Category: Indian economy
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The India–USA Free Trade Agreement: A Deal Bigger Than Trade
From Trade Deficits to Strategic Dependence Trade agreements were once simple documents designed to reduce tariffs and increase commerce. The future India–USA Free Trade Agreement is something very different. It is emerging at a time when economics, technology, security, supply chains, energy, and geopolitics have become deeply interconnected. This is…
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The Silent Energy Divide Behind Manufacturing Competitiveness
Factories Do Not Compete on Machines Alone For much of industrial history, manufacturing competitiveness was shaped by labour costs, access to raw materials, and proximity to markets. Energy was important, but it was often treated as a background utility rather than a strategic resource. That assumption is rapidly becoming outdated.…
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The Invisible Crisis Behind India’s Manufacturing Ambitions
Factories Need Workers, But Industry Needs Skills For decades, discussions about India’s economic future have focused on employment generation. Governments, industry bodies, and economists have repeatedly highlighted the need to create millions of jobs for a young and growing population. Yet beneath this familiar conversation lies a less visible and…
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The Missing Institution Crisis in India’s Industrial Clusters
India’s industrial development story has long been built around clusters. From the textile hubs of Tirupur and Surat to the engineering clusters of Rajkot and Ludhiana, the idea was simple. When firms producing similar products operate close to each other, they can share knowledge, develop specialized skills, reduce costs, and…
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The Trade Agreement That Extends Beyond Tariffs
A New Chapter in India–US Economic Relations Trade negotiations between India and the United States have often moved through cycles of optimism, disagreement, compromise, and strategic recalibration. The latest discussions surrounding the first phase of an India–US trade agreement appear to be following a similar pattern. Yet beneath the headlines…
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The New Geography of Power: Why the Global Economy Is No Longer Playing by Old Rules
For much of the last four decades, the world economy appeared to move in a predictable direction. Countries specialized according to their strengths, businesses chased efficiency, and global supply chains stretched across continents. The assumption was simple: economics would dominate politics. Today, that assumption is rapidly breaking down. The world…
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The Silent Battle for India’s Economic Future: Can Our MSMEs Survive the Next Wave of Competition?
India often celebrates its large corporations, unicorn startups, and rising stock market valuations. Yet the real story of the Indian economy is hidden in small workshops, family-run factories, repair units, local service providers, artisans, food processors, and thousands of enterprises operating in industrial estates, villages, and market towns. These Micro,…
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Rules of Origin: The Hidden Battleground of Global Trade
For decades, international trade was largely shaped by tariffs, quotas, and market access negotiations. Today, however, a quieter but increasingly important issue is emerging at the center of global trade discussions. Rules of origin are becoming one of the most critical determinants of who truly benefits from Free Trade Agreements.…
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World Environment Day 2026: India at an Environmental Crossroads
A Day of Reflection Beyond Symbolism Every year, World Environment Day reminds us of our relationship with nature. Yet for India, this day is no longer merely a symbolic occasion marked by plantation drives, awareness campaigns, and public pledges. It has become a moment of serious reflection on whether the…
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The Silent Revolution in Global Trade: Why Services May Shape the Next Phase of Economic Power
For decades, international trade was largely measured through ships carrying containers filled with manufactured products, commodities, and consumer goods. Nations competed to build factories, ports, and industrial infrastructure to capture a larger share of global merchandise trade. However, beneath the visible movement of goods, a quieter but far more transformative…
"Connecting communities, empowering nations: Unifying the Regional and Global Economy ." 