The Uday plug-in

Why criticism of the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana is misplaced and unwarranted.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: March 17, 2016 12:03:59 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) The Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (Uday) has been the subject of much debate in the financial markets. The cost of borrowing for state governments has … Read more

The merits of fiscal prudence

By sticking to the fiscal consolidation roadmap, the Union budget has obviated instability. The focus should now be on state capitals, whose budgets need greater market scrutinyWritten by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: March 2, 2016 12:28:13 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Some are calling this a political budget. But that’s like … Read more

Why yuan matters

Indian equity markets are turbulent due to high foreign ownership and the renminbi uncertaintyWritten by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: January 28, 2016 12:00:12 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) In an article last month, ‘Lies and the Sensex’ (December 22), I had pointed to the risk of market volatility arising from the … Read more

Lies and the Sensex

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

At stake, in Bihar

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

The big bond reform

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

A package to Bihar

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

Curing the weak steel sector

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

Fiscal credibility deficit

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