We examine the Indian bank asset quality review, which doubled the declared loan delinquency rate. Relative economic stability during the exercise and the absence of a capital backstop together make it unique. We find that the expected reduction in information asymmetry does not automatically...

We compare an in-kind subsidy, a workfare program, and an unconditional cash transfer in India based on the sensitivity of the insurance provided by each program against local economic shocks. We find that transfers under the in-kind subsidy contract when the beneficiaries are faced with local...

Using establishment-level employment and operating data, we examine the impact of the Indian government's employment guarantee program on labor and firm behavior. We exploit the staggered implementation of the program for identification and find that the program led to a 10% reduction in...

We provide empirical evidence from India's PMJDY program, a “big bang” supply shock that gives bank accounts to virtually all of its 280 million unbanked. Proprietary data from individual bank account statements shows that there is significant uptake, usage, usage growth, and balance...

We ask whether regulatory forbearance on bank loans contributes to deterioration in the governance of borrowing firms. More exposed firms experience a reduction in board independence and external monitoring, an increase in management compensation including transactions with connected entities,...