Piecing together disparate data for economic and market insights
Why popular stockmarket indices are not an accurate barometer of the robustness of the Indian economy.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: December 22, 2015 12:09:36 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Headlines mislead sometimes (some would say at all times). The tyranny of the headline lies in its indispensability despite it being … Read more
The election results in the state will impact the Indian economy’s prospects.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: November 2, 2015 12:59:28 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Should the ongoing Bihar elections matter to stockmarkets? A first glance at the facts suggests they shouldn’t. Bihar contributes just 3 per cent to India’s … Read more
RBI raising limits for foreign investors holding government bonds is more significant than the rate cut.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: October 2, 2015 12:25:15 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) So finally it’s done: the RBI cut rates. With inflation steadily printing lower, taking real interest rates to near record highs, … Read more
Neelkanth Mishra | September 4, 2015, 6:46 AM (This was published in the Economic Times: link) Before one starts to find solutions, it is important to frame the problem well. The coverage of the recent market volatility has focused primarily on the slowdown in China. While that may have been one of the triggers of … Read more
The state needs a stimulus. Only the Centre can provide it.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: August 31, 2015 12:09:26 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) In a recent trip to poll-bound Bihar, a complaint we heard more than once was: “If the prime minister is so powerful, what’s he doing for … Read more
Given steel capacity in India is largely debt-funded, systemic risks emerge as banks still support weak companiesBy: Neelkanth Mishra | July 18, 2015 12:18 AM (This was published in the Financial Express: link) It is again one of those times when medical analogies become appropriate for the Indian steel industry: like any serious disease, the … Read more
Centre’s untidy money management creates unnecessary economic volatility and impedes investmentWritten by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: July 13, 2015 2:41:54 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Before our ancestors figured out why solar eclipses happened, their “explanation” was mostly some evil creature swallowing the sun: the rakshasa Rahu in Hindu mythology, dragons … Read more
State governments cannot make cities livable. They must give urban areas freedom to manage themselves.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: May 16, 2015 12:08:55 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Exasperated with explaining the size of India to people, I now carry a map in which the country that comes closest to … Read more
The changing electorate and competitive federalism will be checks on their profligacy.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | March 5, 2015 12:13:23 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Have the states “grown up”? That’s the question to ask once the (well-justified) celebrations of “cooperative federalism” triggered by the government’s acceptance of the 14th Finance … Read more
The economic impact of Obama’s trip will be better understood months or years down the line. But a good start has been made.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: January 29, 2015 2:22:47 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) It would be myopic to judge the economic impact of US President Barack Obama’s … Read more