Indian Economy

Article Index

Investing in India: 600 Million Reasons to Keep Your Eyes on This Country

By , Guest Writer, Money Morning -

At Madison Square Garden on Sept. 28, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to our nation's top corporate and political leaders that India is now open for business.

As old as India's culture is, millions of its citizens seek the contemporary American dream of opportunity and prosperity.

Here's how Modi plans to deliver on this promise - and what it means for those investing in India...

World's Factories Manufacturing at Record Rates, Fueling Global Economic Recovery

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

The world's factories are churning out products at record rates, fueling the global economic recovery at a faster pace than thought possible just a few months ago.

The latest figures show factory output is growing at a record rate from the United States to China to Europe and beyond. And as manufacturing expands, economists expect the world's economies to continue to expand, creating jobs and putting money in consumer pocketbooks.

As long as companies have plenty of cash to finance expansion, output from the world's factories should continue to grow, according to Money Morning Contributing Writer Shah Gilani, who recently launched the Capital Wave Forecast, a new trading service based on capital flows.

Recent surveys show U.S. companies are sitting on almost $1 trillion in cash.

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With Inflation Accelerating Around the World, Will the United States be Next?

By , Money Morning -

Inflation is now thoroughly entrenched in India's economy, and some analysts fear that the United States could suffer the same fate if adjustments to monetary policy aren't made soon.

India's wholesale price index-based inflation rate in February accelerated to 9.89% from a year earlier. That was the fastest pace in 16 months, blowing past the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) estimate for an 8.5% inflation rate at the end of March.

Soaring food prices were the primary driver of inflation. An index measuring wholesale prices of lentils, rice, vegetables and other food articles compiled by the commerce ministry rose 16.3% in the week ended March 6 from a year earlier after a 17.81% gain the previous week.

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India Says Economy Will Grow by 8.75% This Year, but Obstacles Remain

By , Contributing Writer, Money Morning -

The Indian economy will grow by as much as 8.75% in the coming fiscal year, the country's finance ministry predicted on Thursday. But concerns about inflation and a growing deficit have some analysts worried.

The annual Economic Survey released in parliament yesterday (Thursday), one of New Delhi's most important policy documents, said Asia's third largest economy will return to a high rate of growth as it stages a "remarkable recovery" from the global recession. Economic growth this year is estimated at about 7.5%.

The comprehensive annual assessment of India's economic performance was released a day before the government is scheduled to reveal its national budget, which is widely expected to outline policy changes to wind down fiscal stimulus measures and reduce the country's worst deficit in 20 years.

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Despite India's Optimism, There May Be a Better Time to Buy

By , Money Morning -

The Indian government announced Monday that the country's economy was expected to expand by 7.2% during the fiscal year that ends next month.

Agriculture - which had been expected to be a major drag on the economy because of a poor monsoon season - contracted a mere 0.2%. That is a truly stellar performance, showing that India - like China - has emerged almost unscathed from the global economic meltdown. It would pretty well justify the Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd.'s rich Price/Earnings multiple of 20 and would make Indian stocks a "Buy" even at these levels.

Unfortunately, when looked at closely, the picture is not quite so rosy.

Is India a "Buy" now -- or later? Read on to find out...

Is India a "Buy" now -- or later? Read on to find out...

Asia's Economic Recovery Gathering Steam with China at the Helm

By , Money Morning -

Manufacturing data today (Monday) confirmed that Asia's economic recovery is gaining strength, and China - whose economy may have expanded at a rate of 9.5% in the fourth quarter - is leading the revival.

The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing on Sunday said the country's official purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 55.2 in December from 54.3 a month earlier. That's the biggest increase since April 2008, and it was aided by an increase in trade. The gauge of export orders rose to 54.5 and the reading for imports climbed to 52.8.

Similarly, the China Manufacturing PMI produced by HSBC Holdings PLC (NYSE ADR: HBC) and Markit Economics jumped from 55.7 to 56.1 last month. The index's average monthly increase in the fourth quarter was the largest on record.

Economists point to these numbers as further evidence of a robust recovery for China's economy, which grew at an 8.9% annualized pace in the third quarter.

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How to Profit From the "Next" Dubai

By , Money Morning -

The Dubai World default is a matter of only $60 billion - mere peanuts when compared to other elements of the global financial crisis. It's thus of concern only to those silly enough to invest in real estate there (and the European banks foolish enough to finance it.) For the rest of us, it is a useful reminder that sudden collapses don't really come out of nowhere - they can be foreseen, and smart investors can plan for them.

You see, I did foresee this one, for Money Morning readers - 16 months ago, before the global banking crash. Back in July 2008, I wrote that Dubai's economy was "more bubble than boom," that it had "a construction bubble worse than the Florida market and a monetary policy looser than Ben Bernanke's" and that "its return to earth will be painful and probably not long delayed."

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As India Inflation Nears 30-Year Low, Policymakers are Priming Third Stimulus

By , Money Morning -

By Mike Caggeso Associate Editor Money Morning India's annual inflation clocked in at a shockingly low 0.61% in the week ended May 9, and 0.48% the week prior, opening a window for policymakers to resuscitate the economy without worrying about consumer unrest. Inflation in India - a rampant problem for years - is hovering near […]

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