Economics
Trade, fiscal policy, banking, agriculture and economic indicators
Jumping hurdles: How India managed to diversify exports in the face of US tariffs
Despite facing a 25% U.S. reciprocal tariff since mid-2025 — which caused US-bound Indian exports to fall 28.5% between May and October 2025 — India's overal...
US agriculture secretary signals more exports to India, fuelling import concerns
Following the India-US interim trade deal, the US Agriculture Secretary stated that American farm products have gained fresh market access in India, calling ...
US trade deal: Farmers secure, agriculture and dairy interests protected, says Piyush Goyal
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated in Parliament and at public events that India's agriculture and dairy sectors have been fully protected in the framewor...
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project: Indian Railways achieves second mountain tunnel breakthrough in Palghar
On February 3, 2026, National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) achieved a breakthrough in the second mountain tunnel (MT-6) on the Mumbai-Ahmedab...
India ‘commits’ to $100 bn/year US imports for 5 years; energy, aircraft parts, tech to dominate
As part of the India-US interim trade framework announced on February 6, 2026, India expressed intent to purchase approximately $500 billion worth of US good...
Finance Commission strikes a balance – addresses southern states’ concerns, and equity
The 16th Finance Commission released its report (covering 2026-31), introducing a revised horizontal devolution formula that addresses the long-standing grie...
India-US agree on a big deal, it marks a welcome shift to freer trade, a domestic reform agenda awaits
India and the United States announced a framework for an Interim Trade Agreement on February 3, 2026, following Prime Minister Modi's visit to Washington. Th...
India-US trade deal: How Indian exports diversified in the face of US tariffs, which sectors struggled
Faced with escalating US tariffs — rising to 25% under the Trump administration's "reciprocal tariff" framework and as high as 50% on some Indian goods (stee...
India’s rocky road to trade deal with US: The flip-flops, political pitfalls
India and the United States have been locked in protracted trade negotiations, with a framework for an interim Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) announced by P...
India-US trade deal may have a $100-bn opportunity for India’s electronics exports. Here’s why
India and the United States agreed on a trade framework announced in February 2026 following a telephonic conversation between PM Modi and US President Trump...
How does the trade deal with the US affect India’s macroeconomic outlook?
The India-US interim trade framework announced in February 2026 has significant implications for India's broader macroeconomic picture, particularly its curr...
US farm exports to India have been surging even with no trade deal
US agricultural exports to India surged significantly in the period leading up to and during the India-US trade negotiations of 2025–26, even in the absence ...
A cautious nudge: On the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations
The 16th Finance Commission, chaired by Dr. Arvind Panagariya, submitted its report on February 1, 2026, covering the period 2026-27 to 2030-31. The Commissi...
Hope and uncertainty as India and US strike long-delayed trade deal
The United States and India announced a framework for an interim trade agreement on February 6, 2026, following PM Modi's visit to Washington during which a ...
Defence budget through the years: Big leap for 2026-27, but what numbers since 1999 reveal
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs 7.85 lakh crore to the Ministry of Defence — the highest-ever allocation, representing a 15.19% jump over the previous ...
Corridor to future: High-speed rail, freight, one for rare earths
Union Budget 2026-27 announced a Dedicated Rare Earth Mineral Corridor linking four coastal mineral-rich states — Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil N...
Budget rationalises tax penalty, prosecution framework for individuals; foreign asset disclosure scheme announced
Union Budget 2026-27 proposed a comprehensive rationalisation of penalty and prosecution provisions under the Income Tax Act, with the objective of reducing ...
Union Budget 2026-27: Manufacturing gets big boost as govt slashes customs duties
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on February 1, 2026 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, announced significant customs duty reductions targeting manuf...
Gadget charge: Outlay doubled to Rs 40,000 crore for electronic components
Union Budget 2026-27 raised the outlay of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) to ₹40,000 crore — nearly doubling the original ₹22,919 cror...
Union Budget: Rs 10,000-crore SME Growth Fund, reform to boost liquidity for MSMEs
The Union Budget 2026-27 announced a dedicated ₹10,000-crore SME Growth Fund to provide equity support to high-potential small and medium enterprises, creati...