India Economics Update Exports showing signs of recovery Trade data for September showed the strongest annual growth in export values in almost two years. Looking ahead, exports should continue to recover, but the government’s target of nearly doubling... 17th October 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Dovish RBI risks stoking inflation pressures Consumer price inflation probably eased in September, which may bolster the more dovish position the RBI adopted at its policy meeting this week. But a looser monetary stance is likely to add to... 6th October 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update More dovish RBI may have to reverse course in 2017 Today’s surprise rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India sends a signal that the new governor and MPC will prioritise growth even at the risk of missing targets for inflation. That’s a break from the... 4th October 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update FDI inflows should recover soon Concerns in some quarters over the slowdown in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Q2 appear to be overdone. For a start, a smaller current account deficit means that India is now far less... 30th September 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Government moves a step closer to establishing new MPC The government’s announcement today of the names of three members marks another step towards the creation of a policy-setting monetary policy committee (MPC). The announcement also confirms that the... 22nd September 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update External vulnerabilities remain low India’s current account deficit all but held steady at a low level in Q2, which leaves the economy well placed to weather any sudden shifts in global risk appetite over the coming months. 22nd September 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Domestic factors unlikely to cause rupee slump The rupee has been stable against the US dollar in recent months. Looking ahead, suggestions that domestic factors, including calls from within government for a devaluation of the currency and the RBI... 20th September 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Lower import bill will keep trade deficit in check The monthly trade deficit narrowed a touch in August and, with a number of factors likely to keep commodity imports in check, the overall current account position is unlikely to return as a source of... 16th September 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Corporate bond reform could ease financing constraints Recent measures aimed at reinvigorating India’s domestic corporate bond market are likely to vary in their impact. But overall, the reforms should help to open a new source of financing for Indian... 15th September 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Fiscal deficit target is under pressure The rapid expansion of the government deficit in the early part of this fiscal year is a common occurrence, as revenues tend to get ramped up in the latter months. However, unlike in previous years... 7th September 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update New RBI governor faces hard task in meeting targets CPI inflation data for August are likely to show that the headline rate eased a touch, but remained some way above the Reserve Bank’s 5.0% target for March 2017. With the new governor, Dr Urjit Patel... 5th September 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Resetting reform priorities after the GST The passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill this month, 10 years after its introduction, was arguably the biggest legislative victory to date for the Modi government. Looking ahead, the... 31st August 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Strong vehicle sales not a sign of consumption revival The recent surge in sales of new vehicles is likely to have been driven by industry-specific policies to reduce pollution by taking old vehicles off the road rather than a more general boom in... 26th August 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Choice of new RBI governor signals policy continuity The announcement over the weekend that Dr Urjit Patel, a current deputy governor, will take over as governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September points to policy continuity and strengthens... 22nd August 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Rally in equities has further to run Indian equities have rallied over the past few months. This reflects in part a broader pick-up across most major EM equity markets, but local factors such as evidence that the government’s reform... 18th August 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Gold bond scheme showing signs of success India’s monthly trade deficit narrowed in July and, with the government’s sovereign gold bond scheme helping to keep a lid on imports of the precious metal, the external position is unlikely to return... 15th August 2016 · 1 min read
