All stories by A K Bhattacharya
What will Nirmalaji's Budget give us?
Rediff.com15 Dec 2020Can the finance minister manage our expectations, asks A K Bhattacharya.
No escape for Modi Sarkar from extra borrowing
Rediff.com7 Dec 2020Clearly, the extra borrowing of Rs 4.2 trillion the government has planned so far will not be enough to meet the shortfall in revenues which could be between Rs 8 trillion and Rs 10 trillion, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Will there be less account engineering?
Rediff.com4 Nov 2020IThe fiscal deficit target for 2020-2021 was originally set at 3.5 per cent of GDP. But the government's revenues have collapsed and its expenditure burden will only increase over the Budget estimates.' With the government having already planned for an additional borrowing of over Rs 4 trillion, the fiscal deficit for the current year would be much higher than the Budget estimate, notes A K Bhattacharya.
Oil levies cushion revenue shock for Modi
Rediff.com20 Oct 2020The oil sector has been quite lucky for the Modi government. It has often provided an opportunity to the government to mend its finances, notes A K Bhattacharya.
Why Modi chooses protectionism over pragmatism
Rediff.com7 Oct 2020'There can be no dispute over the adverse impact such a policy will surely have on India's manufacturing competitiveness,' notes A K Bhattacharya.
GST payout: Why Centre is avoiding a vote
Rediff.com22 Sep 2020The question on who should borrow from the market and whether the borrowing will be under two buckets should be decided by the GST Council, and not by the Centre. If there is no consensus, there has to be a vote, says A K Bhattacharya.
When Pranab clashed with Manmohan, twice
Rediff.com8 Sep 2020Pranab Mukherjee's stewardship of the economy will stand out as much for the manner in which he managed controversies as for creating quite a few of them, says A K Bhattacharya.
Faceless assessment and the problem of tax arrears
Rediff.com7 Sep 2020'It may be prudent not to plunge into a new online tax appeals system in one go, which could only create more disputes and increase the embarrassingly high tax arrears of the government,' warns A K Bhattacharya.
When will Modi shuffle his ministers?
Rediff.com30 Jul 2020Far more important than governance is to ensure how different states get necessary representation a'The pressure to expand the council of ministers will come from states where the BJP has formed a government after ousting the Congress,' predicts A K Bhattacharya.
The Mystery of Rising FDI as GDP Slumps
Rediff.com28 Jul 2020'An explanation perhaps lies in the culture of revisions that has grown deep roots in the government data collection system,' notes A K Bhattacharya.
Economy: Why Modi must be on guard
Rediff.com20 Jul 2020'The road ahead for the government's fiscal management will be full of many new challenges,' warns A K Bhattacharya.
Is Modi afraid of expert advice?
Rediff.com9 Jul 2020It is time the government cast its net wide for seeking expert advice on managing the Indian economy and formed a group to help it navigate the difficult days ahead, advises A K Bhattacharya.
How oil holds the key to India's economic health
Rediff.com29 Jun 2020Every time the Indian economy has faced headwinds due to international developments, the oil sector has played a crucial role, explains A K Bhattacharya.
How reliable is India's GDP figure?
Rediff.com18 Jun 2020'Given that the economy is going through a slowdown, further downward revisions of the 2019-2020 growth estimates cannot be ruled out,' notes A K Bhattacharya.
India Inc, stop whining!
Rediff.com4 Jun 2020'Instead of wailing about the absence of tax benefits, the private sector should press for an early implementation of the package of measures,' advises A K Bhattacharya.
New FDI policy may hurt India's start-up dream
Rediff.com6 May 2020'As much as $4 billion in India's start-up companies has come from Chinese funds.' 'Government policy must not remain indifferent to the problems India's start-up ventures are likely to face after the change in FDI rules,' says A K Bhattacharya.
How COVID-19 spoilt India's oil bonanza
Rediff.com1 May 2020'The impact of COVID-19 on the economy has been so overwhelming that even a significant drop in global oil prices, which in normal times would have brought cheer, has posed new challenges for the government,' observes A K Bhattacharya.
The challenge of the lockdown
Rediff.com24 Apr 2020'How the lockdown is phased out or lifted will tell us if the government has succeeded in its battle against COVID-19.' 'If it cannot sequence its decisions on exiting the lockdown, the few gains secured so far may be frittered away,' says A K Bhattacharya.
Should govt declare a financial emergency?
Rediff.com9 Apr 2020'So far, no government has imposed a financial emergency in the country,' notes A K Bhattacharya.
Budget, the other casualty of COVID-19
Rediff.com7 Apr 2020'Even before the outbreak of the flu, it had become clear that the tax revenue numbers for 2019-2020 were overestimated,' observes A K Bhattacharya.