-The Indian Express There’s a need to come up with a new model of growth through focused value chains. When it comes to exports, there are several key issues that affect the various stakeholders concerned. It’s almost sardonic that when you type “agrarian” in Google, it invariably suggests “crisis” as the following word. In 2019, the Indian farm sector grew minus 0.1% year-on-year in January-March and 2% and 2.1% in the next...

-The Telegraph The power of Keynes’s multiplier process is not absolute An eminent economist observed recently in a national daily’s blog that in spite of the Indian economy’s periodic hiccups, there is no serious threat to the system. “[H]istory,” he asserts, “should give us some pause as we assess the prospects of (the) Indian economy in the medium to long run. There is no denying that the economy is going through a...

-Down to Earth At a time when farmers strive to get the right price for crops, more money in their hands can help reignite the country's economy In 2019, three weeks after the kharif harvesting season began, reports emerged that farmers are selling their produce at a price way below the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the government. Except for a few crops like paddy and maize, market prices for most...

-The Indian Express What economists do not like to dwell on and what Karl Polanyi had noted a long time ago is that the economy is ultimately embedded in society, institutions and politics. When these are damaged, the economy begins to stall. With India’s deep political troubles, and protest marches breaking out all over the country, it may seem odd to be writing on economics. Yet, it would also be wrong not...

-The Hindu Business Line The PM-Kisan as a tool to prop up sagging rural demand, recording of tenancy to help the real cultivators and streamlining of agricultural subsidies could be three important themes for Indian agriculture in 2020. With the defeat in the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in December 2018, the Government realised that to win rural votes in the General Elections in May 2019, it needed to...