Category: Economics

Rebooting Higher Education -Building India as a Knowledge Economy-

In my last Essay I shared my thoughts on what ails India’s Primary Education system and had suggested some possible actions. Primary education undeniably forms the foundation of a strong and progressive nation. But the criticality of Higher Education, especially for an economy such as India can not be undermined....

The ILLS of Urbanization!” Is Smart Cities the Answer

Today, India is amongst the fastest growing large economies of the world, bringing with it unprecedented rates of urbanization. India’s expected urbanization of half its population, an astounding 750 million people, by 2030 is not much different from the global trend. Prompted by people’s desires to improve their quality of...

World Bank Rankings – Do They Tell The Whole Story!

Earlier this month World Bank released its Doing Business Report (DBR) which ranks countries on Ease of Doing Business. India was placed at 130 out of 180 countries – a dismal improvement of a single rank from last year. The Indian Government as well as several stakeholders have since expressed...

Is Global Trade the Whipping Boy in Politics!

On September 17, as I walked out for lunch in Frankfurt Down-town, I witnessed un seemingly sight of a large crowd (later the TV news confirmed 15,000) walk the streets demanding scrapping of the TTIP and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) of Canada.  Not surprisingly within three weeks...

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The Free Trade Conundrum : Developed World’s Brazen self interest!

The US Presidential Elections are turning well established thinking on its head. Donald J Trump has made no bones about the fact that the NAFTA agreement was a mistake saying that if he was President, “the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will be renegotiated and probably terminated.” Making a...

It’s the Goldilocks Moment for Startups!

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi challenged young India with the clarion call, “Stand Up India, Start Up India” on August 15, 2015, all eyes have been trained on the Indian Startups. While activity had been building up over the last two to three years, startups have suddenly taken centerstage in...

Competitiveness, the New Catchphrase

In today’s challenging scenario, can we afford to take growth for granted? The economic headwinds are yet to recede. Both the developed and developing economies are struggling to find stability and growth in economic activity and job creation. Against this backdrop, a globalised India too is seeking its rightful place...