India Economics Update Policymakers comfortable with weaker rupee The rupee’s slide against the US dollar this year has been met with frenzied commentary in some quarters. But policymakers look comfortable with the weaker rupee. In particular, the RBI appears to... 28th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Weekly New forecasts for the rupee The rupee has stabilised over the past week or so, but it remains very close to an all-time low against the US dollar. With sentiment towards EMs unlikely to improve dramatically any time soon, we... 24th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Economic implications of the Kerala floods The flooding in Kerala is among the worst in recent memory, and has already had a devastating human cost. But from an economic perspective at least, the damage should be manageable. 23rd August 2018 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack Equities continue to scale new highs Indian equities have continued to surge in August, with the benchmark Sensex stock index rising to a fresh record high of over 38,000 today. The recent strong performance in the Sensex compared to... 20th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Weekly Modicare unlikely to have significant impact Prime Minister Modi confirmed this week that his nationwide healthcare insurance scheme will be rolled out in September. Better healthcare provision could bring several benefits, from both an economic... 17th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Credibility is key for the RBI The minutes of the Reserve Bank’s August policy meeting – at which interest rates were hiked again – show that the MPC has placed great importance on preserving its recently-acquired credibility. With... 17th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Is the trade deficit becoming a cause for concern? The further widening in India’s merchandise trade deficit last month is likely to heighten concerns over the external position, particularly amid the broader deterioration in market sentiment towards... 15th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Data Response Wholesale Prices (Jul.) Wholesale price inflation moderated in July after hitting a five-year high in June. But core inflation remained elevated, supporting our view that the RBI’s tightening cycle still has a little further... 14th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Data Response Consumer Prices (Jul.) The drop in Indian consumer price inflation in July was due in most part to a sharp fall in food inflation. Core inflation remained elevated. As such, we think that the Reserve Bank’s tightening cycle... 13th August 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update What does the crisis in Turkey mean for Asia? There is a good chance that the recent volatility in financial markets triggered by the crisis in Turkey will prompt Bank Indonesia into hiking interest rates at its meeting on Wednesday. For most... 13th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Data Response Industrial Production (Jun.) Indian industrial production growth jumped in June, and prospects for the sector remain relatively upbeat over the near term. That said, the recent hikes to tariffs on textiles imports could end up... 10th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Weekly Import duty hikes, monsoon update Recent hikes to import duties on various textiles products appear to be an attempt by Prime Minister Modi and the BJP to shore up popular support ahead of the general election in early 2019. But while... 10th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Inflation Monitor (Jul.) Headline consumer price inflation is likely to have dropped in July, in large part due to a fall in food inflation. But core inflation is likely to have remained elevated by the standards of the... 8th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Focus Will higher female participation boost the economy? Only one-quarter of Indian women of working age are in paid employment. If participation in the workforce could increase to the rates of other Asian countries such as Indonesia or the Philippines by... 7th August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Weekly Fiscal binge, RBI credibility Data released this week show a rapid expansion of the central government’s deficit in the early part of this fiscal year. This is a common occurrence, as revenues tend to get ramped up in the latter... 3rd August 2018 · 1 min read
India Economics Update RBI decisive amid inflation rise The RBI opted to tighten policy again today against a backdrop of strong growth and rising inflation. The swiftness with which the central bank has responded to the jump in inflation should prevent... 1st August 2018 · 1 min read