Arvind Mayaram

Arvind Mayaram

Dr Arvind Mayaram is a former Finance Secretary to the Government of India, a senior policy advisor, and teaches public policy. He is also Chairman of the Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur.

Why Developing Countries Need a New Financing Architecture

Developing countries need to turn public liabilities into investable assets, rather than rely on shrinking aid budgets and episodic debt relief.

Arvind Mayaram

August 21, 2026 at 4:51 AM IST

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India’s Coercive Power Needs a Stronger Democratic Safeguard

India’s coercive capacity has grown. Safeguards must ensure that force is used only when necessary, proportionately and accountably.

Arvind Mayaram

August 12, 2026 at 3:31 AM IST

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The RBI Can Defend the Rupee, but Only the Government Can Strengthen It

The RBI can buy time for the rupee, but lasting strength depends on productive investment, export capacity and a more competitive economy.

Arvind Mayaram

August 6, 2026 at 2:50 AM IST

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The Rupee Needs More Than RBI Intervention

Why the 2013 stabilisation strategy succeeded where the current response is struggling

Arvind Mayaram

July 16, 2026 at 3:19 AM IST

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The Rupee Is Asking Questions GDP Cannot Answer

GDP rankings answer how large an economy has become. The rupee is asking whether it has become stronger.

Arvind Mayaram

June 23, 2026 at 3:37 AM IST

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Beyond Minimum Wages: Karnataka and India's Search for a New Growth Compact

It is important for India to look at other measures such as lower transaction costs, faster business approvals and a more predictable regulatory environment to strengthen workers, without weakening competitiveness.

Arvind Mayaram

June 10, 2026 at 5:38 AM IST

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India's Growth Puzzle Is Really About Capability

India's growth challenge may lie less in capital or demand and more in whether the economy is building capabilities to compete, innovate, and move up the value chain.

Arvind Mayaram

June 5, 2026 at 8:09 AM IST

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India’s Bond Market Debate Needs a Wider Lens

India must shift from bank-led infrastructure finance to deeper bond markets that price risk transparently and recycle long-term savings into new assets.

Arvind Mayaram

May 29, 2026 at 4:00 AM IST

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The Rupee Cannot Be Defended by RBI Alone

RBI can smooth rupee volatility, but lasting stability needs a coordinated fiscal, reform and external-sector response from the government.

Arvind Mayaram

May 25, 2026 at 7:00 AM IST

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How India’s 2015 Model BIT Hurt Investor Confidence

India risks appearing wary of the legal protections global investors rely on, just as external sector pressures demand durable foreign capital.

Arvind Mayaram

May 23, 2026 at 7:53 AM IST

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Gold, the Rupee and India’s External Sector Déjà Vu

As balance-of-payments pressures intensify and the rupee weakens, policymakers once again appear to be searching for the easiest pressure valve without paralysing the productive economy.

Arvind Mayaram

May 14, 2026 at 2:58 PM IST

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From Data to Intelligence: India’s Missing Link in the AI Economy

India’s AI future will be determined not by models or compute alone, but by whether it can convert abundant data into usable intelligence for governance.

Arvind Mayaram

May 5, 2026 at 3:18 AM IST

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Green Finance Is Solving the Wrong Problem

A proliferation of instruments—from green bonds to blended finance—has not closed the gap because the real failure lies in how capital moves through the infrastructure lifecycle.

Arvind Mayaram

April 15, 2026 at 5:39 AM IST

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Balancing on the Brink: India’s Economic Policy in a Time of Crisis

A crisis in formation, not yet in full view, as rising oil prices, a weakening rupee and policy incoherence begin to align, raising risks of a broader macroeconomic strain.

Arvind Mayaram

March 30, 2026 at 11:29 AM IST

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India’s Climate Problem Is Not Capacity, It Is Incentives

Institutional capacity exists, but incentives distort outcomes. India’s climate challenge lies in fragmented policy design, not administrative weakness.

Arvind Mayaram

March 23, 2026 at 4:54 AM IST

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Oil for Infrastructure? The Risks of Long-Term Supply Compacts

Can India convert its vast oil import bill into infrastructure finance? The idea is tempting, but long-term oil supply deals may carry strategic and financial risks.

Arvind Mayaram

March 14, 2026 at 3:54 AM IST

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Completing the Urban Reform Agenda: Strengthening City Governance After Fiscal Devolution

Fiscal devolution to cities will matter only if municipal institutions are strengthened. India’s urban transition now requires administrative reform, professional cadres, and empowered city governments.

Arvind Mayaram

March 6, 2026 at 4:20 AM IST

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Toward a South Asian Common Market: A Strategic Imperative

With 1.9 billion people and $5 trillion in GDP, South Asia trades more with the world than with itself. Can regional integration unlock scale, stability, and shared growth?

Arvind Mayaram

February 25, 2026 at 5:32 AM IST

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Transition Credibility, Not Climate Targets, Wins Capital

Net-zero pledges are abundant. Investors now demand credible transition plans that link emissions, capital spending, and long-term value.

Arvind Mayaram

February 16, 2026 at 4:47 AM IST

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Incremental Ambition in an Age Demanding Structural Reset

Budget 2026

Budget shows discipline and selective ambition, but sidesteps pricing reform, social protection and the federal reset India needs for resilience.

Arvind Mayaram

February 4, 2026 at 4:43 AM IST

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The Bureau

UPI & RuPay Payments May Soon Cost You: — Here’s What Could Change
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