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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 reliant on overseas borrowing to sustain domestic demand …
30th September 2016
Much of the commentary in the run-up to Dr Urjit Patel’s first policy meeting as RBI governor on 4th October has been focused on whether he will take on the mantle of his predecessor Raghuram Rajan, who was known for taking bold measures and surprising …
28th September 2016
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 MPC’s voting rights will be tilted slightly in favour of …
22nd September 2016
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. … External vulnerabilities remain …
Progress in implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) since the bill was passed in parliament in early August has so far been fairly smooth. However, there are still a number of sticking points that need to be addressed before the GST can be rolled …
21st September 2016
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’s maturing FX swap facilities, could lead to a …
20th September 2016
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 vulnerability any time soon. … Lower import bill will …
16th September 2016
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 firms. … Corporate bond reform could ease financing …
15th September 2016
Indian wholesale price inflation rose for the seventh consecutive month in August, and is set to accelerate further over the near term. This supports our view that there is little scope for further monetary loosening. … Wholesale Prices …
14th September 2016
The fall in India’s consumer price inflation rate last month brings it into line with the RBI’s near-term target. This may fuel talk of more interest rate cuts but we think that scope for further loosening is still very limited. … Consumer Prices (Aug.) & …
12th September 2016
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, there are a number of reasons to think that the Finance …
7th September 2016
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, unlikely to alter this target or the target of 4±2% …
5th September 2016
The appointment of Dr Urjit Patel as the new governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gives a strong indication of policy continuity at the central bank, and strengthens our view that the easing cycle that began last year is now over. … How to think …
2nd September 2016
India’s manufacturing PMI rose in August, but the reading still only points to subdued growth in industrial output. The big picture is that local manufacturers continue to face structural constraints. … Manufacturing PMI …
1st September 2016
Today’s release of another set of strong GDP data will do little to dispel doubts aboutthe quality of the national accounts numbers. … GDP …
31st August 2016
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 government must now refocus its attention on two other key …
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 consumer demand. A number of other indicators suggest that …
26th August 2016
Over the past month, two key developments in India have given investors reason to cheer. The first is the passage of the long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, which could bring huge benefits to India’s economy in the medium term by simplifying …
23rd August 2016
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 our view that the easing cycle is over. … Choice of …
22nd August 2016
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 agenda is gaining momentum have also helped. With …
18th August 2016
Indian wholesale price inflation recorded another sharp rise in July, and it looks set to accelerate further over the coming months. This supports our view that there is little scope for further monetary loosening. … Wholesale Prices …
16th August 2016
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 as a major source of vulnerability any time soon. … …
15th August 2016
The sharp rise in Indian consumer price inflation in July pushes it further abovethe Reserve Bank’s 5.0% target for March 2017. Prospects for monetary policy depend in part on who is chosen to succeed Governor Raghuram Rajan at the RBI but, for now, we …
12th August 2016
There still appears to be some confusion over the potential market impact when the RBI’s FX swap facilities mature next month. The RBI has already confirmed that the maturing swaps have been covered by purchases of currency forwards. What’s more, even if …
10th August 2016
Governor Raghuram Rajan has developed a habit of surprising financial markets over the past three years, but there were no shocks in store in his final policy announcement today as the repo rate was left unchanged at 6.50%. Looking ahead, the prospects …
9th August 2016
The passage of a long-awaited Goods and Service Tax (GST) yesterday by India’s parliament is arguably one of the country’s most important economic reforms of the past couple of decades and should providean important boost to the country’s growth …
4th August 2016
July’s consumer price inflation data is likely to show that the headline rate edged down but remained some way above the Reserve Bank’s 5.0% target for March 2017. Suggestions from many commentators that a strong monsoon this year would lead to a …
India’s manufacturing PMI edged up in July, but the reading remained lacklustre by past standards. The big picture is that local manufacturers continue to face significant structural constraints. … Manufacturing PMI (Jul. …
3rd August 2016
