Modi’s Gold Gamble Pits Economic Restraint Against Political Comfort

Modi’s appeal to curb gold purchases tests the balance between easing import pressures and disrupting a trade rooted in savings and tradition.

Rakesh Khar

September 7, 2026 at 7:27 AM IST

iStock.com/D. Talukdar

Narendra Modi Says 7.8% GDP Growth Shows Strong Economic Confidence

BasisPoint Insight

September 2, 2026 at 6:08 AM IST

India’s Trade Opening Needs Durable US Reciprocity

India has moved on tariffs and market access. Washington must now turn its promises into durable gains for Indian exporters.

Trade Mark

August 17, 2026 at 6:37 AM IST

iStock.com

Court unquote

Student Protests, OpenAI Wins Lawsuit, New Fast Track Courts, and More

Your weekly rundown of significant judicial rulings and legal battles influencing policy, companies, regulation, and governance

BasisPoint Insight

July 27, 2026 at 6:11 AM IST

istock.com

When an Exam Protest Becomes a Political Test

India’s NEET protests have outgrown the exam, exposing a deeper crisis of youth opportunity, political accountability and trust in institutions.

Kalyan Ram

July 25, 2026 at 5:06 AM IST

Via WikiCommons

The Wrath of the Middle Class

The protests over the NEET paper leaks are no longer just about an examination, they reflect the growing disillusionment of the middle class that once formed the BJP's core support base.

Rajesh Ramachandran

July 24, 2026 at 9:19 AM IST

@Cockroachisback/X

How Modi Has Remade India

Over the last 12 years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has overseen dizzying progress in economic modernization and state capacity-building, as well as dismaying setbacks on institutional independence and minority inclusion. This record offers important insights into how India will navigate the 21st century.

Shashi Tharoor

July 1, 2026 at 5:52 AM IST

PIB

Opinion

India and Europe Are Courting Again, but Still Misreading the Signals

Whether in India or Europe, the fear is real. The gap between fear and action is where diplomacy dies.

Kirti Tarang Pande

June 27, 2026 at 6:53 AM IST

Istock.in

Five Reasons Why Modi Should Attend Khamenei’s Funeral

When Modi visits Tehran, it would be an assertion of India’s standing in the world, still fighting forces of Anglo-American imperialism in the neighbourhood.

Rajesh Ramachandran

June 26, 2026 at 11:07 AM IST

wiki commons

Opinion

Iran’s Victory Resets West Asia, Diminishes Israel, Offers India Opportunities

The Anglo-American Empire’s Iran setback should prompt the BJP-led ruling establishment to rethink its reflexive support for Israel. India must view West Asia with new power possibilities.

Rajesh Ramachandran

June 19, 2026 at 9:20 AM IST

Istock.com

After the Unicorn Rush, India's Start-ups Face a Reality Check

The first decade was about scale and valuation. The next will determine whether India's start-ups can build businesses that endure.

Rakesh Khar

June 19, 2026 at 4:19 AM IST

Istock.com

When States Compete, Can Economics Trump Politics?

As states battle for capital, Niti Aayog faces a crucial test: can economics trump politics in India's growth story?

Rakesh Khar

June 16, 2026 at 7:55 AM IST

istock.com

Will Better District-Level Data Help Address Regional Inequalities?

One region can skew the data for the entire state and hence sub-regional calculation of GDP is expected to improve evidence-based, decentralised policymaking and targeted interventions across India’s approximately 800 administrative units.

Sharmila Kantha

June 15, 2026 at 8:45 AM IST

istock.com

Cockroaches May Be Videshi, But The Rot Is Desi

This is the inflection point before a steep decline in the bell curve of the people’s trust in the government. If it cannot even conduct annual exams diligently, how can it make people’s lives better?

Rajesh Ramachandran

June 5, 2026 at 12:25 PM IST

https://cockroachjantaparty.org

What Rubio’s India Visit Really Signals

The relationship between India and the US is becoming more transactional. It clearly now involves hard bargaining between two powers whose interests converge enough to cooperate and diverge enough to keep score.

