Building Blocks of the Indian Economy

S1 E30 Narendra Modi's Ayushman Bharat health initiative is designed to provide cashless healthcare to India's poor. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we find out if healthcare has really become free for poor Indians. History buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0876M8HYV/ Email: amarvkfilms@gmail.com

S1 E29 1 in 10 rupees invested by private equity funds in India is in the healthcare sector. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we examine ethical and economic dilemmas as the world's biggest investors race to buy Indian hospital chains. History buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story of a Very Indian British Raj https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07F5Y3H1N...

S1 E28 Record numbers of Indian students are studying abroad each year. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we look at the economic forces pushing Indian students all around the world, from the United States to Ukraine, and Singapore to Saudi Arabia. History Buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0876M8HYV/ E...

S1 E27 Both the BJP and the Congress agree that skilling young Indians is a good idea. Both shared more or less the same approach. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we find out how the money was spent, and what the results of Skill India have been so far. History buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story of a Very Indian British Raj https://www.am...

S1 E26 Teachers are both producers of education and the products of education. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we look at the teaching profession and the role of teachers in producing better human capital for the Indian economy. History buffs do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0876M8HYV/ Email: amarvkfilms@g...

S1 E25 This may sound like a stupid question! Given India's historically low levels of investment in education, it might seem obvious that the government should spend more, but in this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we find out that it is a matter of "how" money should be spent, and not "how much". History Buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story of a...

S1 E24 In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we look at the movement of India's financial hub from Mumbai's Nariman Point to the BKC, Bandra-Kurla Complex. Why have India's old business districts died out? And will the new ones live on, or, will they house the ghost offices of the future? History buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors h...

S1 E23 This week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy explores the curious case of vacant houses, at a time when so many are without decent housing. Congress and BJP governments have tried different approaches to providing housing for all. Maybe it is time for the government to use some "muscle power" to fix the problem. History Buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The...

S1 E22 India needs millions of new houses, but so many houses coming onto the market remain unsold. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we look at the mismatch between the type of housing being offered by developers and the type of housing that Indian buyers really need. History Buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazo...

S1 E21 Behind the glamourous billboards advertising luxury property developments, there is a slow and steady process of land acquisition. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we look at whether the speed of land acquisition can keep up with India's hunger for housing. History buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story of a Very Indian British Raj https:...

S1 E20 India has a sizeable garment export industry, but not nearly as big as China, Vietnam, or even Bangladesh. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we look at whether Narendra Modi's MITRA textile park scheme can change the game for Indian garment exporters. History buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08...

S1 E19 Global brands like H&M and Zara have brought Fast Fashion to India, traditionally a country that likes its fashion nice and slow. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we look at how unique the Indian fashion market is, and the prospect of even faster fashion on the way. History Buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story of a Very Indian Bri...

S1 E18 The Indian textile industry seems trapped in the 1950s. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we look at how it can be brought from the past, to the present, and into the future. History Buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0876M8HYV/ Email: amarvkfilms@gmail.com

S1 E17 In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we look at how India grows the fibre to clothe its people. Historically India has been a centre of cotton production, but more recently, it has tried to "grow" more polyester. History Buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story of a Very Indian British Raj https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07F5Y3H1N/ Email: amarvkfil...

S1 E16 In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we examine India's international trade in food. India has become a net exporter of food to the world. But there is one big obstacle which stands in the way of India becoming the world's breadbasket. History buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0876M8HYV/ Email: ama...

S1 E15 In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we discover how India's consumption of food has been changing with rising levels of prosperity. Will India's farmers be able to feed a hungry nation, or will the Government of India prefer to feed the world instead? History buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story of a Very Indian British Raj https://www.a...

S1 E14 In the 1960s India was unable to produce enough wheat and rice to feed its people. Today India exports both. Is this a success story? Or are we trapped by the past? In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we look at food production in India. You may be surprised to know the "food" we produce most of today. History Buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Econ...

S1 E13 Do not be alarmed, India has enough water. The problem is that so much of it is wasted. In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we look at the always looming water crisis in India. Does Narendra Modi have less power to fix the problem as Prime Minister of India, than he did as Chief Minister of Gujarat? History buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The...

S1 E12 We generally think of the Indian Railways as a Government of India enterprise. But in this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we examine the Vande Bharat phenomenon and learn that trains are something that the private sector, Indian and foreign, will soon Make in India. History Buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazon...

S1 E11 In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we look at the shipping industry in India. India needs a huge merchant navy to trade with the world, but India's ship builders and shipping lines are a long way from ruling the high seas. What can be done to build a bigger merchant navy for a rising India? History buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story o...

S1 E10 In this week's podcast, Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we look at some of the fascinating economics at the heart of aviation in India - How Indigo became India's biggest airline. The economics behind those huge Air India aircraft orders. And what do we really mean by "Make in India"? History buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amaz...

S1 E9 In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we examine the prospects of electric vehicles, EVs in India. Are electric vehicles as clean and green as we have been told? There is an obvious economic incentive to switch to electric vehicles, but there are also a few obvious economic obstacles in the way! History buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The Story...

S1 E8 In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we ride the Great Indian Railways. The Indian Railways is woven into the fabric of Indian life and gets the Indian economy moving. It has, since the start, been a viable economic proposition. There is just one problem - it is a bit slow. History buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https:/...

S1 E7 In this episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy , we look at the Modi Government's push to develop India's highway infrastructure- the BharatMala Pariyojana. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has given assurances that all is well. But do the principles of economics and finance allow for viable highway projects in India? History buffs, do check out the book The Ring of Services: The S...

S1 E6 In this week's episode of Building Blocks of the Indian Economy we examine India's airports infrastructure. The Adani group made a dramatic entry into Indian airports just prior to the pandemic. Have they stumbled on the only viable economic model for airports in India? History buffs, do check out the book The Licence Raj: An Economic Comedy of Errors https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0876M8HYV/ Ema...