Food, the switch and the wardrobe

Opening up in the US may switch spending to services and wardrobe restocking, and de-stock overflowing pantries Neelkanth MishraLast Updated at July 5, 2021 22:37 IST This appeared in the Business Standard on 6-July-2021 (link). Retail sales in a country, dependent on the collective habits and budgets of millions of households, tend to be quite … Read more

Relying on Growth: opinion piece on the union budget

Aware of its own limitations, the government is carefully supporting industrial and consumer sentiment to take economy back to pre-pandemic pathIn some ways, what the government did not do is as important while assessing its focus on the quality of expenditure.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | February 2, 2021 3:00:06 am This appeared in the Indian … Read more

What to look for in the upcoming budget

This appeared in the Explained section of the Indian Express (link) on 26-January-2021. On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present what could turn out to be India’s most consequential Budget in years. What is the status of the post-Covid recovery process, and what are the concerns going forward? What should you look for … Read more

Recovery and its discontents

New MPC’s unambiguous messaging on inflation should help buyers of government bonds take the riskWritten by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: October 12, 2020 8:53:54 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) The economy is rebounding faster than earlier expected, and year-on-year comparisons, only partly helped by the economic weakness seen in the second … Read more

An Expert Explains: Decoding India’s GDP contraction by 23.9%

The contraction seen in first-quarter GDP data is severe, but not unexpected. What should be done — or not done – at the level of govt policy so that the economy gets a chance to rebound as quickly as possible?Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: September 13, 2020 11:43:51 am (This was published in the … Read more

The Credit Lifeline

We believe a continued focus on reforms and on sustaining India’s growth potential will be critical in preventing macroeconomic instability.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: May 15, 2020 9:52:41 am (This was published in the Indian Express: link) The battle against the virus is likely to last several more months, implying prolonged curtailment of economic … Read more

Who should bear the losses?

It may be better for governments to bear the losses upfront than after the damage is doneNeelkanth Mishra | Last Updated at May 5, 2020 23:53 IST (This was published in the Business Standard: link) It now looks clear that we must learn to live with coronavirus, as the active case count is unlikely to … Read more

The other budgets

With central reforms increasingly announced outside budget speeches, and both revenue and expenditures starting to become predictable, it might be more productive for public attention to move to other areas of government functioning like state and municipal budgets.Written by Neelkanth Mishra | Updated: February 6, 2020 9:36:43 am (This was published in the Indian Express: … Read more

Hidden inter-linkages hurting growth

How fiscal pressures on state budgets are more pro-cyclical and weak imports push up bond yieldsNeelkanth Mishra | Last Updated at December 4, 2019 01:00 IST (This was published in the Business Standard: link) Economies are complex systems, with inter-linkages that usually do not get adequate attention, but which can have a strong effect on … Read more