In a recent address to captains of Indian industry at FICCI, Mr Rahul Gandhi, Vice-President, Congress lambasted the ‘arbitrary’ powers enjoyed by an Environment Minister as major stumbling bloc in granting approvals to projects. In this backdrop, it was not just a coincidence that the Union Minister for Environment & Forest, Ms Jayanti Natarajan submitted her resignation though this was camouflaged as being necessaited by the need to enable her focus on party work. At a time when India is trapped in to a low GDP growth trajectory of less than 5%, projects worth Rs 10 lakh crores (US$ 160 billion) are pending clearance at the level of Minister despite approval already granted by environment appraisal panels. Of projects worth...
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Hike in price of domestic gas – defaulter rewarded
In June, 2013, Cabinet had decided to double price of domestic gas from US$ 4.2 per mBtu to US$ 8.4 per mBtu from April, 2014 based on recommendations of a Committee under Dr C Rangarajan, Chairman, PM’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC). However, a notification in this regard was held back in view of a dispute with RIL-BP-Nikko operator of the D 1, 3 fields in KG basin off the AP coast. The bone of contention was a huge shortfall in supply of gas versus the committed quantity under the PSC (production sharing contract). While, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MPNG) argued that this was due to a deliberate act on part of RIL not to drill required number of...
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QE taper – Is India prepared to face onslaught?
The QE (quantitative easing) ‘tapering’ – though coming earlier than anticipated – has not led to the kind of turbulence that a mere indication/hint about this had led to in May, 2013. The impact on emerging market economies (EMEs) including India is minimal. Contrary to expectations that quantum of tapering would be steep viz., reduction in asset purchase by US$ 20-30 billion per month, US Fed has announced a reduction of US$ 10 billion a month – commencing January, 2014 – from current US$ 85 billion per month. The FOMC has also alluded to proposed wind down being ‘gradual’ and ‘calibrated’. Thus, unlike May when uncertainties gripped the scene, this time around there is an element ‘predictability’ and ‘certainty’. This...
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RBI must not see ‘inflation’ through prism of bank credit
Too many accolades are being showered on RBI Governor, Mr Raghuram Rajan for maintaining status quo in regard to repo rate (rate at which RBI lends money to banks) and cash reserve ratio (CRR) (portion of deposits bank keep with RBI). In view of consumer price index (CPI) spurting to over 11% during November, 2013 and even whole sale price index (WPI) increasing to 7.5%, stakeholders were anticipating an increase in repo rate by a minimum of 0.25%. Mr Rajan has surprised them by not increasing thereby sending them in a celebration mode. However, there is no room for complacency as the under-current of RBI policy statement continues to be hawkish. The Governor has made it abundantly clear that inflation...
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An introduction to the website
Recently, IMF came out with a statement that giving direct cash support to intended beneficiaries would add 0.5% to India’s GDP. That is a big sum Rs 55,000 crores (US$ 10 billion). Dr Rangarajan’s recommendations on ‘doubling’ price of domestic gas from US$ 4.2 per mBtu to US$ 8.0 per mBtu have put fertilizers & power – prime user industries – on tenterhooks. The ‘red lines’ drawn by Mr Chidambaram for reining in fiscal deficit during current fiscal & 3 years till 2016-17 have profound implications for resurrecting economy to high growth trajectory. Mr Pranab Mukherjee in his Budget speech for 2012-13 gave a road-map for containing subsidies (fuel, food & fertilizers) at 2.5% of GDP in that year...
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