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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Indian rupee has been under pressure in recent months, with more of it being converted into US dollars than the other way round. Last week, its exchange rate slipped below ₹85 to the dollar.

Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States «foolishly» ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged «ridiculous» fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Panama's conservative president Jose Raul Mulino, who was elected in May on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty. The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also basked in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill, where some GOP lawmakers openly defied their leader's demands.

After the bonanza of recent central bank decisions, this week is much quieter with only the minutes of a few of those meetings due. There are no Federal Reserve speeches and U.S. data is of secondary importance.

differential pricing quietly infiltrates the digital economy. The image going viral on social media-showcasing a prominent ride hailing service's fare disparity based on device type-is a stark reminder that the smartphone you use has become an indicator of how much you are charged. This practice, not limited to ride-hailing apps, extends to q-comm platforms, where the cost of groceries or delivery services can subtly shift based on perceived consumer affluence. It's an opaque-and arguably discriminatory-trend that demands scrutiny. At the heart of this issue is algorithmic pricing, a powerful tool in the arsenal of tech firms. These analyse consumer data-from purchasing history and location to device type and spending patterns. Ostensibly, the goal is to optimise pricing to maximise profits. But the process often veers into discriminatory territory. An iPhone signals a consumer's purchasing power, leading the algorithm to nudge prices higher under the assumption that such users are willing to pay more.

Central banks play a central role in monetary policymaking and a key operational role in current account management. In countries like India, with capital controls and a structural current account deficit (CAD), these roles elide. The task involves careful policy calibration and skilful deployment of a wide set of tools available for current account management, importantly exchange rate management, but also credit, trade and investment policy. This, therefore, requires a 'whole-of-government' strategy with clearly defined macroeconomic objectives. Much commentary on exchange rate policy is simplistic and polarised. At one extreme, we have those who believe in a 'strong' exchange rate, as evidence of a nation's economic testosterone. While this view is normally weird enough to be dismissed as absurd, it gains credibility because the view from the other extreme-the 'mainstream' of the economics profession-is equally doctrinaire and simplistic.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India recently surpassed 5 million electric vehicles (EVs) on its roads. As 2024 draws to a close, we have a milestone to celebrate and a better growth trajectory to anticipate in 2025.

The sector, which is poised to contribute USD 1 trillion to India's economy by 2047, however, is looking up to the government for policy interventions, such as unified licensing, workforce upskilling, and targeted infrastructure investments to enable the vertical meet demand generated by India's drive towards becoming the world's third largest global economy. «India aims to become the third-largest economy by 2047, and the hospitality sector is set to play a pivotal role in achieving this goal. The sector's multiplier effect on the economy surpasses that of manufacturing and agriculture,» Hotel Association of India (HAI) President KB Kachru told PTI.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Indian farmers get only one-third of the final selling price, with the rest being enjoyed by the traders, wholesalers and retailers among themselves." Having worked closely with the agrarian economy for over two decades now, I found the conclusions of this research paper published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to be an affirmation of my frequent observations and pre-suppositions about general practices in the country’s agriculture sector. Creating essential market linkages and consolidating farmers under umbrella bodies should have helped solve much of that problem.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb. They refuse, they cling to the realm or the gods or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.—Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish The previous part of this article discussed how many economic miracles have been midwifed amid the chaos of global geopolitics.

Federal Reserve cut the interest rates by 25 basis points from 4.75% to 4.5%. This move had served as a key trigger for the market decline of 2.85% in S&P 500. Such a sharp fall in the index sent chills down investors’ spine. Most are wondering whether there is more pain in the offing. Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Let’s see why I am saying this.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Our pages have been full of suffering in 2024. War has raged on three continents: the world watched Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine most closely, but the fighting in Sudan was the most deadly.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The freelance economy in India has witnessed extraordinary growth, transforming from a niche working arrangement into a mainstream career choice. With more than 15 million active freelancers and an industry projected to reach $50 billion by 2032, the sector represents a significant shift in how Indians approach work.

Indian diaspora in Kuwait on Saturday, stated that India of the future would be the hub of global development as well as the growth engine of the world. While speaking at the «Hala Modi» community event at Kuwait's Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex, PM Modi highlighted India's rapid transformation in various fields, including technology, infrastructure, and sustainability. «Today, India is the fifth-largest economy in the world. We lead the world in fintech and have the third-largest startup ecosystem globally. India is also the second-largest mobile manufacturing country in the world,» PM Modi said.

President-elect Donald Trump has been promoting the idea of creating a ‘Strategic National Bitcoin Stockpile,’ but the purpose of such an institution remains unclear. The price of a bitcoin (BTCUSD) surged to a record high this week, briefly passing the $108,000 mark after President-elect Donald Trump repeated his campaign trail proposal for the government to hold some amount of the popular cryptocurrency officially.

There was also demand for state-specific projects on road development and railway, and for the Centre to bear a larger share of land acquisition costs for projects. FM will present the budget in February.

It’s been an action-packed year for the Bank of Canada, with policymakers cutting interest rates five consecutive times by a total of 175 basis points.

bank policy decisions weighed. The Nikkei closed 0.29% lower at 38,701.90, bringing it to a weekly decline of 1.66%, its steepest decline since early-November.

President Vladimir Putin boasted that his military operation in Ukraine has strengthened Russia and denied that the ouster of key ally Bashar Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow’s prestige, as he held his annual news conference and call-in show Thursday.

«For the first time Chair Powell kind of tipped his hat to that saying we just do not know what is going to go on. So, in this environment with not much in the way of rate cuts, I thought there will only be two actually in the new dot plot. I thought they would be a bit more hawkish. I am surprised the market was so surprised but there you go,» says Geoff Dennis, Independent Emerging Markets Commentator. What should one be prepared for in the year 2025 because given the fact that you had the Federal Reserve go ahead and lowered their dot plot when you talk about the rate cuts come next year. You saw the markets spook. How should one read into all of these signs because yesterday when you saw the US GDP growth as well, they revised it upwards? Geoff Dennis: It is a difficult environment for emerging markets let me start by saying that and it is summed up by the fact that the Fed is now assumed anyway in terms of the dot plot that the midpoint is two interest rate cuts.

A 2019 paper co-authored by Arvind Subramanian, former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, and Josh Felman sheds light on the economic challenges India faced at the time. The authors highlighted a "Four Balance Sheet Challenge," warning that the economy was heading toward an «Intensive Care Unit» due to mounting financial stress. Subramanian argued that the roots of this issue could be traced back to the "Twin Balance Sheet Problem."

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Persistent deflationary pressure and tepid credit demand call for more stimulus to aid the broad economy, but narrowing interest margin on the back of fast falling yields and a weakening yuan limit the scope for immediate monetary easing.