-PTI/ The Hindu ‘The consumption decline in the rural markets continues to be led by both double-digit price increases and lower unit growth’ The country's FMCG industry continued to witness consumption slowdown in the September quarter, with rural markets registering a higher decline in volumes compared to the three months ended June, says a report. Also, consumers continued to prefer purchasing smaller packets amid companies hiking prices in response to broader inflationary pressures,...

-Livemint.com Most companies flagged a sluggish rural demand in the September quarter that impacted their quarterly volumes. However, most expect some form of recovery in demand in the second half of the financial year New Delhi: September quarter earnings of fast moving consumer goods companies helped zoomed in on the demand environment in rural markets that remains squeezed due to high inflation. Most companies flagged a sluggish rural demand in the September quarter...

-The Hindu Why did the Union Finance Minister urge industry giants to invest in manufacturing? Is private sector financing at an all-time low? Has government intervention to boost and spend aggressively on infrastructure come at an opportune time? The story so far: Last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked captains of industry what was holding them back from investing in manufacturing. She likened industry to Lord Hanuman from the Ramayana by stating...

-The Hindu The one lever that the government could have pulled as it watched private investment decline was to step up public investment In a meeting held with the country’s corporate leaders on September 15, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman drew attention to an important aspect of the economy today. She rightly flagged concerns about sluggish corporate investment, despite the government’s business-friendly stance, including a reduction in the corporate tax. The reduction, effected...

-The Hindu A book brought out by NABARD, authored by R.S. Deshpande, says Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana carries the baggage of the earlier failed crop insurance schemes A book on the theme “Rainfed Agriculture and Droughts in India” (2022) brought out by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) argues that crop insurance is not a “perfect medication” any more for farmers hit by natural calamities such as floods...