ASIA: India has pitched for enhancing the emergency assistance of the National Development Bank to $10 billion from $1 billion. The issue was flagged by union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the annual meeting of the board of governors of the National Development Bank (NDB) via video conference on Monday. NDB has so far approved […]

COMMENT: Marty; you are right. William Kristol is a very dangerous neocon who is only intent on wasting American lives to defend Israel in the Middle East. He has become not conservative but ruthlessly a warmonger. He put out an open letter against Trump because he wanted to pull troops out of the Middle East. […]

ASIA: The total number of coronavirus cases in India has gone up to 13,387, while the death toll has risen to 437, according to the latest figures from the Health Ministry. In the past 24 hours, 1,007 fresh COVID-19 infections and 23 deaths were reported. India’s gold consumption in 2020 could fall as much as […]

ASIA: India identified 170 districts as hotspots including major metros – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a set of guidelines that informs which services and practices are permitted in these areas during the next phase of lockdown which will continue till May 3, 2020. India has agreed […]

ASIA: India laid out plans for the gradual reopening of its economy that will permit some manufacturing, agricultural work, and other activities to resume on a limited basis after April 20, provided they are not in designated coronavirus hotspots. India’s top-down approach to implementing the initial countrywide lockdown was critical in slowing the rapid spread […]

ASIA: India has extended its national lockdown until May 3, 2020. Prime Minister Modi announced this decision today in a televised address to the nation. After April 20, some states that have avoided outbreaks may be allowed to resume. The country has at least 10,363 reported cases, including 339 deaths, according to the Ministry of […]

ASIA: India’s central Bank said in its Monetary Policy Report that the outlook for India’s economic recovery has been sharply altered by the coronavirus outbreak. India’s economy expanded at its slowest pace in more than six years in the last three months of 2019 and was projected to clock in full-year growth of 5% which […]

Market Talk will resume on Monday, April 13. We would like to wish our readers who celebrate a happy Easter weekend. ASIA: India’s factory output rose to a seven-month high of 4.5% in February, before the government imposed a nationwide lockdown in March that crippled normal economic activity. Mining and manufacturing grew at 10% and […]

ASIA: India is planning to extend its nation-wide lockdown after many state governments requested to extend the lockdown retaining all or most of the existing curbs. The likelihood of lifting the lid on mass transit such as trains, metros, and flights and on inter-state movement of people appears slim. India’s state governments are demanding help […]

ASIA: A group of Indian government ministers advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to partially lift the lockdown imposed on March 25 for 21 days to sustain the livelihood of millions who have little to eat and to control the unemployment rate in the nation which has climbed to more than 20%. The panel has recommended […]