Deep Pal

May 29, 2026 at 8:51 AM IST

Freddie Everett/Via Wikicommons

India May Need an Outside-In Economic Reset

As the global economy changes shape, India may benefit from an independent economic rethink led by a credible outsider with institutional gravitas.

Kalyan Ram

May 17, 2026 at 6:07 AM IST

iStock.com

India-UAE Embrace is a Security Handshake

India’s expanding strategic embrace of the UAE signals a deeper security role in West Asia, even as New Delhi attempts to preserve its delicate balancing act with Iran.

Rajesh Ramachandran

May 16, 2026 at 12:24 PM IST

Twitter/@narendramodi

What a Cricket Stadium Taught Me About India’s Gold Obsession

What looks rational for individual households can become costly for the economy, making India’s gold obsession a classic fallacy of composition.

Vivek Kaul

May 14, 2026 at 11:13 AM IST

iStock.com

Govt Raises Gold Import Duty Amid Oil Shock, Forex Concerns

Government raises import duties on gold and silver to curb non-essential imports, protect forex reserves, and contain external pressures from rising crude prices.

BasisPoint Insight

May 13, 2026 at 1:54 AM IST

iStock.com/D. Talukdar

Market Wrap

Equities Sink as Oil Shock and Weakening US-Iran Truce Trigger Selloff

An end-of-day recap of all that transpired in the Indian markets, highlighting the major price movements and the factors driving them

Dehuti Jani

May 12, 2026 at 11:46 AM IST

iStock.com

India's GCC Moment: Turning Global Turbulence Into Advantage

As war and energy shocks darken the global outlook, India’s global capability centres could emerge as the country’s most resilient economic buffer.

Nilanjan Banik

May 12, 2026 at 7:12 AM IST

Istock.com

Market Wrap

Equities Slide as Oil Spike and Rupee Weakness Hurt Sentiment

An end-of-day recap of all that transpired in the Indian markets, highlighting the major price movements and the factors driving them

Dehuti Jani

May 11, 2026 at 11:41 AM IST

Geopolitical Volatility Demands a More Economically Disciplined India

The Prime Minister’s advisory reflects emerging realities of inflation, external vulnerability and sovereign economic resilience.

Srinath Sridharan

May 11, 2026 at 5:14 AM IST

iStock.com

PM Modi Calls for Covid-Era Restraints to Tackle Global Disruptions: Report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption, avoid non-essential foreign travel and adopt Covid-era practices to help India navigate global disruptions and conserve foreign exchange reserves.

BasisPoint Insight

May 11, 2026 at 3:23 AM IST

PIB

If India Has Changed, Why Does Its External-Sector Playbook Look So Familiar?

Delhi’s calls to curb gold buying and foreign travel suggest policymakers remain uneasy about India’s external financing despite years of macroeconomic reform.

Dhananjay Sinha

May 11, 2026 at 2:50 AM IST

PIB

Op Sindoor and the Resetting of India’s Engagement with the West

Pakistan is protecting Anglo-Saxon interests in West Asia, for which it was created by the British Empire, and the US, in turn, is offering it security, while a Russia-India-China huddle promises greater multilateralism and sovereignty

Rajesh Ramachandran

May 7, 2026 at 7:32 AM IST

PMO

Geopolitics

Bangladesh After the Verdict: Normalisation, Borders and Strategic Patience

Bangladesh’s verdict brought clarity, not closure. Stability now hinges on inclusive politics, secure borders, minority protection and patient India engagement.

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)

February 14, 2026 at 10:13 AM IST

BNP

Trump's Trade Truce Won't Restore the US-India Relationship

While the interim trade deal may ease tensions, trust – the essential currency of any strategic partnership – is unlikely to be restored any time soon.

Brahma Chellaney

February 10, 2026 at 3:56 PM IST

White House

A ‘Done Deal’ Announced, But Where Are the Details?

A trade understanding between Washington and New Delhi has been announced with confidence abroad and restraint at home. Does this restraint reflect a forced agreement, or the discipline of a state that understands the costs of premature commitment?

