-The Hindu To say that growth and inequality converge in terms of their effects on socio-economic outcomes is outrageous The Economic Survey 2021 (https://bit.ly/2OfqfVQ) does not seem to be a policy document derived straight from the empirical data of the economy or the social compulsions embedded in it. On the contrary, the Survey rings with policy postulates based on strong ideological overtones. Of interest would be Chapter 4, captioned ‘Inequality and Growth:...

-The Hindu The campaign epitomises the challenges facing bilateral trade ties, U.S. Congress told The U.S. tried to resolve “long-standing market access impediments affecting U.S. exporters” with India during 2020, says the 2021 President’s Trade Agenda and 2020 Annual Report — an annual report submitted by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to Congress. The report terms India’s policies “trade-restrictive” and saying the “Make in India” campaign epitomises the challenges to the trade...

-Livemint.com * Demand in rural markets has outstripped sales growth in urban markets over the last several quarters. * Companies are betting on consumers in rural India switching from unbranded, loose products to branded ones. Top FMCG makers are back to chasing growth in India's villages and are ramping up their reach in those markets. To be sure, companies are betting on large swathes of consumers in rural India switching from unbranded, loose products...

-TheWire.in A survey of mazdoor mandis in Surat, Lucknow and Pune shows that even many months after the lockdown ended, workers are struggling to make ends meet. “Since the time of COVID-19 lockdown, there has been a severe crisis of employment opportunities in local labour markets. Getting work for even two days a week is difficult for us. Daily wages too, for any work possible, have dipped by half,” says Rajesh Singh,...

-TheWire.in In his foreword to Kavitha Iyer's book 'Landscapes of Loss', P. Sainath writes about the commodification of water and the THRiving 'thirst economy' in the Marathwada region. As India witnesses its largest-ever farmers’ agitation, Landscapes of Loss: The Story of an Indian Drought, a new book by Kavitha Iyer, takes a close look at several of the deeper issues that have been afflicting the country’s farming community for decades now and...