February 2026
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How Multilateral Development Banks Are Operationalising SDG 17?
The scale of investment required to meet the Sustainable Development Goals has been widely acknowledged. Less clearly understood is how existing development finance institutions are adapting to this challenge. As financing needs grow more complex and capital sources more fragmented, the architecture of development finance, rather than the availability of funds alone, has emerged as…
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India’s PLI at a Crossroads: Assembly Success or Capability Trap?
India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, launched in 2020 with an outlay of ₹1.97 lakh crore across 14 sectors, represents the country’s most ambitious industrial policy intervention since liberalisation. Electronics production has more than doubled, smartphone exports have surged nearly eightfold, and mobile phones have become one of India’s top export categories within five years. By…
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Why the Biggest Bottleneck in 2026 isn’t Technology, it’s People
Walk into a modern manufacturing plant in 2026, and you might expect the biggest concern to be automation, robotics, or artificial intelligence. Instead, the most pressing crisis is far more human: there simply aren’t enough skilled people to run the machines. Across industries, from automotive and electronics to aerospace and pharmaceuticals, manufacturers face a paradox.…
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Denmark’s Rule of Law and Fiscal Stability under SDG 16
Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” is often discussed in moral or governance terms. Yet its economic dimension is far more consequential. Institutional integrity is not simply about preventing misconduct; it is about protecting fiscal capacity, stabilising public revenue, and sustaining long-term development commitments. Where corruption persists, and illicit financial…
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The Economic Impact of SaaS AI on Global Business Efficiency
Enterprise software has gone through many waves’ digitization, migration to the cloud, and process automation and each time efficiency is improved. However, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms is not merely an increment for the better, but a fundamental change in the manner of business decisions. Traditional SaaS platforms were structured…
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SDG 16 and Institutional Development in India
At the heart of human progress lies a profound but often invisible architecture: the institutions that govern our daily lives. Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG-16) dedicated to Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions is not merely one goal among seventeen in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. It is the bedrock upon which all other development goals…
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“Peak Phosphorus” and the Geopolitics of Food
The National Institute of Health introduces the element phosphorus as such: “Phosphorus, an essential mineral, is naturally present in many foods and available as a dietary supplement. Phosphorus is a component of bones, teeth, DNA, and RNA. In the form of phospholipids, phosphorus is also a component of cell membrane structure and of the body’s…
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Takeaways for EU CBAM’s Impact on Indian Steel
The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), entering its financial phase in January 2026, marks a structural shift in global trade. Unlike traditional tariffs, CBAM embeds carbon pricing into imports of carbon-intensive products. For India’s steel industry which contributes nearly 12% of manufacturing GDP and employs over 2 million people this is not a…
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From Metal to Margins: How Circularity is Rewiring the Automotive Industry
India’s automotive industry is entering its most capital-intensive decade. Electrification mandates, tightening emission norms, and rising localization targets are pushing manufacturers to invest billions in new platforms and supply chains. Yet beneath this transformation lies a structural vulnerability: modern vehicles, especially electric ones, are becoming more material-intensive at the very moment raw materials are becoming…
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Where does India stand in terms of Global Trade in 2026?
India’s trade performance in 2025–26 reflects a country that has clearly expanded its global footprint, strengthened its services dominance, and diversified export markets. Yet, the data also reveal structural asymmetries that prevent India from fully converting its economic scale into trade power. The question is no longer whether India is integrated into the global trading…