EP MONEY

Women’s cash transfer schemes have become one of the defining features of state elections over the past four years. Since 2022, the number of states offering monthly financial assistance to women has grown from two to 14, with a combined annual outlay of ₹1.68 trillion, or around 0.5 per cent of India’s GDP. Many of […]

India’s central bank has used roughly $100 billion from its foreign exchange reserves this year to defend the rupee, marking the highest annual intervention on record. The Reserve Bank of India sold dollars from its reserves in an effort to prevent the Indian currency from weakening too sharply against the US dollar. When a currency

Seventeen major banks are now testing a new blockchain-based payment system created by Swift, the global organisation that processes most international bank transfers. The pilot includes HSBC, Citibank, DBS, and other significant financial institutions from around the world, according to Business Standard. The system will allow these banks to send money across borders at any

India’s petrol prices rank among the world’s cheapest, and Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently spelled out exactly how the country maintains this affordability despite global crude oil costs being high. The explanation reveals a deliberate strategy built on multiple pillars that work together to keep fuel accessible for ordinary Indians. India’s first advantage is

Major American technology and manufacturing companies have warned the Trump administration that imposing higher tariffs on imports from India and other countries could harm US manufacturing rather than help it. According to ET Economy, firms including Apple, Microsoft, and Intel have raised these concerns as the administration considers raising tariffs as part of its trade

The Asian Development Bank has lowered its growth forecast for India in the fiscal year starting April 2026 to 6.6 per cent. The original estimate was higher, reflecting earlier optimism about India’s economic trajectory. The revision comes as energy prices remain elevated and global demand shows signs of weakening, creating headwinds for growth. Energy prices

The International Monetary Fund has lowered its forecast for global economic growth in 2026 to 3 percent, down from its earlier prediction. The cut reflects concerns about the fallout from the Iran war, which has disrupted energy markets and raised oil prices across the world. According to the IMF, this slowdown will affect countries differently,

Rating agency S&P Global has raised fresh warnings about India’s microfinance sector, flagging credit risks in a loan portfolio worth $35 billion. The concern centres on rising default rates among borrowers and deteriorating ability to repay loans, according to S&P’s analysis published recently. Microfinance institutions, known as MFIs, lend small amounts, typically from Rs 5,000

India has officially launched the Producer Price Index, a new measure that tracks prices at factories and farms before goods reach consumers. The index, which took more than two decades to develop, will cover agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and electricity sectors. This move reshapes how economists measure inflation and industrial productivity in India. The PPI captures

Five Indian states have individually crossed the World Bank’s upper-middle-income threshold of $4,636 per capita income. Delhi leads at $6,217, followed by Karnataka at $5,579, Telangana at $5,407, Tamil Nadu at $5,329, and Gujarat at $4,734. Three other major states came within striking distance — Maharashtra missed by just $8, Haryana by $9, and Kerala