Policy UpdateSaachi Saxena Background India’s rapid urbanization has made cities the engines of economic growth while simultaneously increasing their exposure to climate-related risks. According to the World Bank (2025), India’s urban population is projected to increase from 480 million in…
Innovation has become a major driver of economic growth and global competitiveness. Countries investing heavily in research and development (R&D), such as the United States, China, South Korea, and Germany, have established leadership in advanced technologies. However, India's Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) remains significantly below the global average, with limited private-sector participation.
Youth unemployment and underemployment remain persistent concerns in India's labour market despite recent improvements. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Annual Report 2025 reports that India's youth (15-29 years) unemployment rate declined to 9.9% from 10.3% in 2024. However, significant disparities persist across states, educational levels and rural–urban areas, prompting governments to complement wage-employment strategies with self-employment and enterprise promotion.
Rail transport has traditionally been a more cost-efficient mode of freight transportation than road. But in India, it has remained a problem due to the coexistence of freight and passenger services on the same rail routes, and this has constrained the efficiency and capacity of freight movement.
Policy UpdateSruti Halder Background The National Financial Information Registry (NFIR) was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget 2023-24 speech as a proposed central repository of financial and ancillary information, intended to facilitate the efficient flow of…
In the past, all of India's social sector (an estimated 3 million-plus registered NPOs) had been relying on philanthropy, government grants or funds received via the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mechanism, which are more often than not one-off grants and not income earning.
The Indian e-commerce landscape has historically been dominated by a duopoly, where a few multinational aggregators controlled market access, search visibility, and supply chains. This platform-centric model created massive entry barriers for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), limiting their reach and squeezing profit margins through steep commissions.