. We are one of only a handful of forecasters... 8th May 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Karnataka election a key bellwether for PM Modi In India’s decentralised political system, state elections such as the upcoming vote in Karnataka can have a direct bearing on economic policy. Arguably more significant though, a convincing... 4th May 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update India still well short of universal electricity access The government announced over the weekend that it has successfully managed to electrify all villages in India, meeting its deadline of 1st May 2018 that it set three years ago. But in reality, a large... 30th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Remittance inflows to remain strong Remittance inflows are an important source of external funding for India, and were equivalent to 3% of GDP in 2017 – larger than FDI and portfolio inflows combined. Though there are some risks... 27th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update A see-saw month for the bond market Over the past month, there have been significant gyrations in India’s bond market. A drop in yields in the first half of April has been followed by a sharp jump more recently, exacerbated by a hawkish... 23rd April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update MPC minutes highlight upside risks to inflation The minutes of the Reserve Bank of India’s April policy meeting show that, despite the recent drop in headline inflation, the MPC is still concerned about the upside risks to the outlook. 20th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Privatisation plans facing turbulence The government has set an ambitious privatisation target for FY18/19, emboldened by exceeding target last year. But meeting this year’s target is dependent on a smooth sale of a large stake in Air... 17th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update External deficit in check amid rising trade tensions India’s trade deficit widened in March, but we think it will still remain comfortable over the coming months despite the recent ramping up of trade-related attacks by the US. 16th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update India unlikely to be labelled “currency manipulator” India has not been spared the recent ramping up of trade-related attacks by the US, with the most notable action so far being the challenge to India’s use of export subsidies at the WTO. However... 11th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update More needed to expand corporate bond market A bigger corporate bond market in India could reduce local firms’ heavy reliance on bank loans to obtain funding and improve the pricing of risk, which would have knock-on benefits for the banking... 10th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update The economic impact of the monsoon Early forecasts of “average” levels of rainfall during this year’s monsoon have led to a rush of speculation on the potential economic impact. But the early forecasts are prone to revision and, in any... 9th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Core inflation to remain elevated Consumer price inflation is likely to have eased in February, due to a further drop in food inflation. But core price pressures are still building. We think this will ultimately prompt the Reserve... 6th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update RBI holds rates, but tighter policy on the horizon The RBI’s decision to hold its repo rate at 6.00% today came as no surprise. But we think that elevated core inflation and looser fiscal policy will prompt the central bank to raise interest rates in... 5th April 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Prospects for the rural economy are bright After taking a significant hit in the aftermath of demonetisation in late 2016, India’s rural economy has regained momentum in recent months. Future prospects for the rural economy look bright, in... 28th March 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Equities likely to fall further Indian equities have continued to drop so far in March, even as many other major stock markets have stabilised after the turbulence in February. Looking ahead, we expect Indian equities to fall a bit... 22nd March 2018 · 1 min read
