The International Monetary Fund staff teams concluded their visit to Pakistan, which began on May 19, 2025. The visit focused on the recent economic developments, programme implementations and the budget strategy for the fiscal year 2026, the IMF said in a statement. Nathan Porter, who led the IMF mission said, the teams held discussions with … Read more
India has set an ambitious target — 500 giga watt (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030. But as of the end of 2024, the installed base stands at around 210 GW, prompting concerns about whether the pace of growth is fast enough. While project announcements continue, a significant chunk of the capacity—some 40 GW … Read more
The Reserve Bank of India’s record dividend payout of ₹2.69 lakh crore to the Centre surprised markets, not for its size but due to a sharper-than-expected increase in the central bank’s contingency buffer. The RBI raised the buffer to 7.5% of its balance sheet, up from 6%, which economists say was the key reason the … Read more
India’s net foreign direct investment (FDI) moderated sharply to $0.4 billion in fiscal year 2024-25 from $10.1 billion a year earlier, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Wednesday, citing higher outward FDI and repatriation of capital. Despite the drop in net flows, gross inward FDI recorded a 13.7% rise to $81 billion during … Read more
Reaffirming taxpayers’ rights on input tax credit (ITC), the Supreme Court on 20 May dismissed a review petition filed by the revenue department in the Safari Retreats case, providing clear ground for taxpayers under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. The ruling, issued by a bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Sanjay Karol, … Read more
Singapore flagged the risk of a technical recession due to global tariff tensions even after its economy kick-started 2025 on a faster-than-expected note. Gross domestic product grew 3.9% in the three months through March from a year earlier, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in its final estimate on Thursday. The figure compares with … Read more
After two years of steep decline, financial savings by Indian households have bounced back strongly in FY24, growing by 16.5%. This is a significant turnaround from the sharp contraction of 26.5% in FY22 and 22.2% in FY23, suggesting a return of confidence in financial instruments. The recovery in financial savings coincides with a marked slowdown … Read more
Even as India launched a missile attack on terror bases across the border, news emerged that India and the United Kingdom (UK) have concluded talks on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The agreement is said to have been reached on May 6. Given that this has been in the works for a long time, it … Read more
Government sources have said that India’s Chief Negotiator Satya Srinivas is likely to go to Brussels tomorrow to fast-track negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). India and the EU are pursuing a two-stage approach to finalise an FTA and is discussing an early harvest pact like the one it has signed with Australia. India … Read more
Chinese banks lowered their benchmark lending rates for the first time in seven months, in a move telegraphed by officials when they eased monetary policy to counter US tariffs. The one-year loan prime rate was lowered to 3% from 3.1% previously, according to a statement from the People’s Bank of China on Tuesday. That’s in … Read more