Economy indicators defy GST growth
By RN Bhaskar
Image generated through https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/text2img
On 1 June 2025, the government announced that its GST collections had climbed 10% year-on-year (https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2022459).
Illusion of strength and health
It said that the GDP growth was “driven by a strong...
Maharashtra could soon become part of BIMMARU
By RN Bhaskar
Image by Kalpesh Mistry
Is Maharashtra headed in the same direction that Uttar Pradesh has taken for the past few decades? Will it become another addition to the BIMARU grouping causing a...
The case of the missing ecommerce regulator
By R N Bhaskar
It was in 2010 that the concept of an ecommerce regulator was hinted at, which then became a clamour. The reasons were both logical and understandable. Ever since the announcement...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-clean-up-the-gold-trade-quickly-as-a-national-priority
Gold smuggling- II: Cleaning up the gold trade is a national priority
RN Bhaskar
(Part I of this series can be found at http://www.asiaconverge.com/2020/10/gold-smuggling-i-is-encouraged-by-flawed-government-policies/)
Why should gold be a national priority?
There are three reasons why gold assumes immense significance for the integrity...
Global growth requires much more than GDP and population
By RN Bhaskar
On 9 December, 2023, a senior minister of the Indian government spoke at an industry forum. He exhorted industrialists in the audience to collaborate further with the Government to...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/editorspick/solar-power-govt-takes-bolder-steps-finally-r-n-bhaskar/876404
Solar Power: The government finally takes bolder steps
For perhaps the first time in decades, India could actually begin scripting a new business model for power generation. Kurien did this through milk. Piyush Goyal, Union minister for power, could do...
https://m.freepressjournal.in/article/india/priorities-for-the-govt-war-bihar-or-atma-nirbharta/915423be-fdae-459f-b88d-87399e5db574
Priorities for the govt: war, Bihar, or atma nirbharta?
RN Bhaskar -- July 9, 2020
Politics can be a great distorter of truths because it is often based on optics. And as Henri Bergson said about comedy, it is like froth. ...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-ta-i-indias-textiles-and-apparels-are-rediscovering-their-mojo
T&A-I: India’s textiles and apparels are rediscovering their mojo
RN Bhaskar (The second part of this article can be found at https://asiaconverge.com/2021/11/the-apparels-appaition/)
Some seventy years ago, if one had looked at India’s competitive strength, the highest marks would have gone to...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/can-gold-be-made-less-attractive-for-smugglers-en-bhaskar/1101981
Can the government make gold a cleaner, more profitable, business in India?
— By RN Bhaskar | Jul 13, 2017 07:16 am
Listen carefully to the words that are constantly being uttered by government spokesmen. They talk about driving black-marketeers to the ground....
http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-policy-watch-indian-agriculture-pampered-and-terribly-exploited-1828230
With smaller holdings China does better
Monday, 29 April 2013 - 8:30am IST | Agency: dna
China doesn't subsidise, but has done a lot better by investing in agri infrastructure.
Politicians love to swear by the poor farmer. That explains why the...
