India Economics Update Have the gold schemes been a success? The government’s two new schemes aimed at reducing gold imports have had mixed results in their early stages. The Gold Monetisation Scheme has attracted little interest, while the Sovereign Gold Bond... 11th February 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Budget proposals could stoke price pressures Inflation is likely to have risen at the start of 2016 on account of a further small rise in food inflation. Looking ahead, the FY16/17 budget is likely to incorporate a significant rise in public... 5th February 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update RBI holds rates, no change likely in 2016 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept its repo rate on hold at 6.75% today and, while the consensus is expecting further modest loosening later this year, we think that rates will remain unchanged... 2nd February 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Fiscal success in FY15/16, but tougher challenges await As attention turns to the government’s FY16/17 budget announcement on 29 th February, the finance ministry can look back on what appears to have been a successful FY15/16. We think that this year’s... 29th January 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Bad start to 2016 India has not been spared the sell-off in EM financial markets since the start of the year. The rupee is now at its weakest rate against the US dollar since the currency crisis of September 2013... 21st January 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Lower privatisation targets would boost credibility With only two months of this fiscal year remaining, the finance ministry’s aim of raising nearly INR700bn in revenues through the privatisation of various state-owned companies looks impossible to... 20th January 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Export slump looks set to continue India’s trade deficit remained in check in December but this positive headline story masks the fact that exports continue to contract sharply. With progress on the reforms needed to support a vibrant... 18th January 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Revisiting the impact of falling oil prices As India is one of the world’s largest net importers of oil, the continued slide in global oil prices should ensure that the improvement in the current account position is sustained. Domestically, the... 15th January 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Rise in coal production belies longer-term challenges A recent pick-up in domestic production and a fall in imports of coal have led to suggestions that the government is on track to meet its target of doubling output by 2020. But the sector continues to... 13th January 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Food and fuel inflation on the rise Inflation is likely to have risen in December on account of accelerating food inflation and the government’s incremental hiking of fuel duties even as global oil prices continue to slump. Further... 7th January 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update What to expect in 2016 In our first India Watch of 2016, we outline the prospects for India’s economy over the coming year. The lagged effect of earlier policy loosening and weakness in global commodity prices should... 6th January 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update External vulnerabilities remain low The widening in India’s current account deficit in Q3 was due in large part to seasonal patterns. Over a four-quarter sum, the deficit narrowed and, given also that FDI inflows remain strong, there is... 23rd December 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Markets take Fed tightening in their stride Financial markets in India have taken yesterday's decision by the US Fed to hike interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade in their stride. A bigger test might come if the Fed now tightens... 17th December 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update What is holding up the Goods and Services Tax? Passage of the long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India continues to be delayed by major issues ranging from disagreements over the tax rate itself to which items will be covered. Given this... 16th December 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Trade deficit looks sustainable despite export weakness India’s trade deficit remained stable in November as the continued slump in exports was offset by another collapse in imports. With this trend set to continue, the overall current account position... 16th December 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Public sector pay rise to pose another inflation risk Inflation is likely to have accelerated in November, as last year’s slump in global oil prices begins to drop out of the annual comparison. Looking ahead, the Pay Commission’s recommendation for a... 8th December 2015 · 1 min read
