Investment Friendliness Index 2026: A New Benchmark for Competitive Federalism in India
India's ability to sustain high economic growth increasingly depends on its capacity to attract, facilitate and retain investment.
Category Public Finances and Macroeconomics
RBI’s Exchange Rate Management Policy: Defending the Rupee Amid the West Asia Oil Shock
On February 28, 2026, war broke out in West Asia after the United States and Israel launched a coordinated large-scale air campaign across Iran, reigniting long-standing regional tensions. The conflict quickly escalated, with Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime channel connecting the oil-rich Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. More than 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports pass through the strait, making it one of the world's most critical energy corridors and particularly important for Asian economies such as India.
RBI’s Gold Loan Directions (2025): Balancing Prudence and Rural Access
The gold loan segment has historically been one of India's fastest-growing forms of secured retail credit, valued for its speed of disbursal, minimal documentation, and accessibility to borrowers who lack formal credit histories, particularly in rural and semi-urban India. Until 2025, however, gold loan regulation was fragmented, banks, cooperative banks, and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) operated under separate, inconsistent guidelines, creating scope for regulatory arbitrage.
BIS Gold Hallmarking (2021): Certifying Purity and Building Consumer Trust in India
Gold hallmarking in India began as a voluntary certification scheme run by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in April 2000, allowing jewellers to have their gold articles tested and marked for purity by BIS-recognised centres since it was started by BIS in April 2000 to provide third-party assurance to consumers on the purity of gold jewellery.
Bihar Department Wise Schemes & Budget Update 2026
Bihar’s 2026 Budget reflects a development approach that combines long-standing welfare programmes with newer priorities such as employment, women’s economic participation, infrastructure, tourism and water management. The state has provided for total expenditure of ₹3,47,589.76 crore in 2026 , including scheme expenditure of ₹1,22,155.42 crore.
Unlocking Credit Mobility: Analyzing RBI Directives on Pre-Payment Charges for MSE Loans
Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) represent the engine of India’s credit growth, industrial expansion, and formal employment generation (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises [MSME], 2020; Reserve Bank of India, 2023). However, MSEs have operated under structural financial disadvantages, particularly regarding debt flexibility and capital mobility.
Strengthening Regulatory Governance in India: The Role of Risk-Based Inspection Systems
Should every business be inspected in the same way?Imagine two food businesses operating under the same regulatory framework.