Governor Raghuram Rajan has had a penchant for shocking financial markets during his three years at the helm of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), but we doubt that there are any surprises in store when he delivers his final policy announcement on 9 th …
2nd August 2016
GDP data due at the end of August are likely to show that India’s economy continued to perform impressively in Q2, with the services sector remaining the key driver of growth. But we, and many others, are sceptical about the accuracy of the national …
29th July 2016
A jump in domestic production and fall in imports of coal this year have led some to suggest that thegovernment is on track to meet its target of doubling output from end-2014 levels by 2020. But the sectorcontinues to face longer-term challenges that put …
27th July 2016
The government’s announcement this week that it will inject more capital into local banks is a positive step, but the amount is still too limited to revive the ailing sector. … Capital injections too small to revive banking …
22nd July 2016
Indian bond yields have recently fallen to their lowest levels since 2013, in large part due to anticipation that the successor to Governor Raghuram Rajan at the RBI will be more dovish. But with the RBI facing a tough challenge in meeting its inflation …
21st July 2016
Trade data for June showed positive growth in export values for the first time since the end of 2014. But with progress on the reforms needed to create a vibrant export sector still slow, the government’s ambition to nearly double export values from …
18th July 2016
Wholesale price inflation rose sharply in June, and looks set to accelerate further over the coming months. This reinforces our view that there is little scope for further monetary loosening. … Wholesale Prices …
14th July 2016
Indian consumer price inflation held steady in June, but it remains some way above the RBI's target for March 2017. As such, the scope for further monetary loosening still looks very limited. … Consumer Prices (Jun.) & Industrial Production …
12th July 2016
We think that Indian consumer price inflation dropped in June, but it is likely to have remained some way above the Reserve Bank’s 5.0% target for March 2017. There is little reason to think that further rate cuts are imminent. … Inflation to slow but …
Recent changes to the composition of the Rajya Sabha have raised the likelihood that the long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill will finally be passed. But there are still sticking points, the most significant being the rate at which the GST is …
5th July 2016
India's manufacturing PMI rose in June, but the reading remained lacklustre by past standards. The big picture is that local manufacturers continue to face significant structural constraints. … Manufacturing PMI …
1st July 2016
Measures announced last week to further ease restrictions on foreign direct investment into India should help at the margins to build on one of the main policy successes of the Modi government so far. But the government may now have picked all of the …
29th June 2016
Following the announcement earlier this month from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan that he will be stepping down at the end of his first term in September, speculation has been rife over who will succeed him. In this Watch , we profile …
27th June 2016
A vote by the UK to leave the European Union in tomorrow's referendum would be unlikely to have much impact on India's economy. Indian exports to the UK are equivalent to less than 0.5% of GDP, so even a sharp slowdown in demand from the UK, which we …
22nd June 2016
Th e market fallout from RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan’s announcement that he will step down at the end of his current contract in September has so far been limited to a slight drop in the rupee and a small rise in bond yields. The long-term market impact …
21st June 2016
The announcement from RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan that he will stand down at the end of his current contract in September is likely to put local financial markets under pressure in the near term. However, the long-term market impact will depend on who is …
20th June 2016
The narrowing in India’s current account deficit in Q1, along with another rise in foreign direct investment inflows, leaves the economy looking well placed to weather any sudden shifts in global risk appetite over the coming months. … BoP data show …
17th June 2016
India's trade data for May suggest that the prolonged contraction in exports in US dollar terms has almost run its course. But with progress on the reforms needed to create a vibrant export sector still slow, the government’s ambition to nearly double …
16th June 2016
The sharp rise in wholesale price inflation in May reinforces our view that there is little scope for further monetary loosening. … Wholesale Prices …
14th June 2016
The rise in India’s consumer price inflation last month pushes it further above the RBI’s target for March 2017. This supports our view that there is no further scope for policy loosening. … Consumer Prices …
13th June 2016
Today’s industrial production data suggest, in stark contrast to the upbeat message from the rocketing GDP figures, that Indian industry is still in the doldrums. … Industrial Production …
10th June 2016
Consumer price inflation is likely to have dropped in May, but not by enough to bring it below the RBI’s 5.0% target for March 2017. … Drop in inflation not enough to prompt rate …
8th June 2016
