Economy News ( English version)

Such tiny bars of detergent are targeted at less affluent consumers who are often unable to spend a rupee more without having to cut back on something else. To prevent these customers from downgrading to cheaper products, Unilever Plc’s India franchise relies on “magic price points” — such as 5 or 10 rupees — that help buyers stay within their tight budgets. […]

Noted economist DK Joshi attributed such high inflation in these states to two factors — a) higher penetration of rural economy, and b) the variance in fuel duties, which are likely higher in the states in question.

The country prohibited wheat exports, citing food security risks after a record heat wave slashed production and drove up prices. India will continue to make grain available to nations at the request of their governments, while shipments for which irrevocable letters of credit have been issued will also be allowed.

With the latest headline retail inflation coming in at an 8-year high and above the tolerance limit for the fourth consecutive month, analysts expect the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to hike rates yet again.

The Aayog is closely working with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to develop the fine prints for a care economy, and with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as the VV Giri National Labour Institute to increase the participation of women in the labour force and boost the opportunities for gig and platform workers.

Critics say a ban on wheat exports would disrupt market channels and prove to be anti-farmer. But a look at the demand-supply dynamics will show absent the ban, the country would have faced a shortage of the grain for even PDS distribution.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) would take a final call on whether to retain the board members or bring in new ones. Also, the government will soon decide on whether to expand the BBB’s scope or not.

Even as many states struggle to raise funds at high interest rate, fiscally surplus Odisha made a net debt repayment of Rs 19,102 crore in FY22.

One reason for the wide variance in inflation among states is high rural inflation; states that are more urbanised will report lower inflation.

Any such move could inflate procurement costs for welfare programmes and potentially add to price pressure, putting both the government and the central bank in a tricky situation, as they step in to douse the inflation fire in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.