Abhishek Waghmare And Anup Roy

Stories by Abhishek Waghmare And Anup Roy

One litre petrol takes 30% of Indians' average daily income

One litre petrol takes 30% of Indians' average daily income

Rediff.com   29 Jul 2021

An average Indian spends no more than Rs 1.3 lakh per year, according to official statistics. This is close to what an average Indian earns annually. At this level of per capita income today, one litre of petrol costs one-third of an average Indian's daily income (Delhi prices), making it highly unaffordable. People in most other Asian and emerging countries find it more affordable.

How India's Covid-19 vaccination drive is lagging, 6 months on

How India's Covid-19 vaccination drive is lagging, 6 months on

Rediff.com   27 Jul 2021

India has placed orders for 786 million doses till date -- less than the probable need of 950 million doses, reports Abhishek Waghmare.

With 300 mn Indians in its fold, cooperative sector awaits big-bang reforms

With 300 mn Indians in its fold, cooperative sector awaits big-bang reforms

Rediff.com   27 Jul 2021

About 150 years ago, in British India, big farmers in the western region of Maharashtra agitated over unfair lending practices and demanded a more fair and inclusive financing structure. People say this is where the seeds of the cooperative movement, now omnipresent in the country, were sown. Today, more than 800,000 cooperative societies thrive in India, with 300 million members, a number close to the population of the United States. Despite a reach this deep--grass roots as they call it--cooperatives do not occupy a lion's share in the Indian economy.

Banks once again move SC to keep inspection reports hidden

Banks once again move SC to keep inspection reports hidden

Rediff.com   20 Jul 2021

State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and IDFC Bank have filed a petition against the notice, in a last-ditch attempt by the banking system to keep the information confidential. The notice was given to the lenders under Section 11(1) of the RTI Act, seeking third-party disclosure requirements. While the apex court's original directive in 2015 applied to the full report, it was subsequently agreed that not the entire report but only relevant portions, such as those on bad debts and borrowers, would be made public.

'Economic activities are expected to improve'

'Economic activities are expected to improve'

Rediff.com   20 Jul 2021

'We are very watchful about inflation and growth. But the main challenge is economic revival and growth.'

'RBI's whatever-it-takes approach insulated teconomy'

'RBI's whatever-it-takes approach insulated teconomy'

Rediff.com   20 Jul 2021

'A strong foreign exchange reserve is the best safety net against global spillovers.'

Census 2021 will reveal actual number of Covid deaths

Census 2021 will reveal actual number of Covid deaths

Rediff.com   19 Jul 2021

Whenever the Census operation resumes, it will capture the impact of Covid-19 to a large extent, including the extra-lethal second wave, reports Abhishek Waghmare.

Risks to economy still look uncomfortably high: Experts

Risks to economy still look uncomfortably high: Experts

Rediff.com   16 Jun 2021

High inflation print is the price that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will have to pay to nurse a fragile growth back, say economists. Wholesale Price Index-based inflation rose to a record high of 12.94 per cent in May, aided by low base effect, but also because of higher fuel and commodity prices. Retail inflation, too, surprised by rising to 6.30 per cent, while the core inflation, which is the non-food and non-fuel component, rose to an 83-month high of 6.55 per cent. These numbers are much above RBI's upper limit of 6 per cent inflation target, but there is very little that the RBI can do at this moment.

At current pace India will inoculate 75% of population only by mid-2024

At current pace India will inoculate 75% of population only by mid-2024

Rediff.com   2 Jun 2021

The average rate of COVID-19 vaccination in the country has been 10.8 million per week. At that rate, it will take India till December 2024 to complete two billion doses.

How RBI managed to give Rs 1-trillion dividend to govt

How RBI managed to give Rs 1-trillion dividend to govt

Rediff.com   28 May 2021

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) booked massive gains on its foreign currency sales and needed to provide much lesser for its reserves in 2020-21 (FY21), helping it to carve out a significant Rs 99,122-crore dividend for the government, revealed the RBI's annual report for FY21. By doing so, the central bank's risk buffers have reduced to the bare minimum, which may restrict some of RBI's scale of operations, and would likely hamper dividend payout for financial year 2021-22, said analysts. The annual accounts are for nine months ended March 31, 2021 since the RBI changed its accounting year from July-June to April-March from FY21.

Premji university study calls for Rs 15,000 cash support to poor via PDS

Premji university study calls for Rs 15,000 cash support to poor via PDS

Rediff.com   22 May 2021

This will cost the government Rs 3.1 trillion, about 10 per cent of its annual expenditure, and higher than any other spending item in its Budget.

Covid impact: RBI may have to change growth forecast

Covid impact: RBI may have to change growth forecast

Rediff.com   18 May 2021

Those hardest hit by the second wave of the pandemic have been blue-collared workers, doctors and healthcare workers, law and order and municipal personnel, individuals eking out daily livelihood, and small businesses. And there should be more measures taken to alleviate their pain, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Monday. The report also indicated that the RBI's growth numbers might have to be revisited as the central bank's real GDP growth projection of 26.2 per cent given in the MPC's resolution of April 7 for the first quarter of 2021-22, were "made before the full fury of the resurgence." Nevertheless, the "resurgence of COVID-19 has dented but not debilitated economic activity in the first half of Q1: 2021-22.

'Impossible Trinity': RBI's precarious balancing act

'Impossible Trinity': RBI's precarious balancing act

Rediff.com   17 May 2021

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is precariously balancing two opposing objectives - maintaining easy financial condition in the domestic market, while ensuring external stability - and economists have started taking note. They say India is going through the classic trilemma of the 'Impossible Trinity'. The RBI cannot have an independent monetary policy (setting domestic interest rates) in an environment of an open capital account and flexible exchange rates. What is even more complicated for the central bank now is that financial market stability overlays all the other three objectives.

Decoded: Why higher circulation of currency is normal in abnormal times

Decoded: Why higher circulation of currency is normal in abnormal times

Rediff.com   6 May 2021

Theoretically, the currency with the public should expand in sync with the nominal income, which again moves in relation to the nominal growth rate of the economy. But the correlation breaks easily when other factors come into play, says Anup Roy.

Only 2% Indians have taken Covid vaccine

Only 2% Indians have taken Covid vaccine

Rediff.com   3 May 2021

As India begins vaccinating the younger population, the most vulnerable remain largely unvaccinated.

Vaccinating 70% of 18-44 year olds to cost Rs 300 bn

Vaccinating 70% of 18-44 year olds to cost Rs 300 bn

Rediff.com   1 May 2021

UP Rs 50 billion, followed by Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal which may need close to Rs 25 billion for the massive task.

$1-bn outflows: FPIs turn wary of India on worsening Covid virus crisis

$1-bn outflows: FPIs turn wary of India on worsening Covid virus crisis

Rediff.com   30 Apr 2021

Covid-19, US yields, dollar to weigh on equity flows in the near term.

Most poll-bound states kept testing low till elections

Most poll-bound states kept testing low till elections

Rediff.com   24 Apr 2021

Three of the four major states delayed testing despite worsening indicators. Only Tamil Nadu quickened the pace after the first signs of deterioration.

How Banks will Pester Customers to Pay

How Banks will Pester Customers to Pay

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2021

Although such alerts are not compulsory for the banks, this may become the norm now if payments are missed even for a day.