Tracking Trends

Ever since US President #DonaldTrump triggered the tariff war, much of our attention has been focussed on India's trouble with its biggest trading partner -- the United States. What has been missed, however, is that India's exports to its other trading destinations have suffered too. In the first five months of this fiscal, April-August, exports to 10 out of the top 20 trading destinations...

Even as India begins to feel the pain of Trump tariffs and a clampdown on #H1B Visas, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno has proposed a new legislation to tax services outsourced by American companies to foreign workers -- Halting International Relocation of Employment #HIRE Act. He has proposed a hefty tax of 25% on the quantum of business outsourced. There may not be any immediate impact as the pr...

While Indian Prime Minister #NarendraModi and US President #DonaldTrump posture a friendship in front of the media, the latter continues to hit India with executive orders. The decision is to raise the fee for a H1B Visa to $100k will mostly hurt Indian IT workers who account for the bulk of the H1B Visas that the United States grants every year. India's manufacturing sector has already taken...

Nepal is seeing widespread violent protests, triggered by a social media ban following days of political unrest. What may come as a surprise for many has been brewing in the background for some time. The protests, consisting largely of discontent youths, is raising a voice against alleged corruption, nepotism, inequality, and economic uncertainty. In this video we dive deep into the history leadin...

Will the GST rate cuts be a game changer? The #GST Council has finally moved to cut the number of tax slabs from 5 to 4 and reduced taxes on a wide range of goods and services, with an aim to stimulate consumption and expenditure. The rate rationalisation will likely bring interim relief to consumers, but it is not clear if these changes would lead to a sustained and equitable revival in demand an...

The United States has entered the war with Iran. American stealth bombers struck Iran's three key nuclear facilities -- Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan -- on Saturday night, in an unprecedented assault that has significantly heightened geopolitical tension in the region. Iran has vowed to retaliate, threatening to attack American interests in the region and shutting down the strait of Hormuz. The conse...

#TrackingTrends with #RajeshMahapatra ft. #KalyanRamThe Reserve Bank of India on Friday announced a bigger-than-expected cut in its benchmark lending (repo) rate -- from 6% to 5.5%, surprised markets by slashing cash reserve ratio from 4% to 3% to infuse liquidity to the tune of Rs 2.5 lakh crore and announced a sudden pivot to a “neutral” monetary policy stance. While the rate cut was cheered by...

Tracking Trends: #Monsoon arrives early, causes havoc in the northeast with disastrous #floods and #landslides, while northwestern states of Rajasthan and Punjab battle scorching heat. Elsewhere in Delhi and its neighbouring region, frequent #thunderstorms turn the month of May surprisingly pleasant, weather-wise. India's weather as we knew it is changing. I sit down with Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra,...

In this exclusive conversation, I sit down with Indrani Bagchi, veteran foreign affairs journalist and CEO of the Ananta Centre, to unpack the far-reaching implications of Donald Trump’s tariff strategy through the lens of US domestic politics. We explore how these tariffs are shaping political narratives, and what recent remarks by California Governor Gavin Newsom and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome...

The Goods and Services tax, introduced to streamline and unify a complicated indirect tax regime in India, has been a subject of criticism and contesting claims since its inception. On the one hand, it has emerged a buoyantly growing source of revenue for the government, while on the other, the multiplicity of tax slabs, high compliance burden and lack of transparency in certain respects have unde...

In Episode 6 of Tracking Trends, I sit down to chat with Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, noted Foreign Affairs Journalist and the South Asia Head of the Eurasia Group. Pramit is an experienced and knowledgable expert in foreign affairs, and has been tracking American policy and global economics closely. We discuss the latest sweeping tariffs levied by the Trump Administration, and the repercussions for the...

In this episode of Tracking Trends, I sit down with Meghna Bal, Director at Esya Centre and a lawyer by training, to discuss the impact of Grok on public discourse in India.🚨 Key Topics:🔹 How Grok is shaping online conversations🔹 The role of AI in spreading (or combating) misinformation🔹 Challenges of regulating AI-driven content🔹 The future of digital media policy in IndiaWith AI-powered pla...

In the fourth episode of Tracking Trends, I sit down with trade and commerce expert Ajay Srivastava to break down the latest shifts in global trade. With rising tariffs, shifting supply chains, and evolving trade policies, how is India navigating these challenges? What do these trends mean for businesses and the economy?🔹 Key topics we cover:✅ The latest trade numbers and what they mean✅ India’...

As the U.S. imposes tariffs under Trump’s trade policies, how is India responding? In this conversation with Rajesh Mahapatra, trade expert Arpita Mukherjee at the Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER) breaks down India’s strategy, the potential economic impact, and what this means for global trade relations. 🇮🇳🇺🇸We discuss:- How India is responding to #DonaldTru...

Concerns are growing that the US economy may be heading toward a recession. February’s official jobs data revealed the slowest employment growth in three and a half years, and March could be even worse as Elon Musk’s efforts to downsize the US government take effect. The Atlanta Fed now estimates that US GDP will contract by 2.3% in the January-March quarter. If the downturn extends into April-Jun...

India’s GDP growth is projected at 6.2% for Q3 FY24-25, but does this reflect real economic strength? In this insightful discussion, Dr. Pronab Sen breaks down the numbers, highlighting key concerns around manufacturing, MSMEs, liquidity, and inflation. - Is 6.5% GDP growth sustainable, or is India facing deeper structural issues? - Why is agriculture driving growth, and can it continue? - The man...