Author: Isha Thite
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How can India stop cities from flooding & make them resilient?
Some cities recover from floods within days, while others remain waterlogged, disrupted, and economically paralysed for weeks. The difference is rarely rainfall alone. Cities that recover faster have usually made a series of deliberate choices before the rain arrives: they protect natural drainage systems, invest in resilient infrastructure, map risk, maintain drains, warn residents early,…
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Information Asymmetry and Governance Failure: Why Transparency Must Lead to Accountability
Good governance depends on citizens having reliable information about government decisions, public expenditure, welfare schemes, and public services. However, citizens and public institutions rarely possess equal information. Government departments and local officials may know more about rules, budgets, applications, and payments than the people who depend on these services. This unequal distribution of information is…
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How Red Sea Rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope is Reshaping Indian Export Lead Times & Costs
The Red Sea crisis that began in late 2023 has significantly disrupted one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. Security risks in the Red Sea led many major container shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal and reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope. For India, this shift has created important challenges…
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From Yeola to the World: Can Paithani Become India’s Next Global Luxury Textile?
A Paithani saree is more than a piece of clothing. It is a story woven into silk and zari. Known for its vibrant colours, intricate borders and traditional motifs such as peacocks, parrots, lotuses and flowers, Paithani is one of Maharashtra’s most distinctive handwoven traditions. The craft is closely associated with Paithan, while Yeola has…
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GST and MSMEs in India: Impact on Small Businesses
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are often described as the backbone of the Indian economy. They contribute significantly to employment, manufacturing, exports, and regional development while providing opportunities for entrepreneurship across urban and rural India. Because of their large presence and economic importance, any major policy reform affecting businesses has a direct impact on…
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Why Female Labour Force Participation is Key to India’s Demographic Dividend
India is entering a phase that economists call the “demographic dividend“, a period when a large share of its population is of working age. On paper, this gives India a rare chance to grow faster and lift millions out of poverty. But this chance does not arrive automatically. It depends on whether the country can…
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The Free Shipping Trap: Why We Spend More to Save Less
Have you ever added one more item to your online cart just to qualify for free shipping? Maybe you only planned to buy a shirt, a book, or a household item, but the website told you that you were just ₹150 away from free delivery. Instead of paying a ₹50 shipping fee, you added something…
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What must India do to improve its export competitiveness with ASEAN?
Sixteen years after the ASEAN–India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA) came into force, the key question is no longer whether trade has grown. It has. The more important question is why India’s imports from ASEAN continue to grow significantly faster than its exports, and what this reveal about India’s export competitiveness in one of the world’s…
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The Ripple Effect: How wars shatter Global Markets
War has always been more than just a military event; it is also a trade shock. During World War I, global trade is estimated to have fallen by about 25%. At the same time, World War II drove a far deeper collapse as many economies shifted towards war production and international commerce was severely fragmented.…