Srinath Sridharan

February 3, 2026 at 6:10 AM IST

White House

Friendship, Peace and the Careful Politics of Modi–Trump Signalling

Beyond tariffs, the Modi–Trump exchange was rich in signalling, with praise for peace and friendship used to steady ties tested by trade tensions and geopolitics.

BasisPoint Insight

February 3, 2026 at 5:23 AM IST

PIB

Opinion

The Budget Through a Political Lens

With key elections due in states considered difficult terrain for the ruling BJP, the Budget could double as a political opportunity.

Rajesh Ramachandran

January 23, 2026 at 12:15 PM IST

@narendramodi

Budget 2026

Net-Zero or Clean Air? India’s Climate Challenge Is About Timing, Not Tradeoffs

India’s climate dilemma isn’t net-zero versus clean air. The real challenge is aligning capital, policy and timing to deliver health gains now and decarbonisation later.

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal*

January 23, 2026 at 5:11 AM IST

Istock.com

Geopolitics

Why MBZ’s Two-Hour Dash to New Delhi Matters

When the President of the United Arab Emirates lands in New Delhi for barely two hours, it is not a courtesy call or a routine stopover. It is a signal.

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)

January 19, 2026 at 5:42 PM IST

PIB

Why Blaming a Missed Call Won’t Explain the India–US Trade Impasse

Trade deals of this scale hinge on unresolved policy differences—on tariffs, agriculture, digital trade and regulatory autonomy—not on symbolic gestures.

Ajay Srivastava

January 9, 2026 at 2:57 PM IST

White House

Market Wrap

Equities Extend Fed-Led Rebound; Auto Sales Hit Record November High

An end-of-day recap of all that transpired in the Indian markets, highlighting the major price movements and the factors driving them

Dehuti Jani

December 12, 2025 at 12:33 PM IST

Istock.com

Geopolitics

America Will Pay for Pushing India Away

The US calls India indispensable, but treats its interests as peripheral. It wants India to serve as a pillar of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, but adopts policies that directly undercut India’s economic strength, regional security, and strategic autonomy.

Brahma Chellaney

December 9, 2025 at 1:00 PM IST

Via WikiCommons

Beyond Diplomacy: The Economic Reality of India-Russia's $100 Billion Ambition

The India–Russia trade surge was built on cheap oil, and as that fades, the real test begins: whether India can become a genuine exporting partner rather than a commodity-led importer.

Nilanjan Banik

December 8, 2025 at 7:07 AM IST

Kremlin

Key Caste Battles to Decide Who Wins Bihar in 2025

Bihar’s 2025 election heats up as caste dynamics take center stage. MGB, NDA, and Prashant Kishor’s JSP are fielding same-caste candidates on many key seats.

Amitabh Tiwari

October 30, 2025 at 10:08 AM IST

Wikimedia Commons

Opinion

Is Strategic Disinvestment the Next Frontier in Economic Reform?

Following the GST 2.0, the government should aggressively pursue strategic divestment in PSUs to strengthen its finances and enhance shareholder value.

Nilanjan Banik

October 14, 2025 at 3:11 AM IST

iStock.com

Das Tasked To Sherpa PMO, Tackle India's Formidable Economic Challenges

Once an unlikely choice, Shaktikanta Das turned scepticism into global acclaim during his RBI tenure. Now stepping into the PMO, Das is set to navigate India’s most formidable economic challenges and may soon replace a long-time PMO stalwart.

Rajesh Mahapatra

February 23, 2025 at 6:23 AM IST

RBI

The Bureau

Equity MF Inflows Hit Four-Month High in August, Rise 18.8% on Month

Poll: India August CPI Seen At 4.8%; inflation pressures broaden

India Auto Retail Sales Hit Record High in August as EV Offtake Surges

Environment, unemployment, tourism to decide Goa election result: Poll

India’s GDP Data Puzzle: Pronab Sen on Deflators, Revisions and Trust

The Foster Mother of Lodhi Garden