Using a panel of firm-level data, this paper examines the effects of India''s trade reforms in the early 1990s on firm productivity in the manufacturing sector, focusing on the interaction between this policy shock and firm and environment characteristics. The rapid and comprehensive tariff...

The easing of controls on interest rates has led to higher interest rate volatility in India. Hence, there is a need to measure and monitor the interest rate exposure of Indian banks. Using publicly available information, this paper attempts to assess the interest rate risk carried by a sample...

This paper examines how growth has varied across India''s states. It finds that (i) the income gap between rich and poor states has widened; (ii) rich and faster-growing states have been more effective in reducing poverty; (iii) poor and slower-growing states have had little success in generating...

India faces a range of money laundering and terrorist financing risks. India continues to be a target for terrorist groups and has been the victim of numerous attacks. Based on a threat assessment, it was found that India's major sources for terrorist financing (FT) were funds/resources from...

Large cohorts of young adults are poised to add to the working-age population of developing economies. Despite much interest in the consequent growth dividend, the size and circumstances of the potential gains remain under-explored. This study makes progress by focusing on India, which will be...

The Indian economy has recovered strongly. The government's poverty alleviation programs have focused on generation of employment in rural areas. The overall deficit of the consolidated public sector has risen sharply in recent years, erasing most of the consolidation that was achieved during...

This paper examines the efficiency of the different segments of India''s financial system using firm-level data on corporate financing patterns. Firms are increasingly relying on external funds to finance their investment in most recent years. Empirical analyses indicate that (1) the financial...

The large holdings of government securities by banks in India draw attention to their risk as interest rates are at historical low levels. This paper measures such a risk using duration and value-at-risk methods and assesses its current management by banks. The main finding is that some public...

This article presents an overview of the life of Richard Layard, who believes that the basic purpose of economics is the maximization of happiness and well-being. As director of the Wellbeing Programme at the London School of Economics' Centre for Economic Performance, Layard focuses on the...

High and persistent inflation has presented serious macroeconomic challenges in India in recent years, increasing the country's domestic and external vulnerabilities. A number of factors underpin India's high inflation. This book analyzes various facets of Indian inflation-the causes,...