BRICS leaders at summit_210x140 Courtesy: MEA/Government of India
30 July 2014

Realising the potential of the BRICS

Looking back at the 2008 financial crisis, when governments had to resort to bail-outs to keep economies afloat, the BRICS member countries have decided to set up a New Development Bank which will provide for a contingency fund. This initiative aims at building an alternate financial structure in terms of trade among the member states as well as creating a safety net

Modi at BRICS_210x140 Courtesy: MEA/Government of India
18 July 2014

Incubating a non-dollar architecture

The launch of the BRICS bank can now give the member countries confidence to experiment with other geoeconomic ambitions. Incubating a non-dollar financial architecture can be the next goal. There are existing models to build upon but India will need smart economic diplomacy to secure its interests

Credit Rating Agencies Courtesy: Jeremy Edmunds/Flickr
20 March 2014

A new house for sovereign ratings

Efforts to reform credit rating agencies after the 2008 financial crisis have failed to address concerns about their ability to assess a nation’s financial status. Issues like private interests and a disregard for the diversity of development models have made it imperative to think of a new multilateral agency

ukraine1 Courtesy: Spacie/WIkimedia Commons
14 March 2014

‘Sanctions on Russia could impact India’

Neelam Deo, Director, Gateway House, talks about the potential economic impact of the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine. In this interview, she also examines the aid packages offered to Ukraine by Russia and the West, and assesses how the situation will affect India’s trade relations

lng Courtesy: Jeremy Edmunds/Flickr
7 March 2014

Decoding natural gas pricing in India

The issue of gas pricing is in the public discourse after the Aam Aadmi Party questioned the logic of linking domestic prices to global rates. In the absence of a single global marker price, it is time India, and other large importing countries in Asia, develop a pricing mechanism that reflects regional realities

forex Courtesy: epSos.de/Flickr
25 October 2013

Libor, Brent and now…FX

The foreign exchange market is considered the most liquid and transparent in the world. However, recent investigations into alleged manipulation of the foreign exchange rates is a reminder that transparent exchange-based systems alone are not enough to ensure fairness

obamaxi Courtesy: Systemman, Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo/Wikimedia Commons
21 October 2013

U.S. government shutdown, China’s gain

The U.S. government shutdown and President Obama’s absence gave China immense diplomatic and political space at the APEC and East Asia Summit meetings. China’s declaration of a “de-Americanised” world may be premature but the crumbling old order is doing little to dispel this notion

Karanarticle Courtesy: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/Flickr
16 October 2013

India needs business activism

In the face of a severe economic slowdown and an impending balance-of-payment crisis, the Indian business community has a clear opportunity to pull the country out of the current crisis. However, this can only achieved if the apex chambers of commerce restructure themselves