India, US, and a better case for business

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

The village that could be a town

A diffuse urbanisation is likely in India. Yet, we continue to make policies that aspire towards mega-cities.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: January 5, 2015 5:03:05 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Is India 47 per cent urban, or 31 per cent? While everyone compares levels of urbanisation between countries, few realise … Read more

Shifting to the state

A structural change is afoot. It holds great promise for India.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: November 24, 2014 12:05:27 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Is A 1,000-employee single-city company managed the same way as a 1,00,000-employee transnational company? I recently asked this rhetorical question when an experienced foreign investor asked … Read more

Not just by hitting sixes

So far, government has kept the scoreboard moving with singles. Written by Neelkanth Mishra | September 9, 2014 12:14:14 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Criticism is good. It keeps people on their toes. But too often, we end up measuring what can be measured easily instead of what should be measured. … Read more

Just a Union budget

It carries little that is surprising. State budgets matter much more.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | July 12, 2014 3:05:11 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) Deep within us rests the desire for quick fixes, of happy endings. Simple narratives are, after all, less taxing on the mind and therefore more attractive. Nothing … Read more

Change management

It won’t be painless. Five priorities: railways, energy, GST, inflation, PSU banks. Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: May 28, 2014 12:09:16 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) The strength of the electoral verdict is breathtaking and rare. First, the BJP does not have to “compromise” any of the 12-15 economically relevant … Read more

Money Talk

Piketty starts with a denunciation of economic theory and its inclination to theorise without any data.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | May 10, 2014 4:37:07 am Book: Capital in the Twenty-First CenturyAuthor: Thomas PikettyPublisher: Harvard Business PublishingPages: 696 pagesPrice: Rs 1495 (This book review was published in the Indian Express: link) Rising income inequality has been … Read more

Cultivating Agriculture

Alagh emphasises the need for improvements in agricultural productivity through higher capital investment, in order to move the workforce out of agriculture.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | April 12, 2014 2:22:38 am (This book review appeared in the Indian Express: link) Book: The Future of Indian AgricultureAuthor: Yoginder K. AlaghPublisher: National Book TrustRs 90 Agriculture is … Read more

Counting our chickens

Agricultural GDP is underestimated due to inaccurate non-cereal data. Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: January 9, 2014 9:41:30 pm This article appeared in the Indian Express (link). It started with a mundane question: what is the chicken population in India? There are glaring inconsistencies in the available data. The National Sample Survey Organisation’s (NSSO’s) … Read more

India’s changing palette

Written Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: Jan 2 2014, 02:56am hrs (This was published in the Financial Express: link) In an earlier column in this paper, we pointed out that expectations of a sharp revival in large-scale investments post elections in 2014 are misplaced (Elections won’t trigger revival, December 12, 2013, goo.gl/h3drK6). Middle-income consumption growth is … Read more