An autonomous research institute under the Ministry of Finance

 

Are households saving less?

12/01/2026

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In the years post Covid-19 household savings and investment behaviour has received much attention. There have been concerns of growing debt. Banks have expanded their lending to households, particularly in the category of housing loans. The share of personal loans in total non-food credit by households increased from 21.27% in …


India’s Economic Resilience: Navigating Economic Growth

09/01/2026

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As India enters 2026, its economy continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience amid a complex global landscape. The latest advance estimates from the National Statistical Office project real GDP growth at 7.4% for FY 2025-26, up from 6.5% in the previous fiscal year.  This robust performance, driven by buoyant services …


Gender Budgeting in the Space Sector: Fiscal policy Rationale and Application

05/01/2026

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(Co-authored with Lekha Chakraborty)

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs’ (UNOOSA) Space4Women Landmark Study (2025) documents a persistent gender imbalance in public space organisations worldwide: with women constituting approximately only 30% of the global workforce in public space agencies, a figure that declines sharply to 19 percent at …


Who are banks lending to?

02/01/2026

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(Co-authored with R. Kavita Rao)

Banks have been a major source of financing for investment and working capital especially for large firms in India. Changing pattern of resource mobilisation for these firms – with a shift in favour of own resources and the bond market – could have some implications …


Sari: A timeless garment in turbulent times

23/12/2025

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(Co-authored with Pramod Sinha)

Even as exports face difficulties, sari endures as more than fabric—a repository of memory, identity and quiet resilience

In December 1975, a newspaper editorial mentioned India’s sari exports for the fiscal year 1974-751. Valued at just over Rs 7.5 crore—equivalent to roughly $9 million …