Going by the latest industrial production data, Indiaâs economy hasnât had a great start to the new fiscal year. Growth in output, as measured by the index of industrial production, slowed in April to 2.7% on the base of a year earlier, down from 3.9% in March. Mining output fell last month, while electricity generation…
The Reserve Bank of Indiaâs (RBI) primary job is to protect the value of the rupee: i.e. domestic price stability. Since the 2016 pact between the central bank and the government, this responsibility was codified as a specific inflation mandate. It is called âflexible inflation targeting,â since the target is not a number, but a…
Budget 2025: BJP issues three-line whip for all Lok Sabha MPs, asking them to be present in Lok Sabha tomorrow, 21 March, for the passing of the budget. Further Lok Sabha has announced that the parliament will apply guillotine tomorrow. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had in March 2023 applied guillotine to clear the Budget…
The number of gig workers in India are growing, whether they are drivers of autorickshaws, taxis or bikes, or those engaged in the delivery of food or groceries, or others working for e-commerce companies. The surge in job opportunities for gig-workers across sectors has led to an increase in government initiatives for their welfare. Also…
A few years ago, during a field visit, I met two women whose stories stayed with me. Lakshmi, an entrepreneur, had the skill and ambition to expand her small lacquer bangle business, a craft passed down by her father. But every bank she approached demanded collateral she didnât have. In another town, I met Bushra,…
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Thursday recited a unique poem to describe the Union Budget 2025. Participating in the general discussion on the Budget 2025-26 in the Rajya Sabha, Athawale, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said that the budget would leave China âastoundedâ. The epic deliverance by Athawale left the politicians…
New Income Tax Bill: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the long-awaited bill for the new tax code in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, February 13. While the new bill is a significantly shorter version of the Income Tax Act of 1961, it mandates that assessees would have to share their computer â access codesâ with…
The recent Union budget has raised the annual income threshold above which income tax kicks in to âš12 lakh under the new tax regime. While this move aims to bolster middle-class spending and stimulate economic growth, it also narrows the tax base as a side-effect, placing an even greater fiscal burden on a small segment…
The Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association (IFLMEA) hosted the 38th Leather Fashion Show at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. | Photo Credit: R. Ravindran In this yearâs Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a focus product scheme for the footwear and leather sectors. The Hindu reported that this will generate a turnover of…
File picture of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday (February 3, 2025) said funds to railway projects in West Bengal have been increased three times since Mamata Banerjee was in charge of the Ministry of Railways. âThe allocation which was in Mamata Didiâs (Banerjee) time…
