On May 7, 2025, the Indian rupee opened 19 paise lower at 84.62 per US dollar, a notable slide from its previous close of 84.43. This depreciation, though modest in absolute terms,…
Author: John Davis
Opinion | Who Approved the Crores Spent on ‘India@100’? Union Bank Owes Answers
The recent controversy surrounding the bulk purchase of the book India@100, authored by former Chief Economic Adviser K.V. Subramanian, has put Union Bank of India squarely in the spotlight—and not for the…
How free is India’s press?
On World Press Freedom Day, celebrated annually on May 3, the world pauses to honor the vital role of a free and independent media in sustaining democracy. Yet, in India, the self-proclaimed…
How to save India’s Cooperative Banking System
The Rs 122-crore embezzlement at New India Co-operative Bank, where a former chairman and general manager allegedly siphoned funds to overseas entities and pilfered cash from vaults, is a stark reminder of…
What is Pahalgam terror fallout on India and Pakistan economies?
The massacre in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow on April 22, 2025, where 26 lives, mostly tourists, were extinguished by The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, has cast a long shadow over the subcontinent….
The RBI’s LCR Shake-Up: What’s worrying the mighty regulator?
The Reserve Bank of India, under Governor Sanjay Malhotra, has just sharpened its Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) framework, a move that’s as pragmatic as it is urgent. Finalized on April 21, 2025,…
What Went Wrong with BluSmart?
BluSmart Mobility, once heralded as India’s answer to sustainable urban transportation, has fallen from grace in a spectacular fashion. Launched in 2019, the electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing startup promised a cleaner, more…
The fading allure of banking jobs in India: From prestige to passe
In the India of yesteryears, a job in banking was synonymous with prestige, stability, and social standing. The image of a banker—clad in a crisp suit, working in an air-conditioned branch of…
India’s Middle Class in Crisis: Layoffs, Soaring Costs, and a Dream Deferred
Prakash Bhasi, a 54-year-old technician at a packaging firm in Mumbai, sits at a roadside tea stall, staring at his phone. The screen displays a bank alert: his savings account balance is…
Inflation’s Down, But Don’t Pop the Champagne Yet
India’s retail inflation just hit a 67-month low of 3.34% in March, dipping below the RBI’s 4% target for the second month running. Food prices, the usual culprit, stayed tame at 2.69%,…