View: India has made it to the launchpad. It still needs a spark

As India prepares for elections this spring, confidence about the country’s prospects seems ubiquitous. The country has just finalized a new trade agreement; it’s with a small trading bloc composed of Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland, but the headline number for new foreign investment it commits to bringing in, $100 billion, is nevertheless eye-catching. The … Read more

Budget 2024 | Interim Budget 2024: Softer growth in central & state capex seen; construction to support rural incomes next couple of years: Pranjul Bhandari, HSBC

Pranjul Bhandari, Managing Director, Chief India Economist, Asean Economist, HSBC, says “the construction-led activity has given an alternate source of income to rural India. And all of these things come in cycles. I think we are on the upward side of a new financial cycle and things like credit growth, housing prices, construction activity all … Read more

Budget 2024: Budget 2024: Govt may go for big hike in PM-Kisan payout and a housing & jobs push

New Delhi: Economists expect some significant announcements on February 1 even though it’s an interim budget, since the exercise comes just ahead of the general elections, an ET poll showed. The government will likely increase the amount of money transferred under its flagship direct benefit transfer scheme – Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi or PM-Kisan … Read more

interim budget: Interim budget: Govt likely to give populist spending a pass ahead of general election

New Delhi: The government is likely to stay on the fiscal course-correction glide path in the interim budget for FY25, shunning populist spending or incentives ahead of the summer general election, said people aware of deliberations on the subject. The post-Covid-19 fiscal consolidation roadmap proposed by the government estimates the fiscal deficit at 4.5% of … Read more