By Ashis Biswas When it comes to flagrantly violating the law and getting away with it, some Indian politicians seem to be in a class of their own! In April/May year, Assembly elections will be held in four states — Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala, along with...
By R. Suryamurthy India’s Union Budget for 2026–27 presents itself as a document of calm control. Fiscal deficits decline, debt ratios edge downwards, capital expenditure continues to expand, and the rhetoric of prudence is carefully maintained. There is no dramatic retrenchment, no populist surge, and no overt fiscal gamble....
By Anjan Roy Finance minster, Nirmala Sitharaman, presented a budget in Parliament on February 1 which is more a multi-year development blueprint for the country than a statement of government’s incomes and expenditures and how the finances are to be managed. At the same time, while the finance minister’s...
By T N Ashok By the time Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rose in Parliament to present her ninth Union Budget, there was little suspense about the broad direction. This was not meant to be a vote-catching spectacle, despite five assembly elections looming. Nor was it an exercise in fiscal...
By P. Sreekumaran THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has come as a big disappointment for Kerala. The Finance Minister has not conceded even a single demand of the State’s 29-strong wish list. The only saving grace – if it can be called one –...
By K Raveendran The sharp note of disappointment sounded by Scott Bessent over the India–European Union free trade agreement says less about a single deal and more about a changing geometry of power in the global economy. At one level, Washington’s frustration reflects a familiar concern that sanctions and...
By P. Sreekumaran THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Economic Survey tabled by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Thursday has praised Kerala’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme (EPEP) and the Kochi Water Metro as models worth replicating. The survey’s praise represents a ringing rebuff to the opposition which has been unleashing...
By Dr. Gyan Pathak Though Economic Surveys do not dictate exact budget numbers, it strongly influences the Union Budgets of India. If it is the case, the Economic Survey 2025-26 indicates the four keys priorities that we may see in the Union Budget 2026-27: A growth-supported fiscal stance anchored...
By Anjan Roy President Donald Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh, as the next chairman of the US Federal Reserve, the country’s centre bank, from May when the term of the present chair, Jerome Powell, ends. In the run-up to that nomination there was the nasty fight against Powell that...
By T N Ashok WASHINGTON: There’s a delicious irony in watching a sitting president sue the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion while his own Treasury Secretary simultaneously runs the agency. Welcome to the Trump administration’s latest exercise in what might be called “government as performance art”—or perhaps more...
By Harsh Gour Digital infrastructure is the spine of modern innovation – from the clouds that fuel e-commerce and artificial intelligence (AI), to the everyday apps. Yet, beneath the gleaming facades of hyperscale server parks lies a fast-unfolding crisis. Data centres have become the new “gold” of investment, attracting...
By T N Ashok WASHINGTON: In the corridors of power, where messaging is currency and optics are everything, President Donald Trump faces a political paradox that threatens to undermine his party’s prospects in November’s midterm elections: his administration’s economic achievements are being systematically overshadowed by images of masked federal...
By Dr. Nilanjan Banik As the world anxiously awaits whether the US will attack Iran — whose oil China buys in vast quantities as its largest customer — analysts warn of global repercussions that could spill over into broader geopolitical tensions. Although the arguments given by the US are...
By Dr. Gyan Pathak At a time when the labour market in India is undergoing a significant structural change and the employment and skilling ecosystem is being reshaped by demographic shifts, technological changes, and evolving industry needs, including the expansion of gig and platform work, the Economic Survey 2025-26...
By P. Sreekumaran THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The budget presented by Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal undoubtedly, is a budget with a long-term vision of future Kerala – a judicious blend of welfarism and development agenda. Expectedly, the Opposition has dubbed it as a populist budget aimed only at winning the upcoming...
By Dr Arun Mitra The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), held in Davos from 19–23 January 2026 under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” took place against a highly charged backdrop of strained global trade relations. Actions taken by the U.S. President Donald Trump fundamentally...
By Rahil Nora Chopra Ajit Pawar’s sudden demise has not only left a massive political vacuum in Maharashtra, but also mired the future of the Nationalist Congress Party (AP) in a state of complete uncertainty. As difficult questions do rounds over who will inherit the late dynamic leader’s mass...
By Sevim Dagdelen NEW YORK: The United States is forcing an oil boycott against Cuba through pressure on Mexico — a targeted blow aimed at bringing the island to its knees economically and forcing a regime change. The decision by the Mexican government to no longer ship oil to...