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ExplainSpeaking: Making sense of the Budget, and what it means for the economy

February 02, 2026 10:19 pm

The major change in this Budget is that after trying to boost consumption over the past three Budgets, the government is back to focusing on the supply side of the economy.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ahead of presenting the Budget in 2023.

ExplainSpeaking | Budget 2026: Three macro worries for the Finance Minister

January 31, 2026 9:15 am

What does the government aim to do when formulating the Budget, and what would be the main concerns for the Budget come Sunday, given India's current economic situation?

A container terminal in Shanghai on January 14, 2026. AP

Trump's tariffs reduced China’s surplus with US — and made it the world’s headache

January 16, 2026 10:22 pm

China's trade surplus hit a record $1.2 trillion in 2025. Trump had always prefaced his tariffs by pointing to China's trade surplus, but his actions have not only failed to reduce that figure but also resulted in the country gaining greater global dominance

ExplainSpeaking: How Trump’s tariffs have run into an affordability crisis

November 25, 2025 6:14 am

Trump’s idea was that imposing tariffs would force companies worldwide to return to the US to set up production, thus creating jobs and economic growth while lowering inflation. A year down the line, that very resolve and choice of policy seems to be becoming too costly for the president

It can be helpful to compare Bihar's economic growth with other Indian states from other regions, and the ones to which Biharis often migrate for a better life.

ExplainSpeaking: Has Bihar’s growth reduced the gap with the rest of India?

November 07, 2025 8:15 am

Bihar manufacturing growth, Bihar growth rate analysis: Bihar’s overall base of economic activity is small. Its growth rates can thus flatter to deceive. With elections around the corner, we look at the state when compared to others like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Kerala.

ExplainSpeaking | Piyush Goyal says India will be a $30 trillion economy in 25 years: Decoding the projections

November 01, 2025 10:28 am

Given that economic growth rate and the size of the economy is a big enough variable determining India’s trading stance, it is worth examining how likely it is for India to become a $30 trillion economy in the next “20-25 years”.

Workers at a shoe export factory in Sikandra near Agra, UP.

ExplainSpeaking | The lingering worry for India’s growth: Tepid investments by private sector

October 09, 2025 1:08 pm

When the private sector enthusiastically invests in the economy, there is less pressure on the government to be the prime mover through tax cuts or other means. Where does India’s private investment stand at the moment?

Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, speaks at a press conference at the Federal Reserve, in Washington, July 30, 2025.

ExplainSpeaking: Understanding US Fed’s dual mandate dilemma through 6 quotes from Jerome Powell

September 19, 2025 6:39 pm

Political pressures aside, the US Fed faces a difficult predicament with inflation and unemployment rising at the same time. Put simply, it cannot address one problem without making the other worse.

Closer trade ties with China, a country with which India has several strategic conflicts, apart from China being capable of overwhelming the Indian economy (definitely far more than the US) with its export prowess is fraught with challenges.

ExplainSpeaking: Why trading with China, as against the US, poses more challenges for India

August 30, 2025 10:35 am

If protecting its domestic producers (be it in manufacturing or in other sectors) is the central goal of Indian policymakers then choosing China over the US for trade may be akin to jumping out of the frying pan into the fire

ExplainSpeaking: How Trump’s tariffs are hurting the US economy

August 31, 2025 8:52 am

US tariffs impact 2025, Trump tariffs US economy: Trump and his supporters have claimed that far from the apocalyptic collapse many mainstream economists foresaw under the new tariff regime, the US economy has remained robust. We evaluate this claim over key macroeconomic variables and assess if, and how far, have tariffs hurt the US economy.