Harish Damodaran

Buoyant GDP numbers aren’t reflected in rural wages that have fallen in real inflation-adjusted terms, partly due to growth itself becoming less labour-intensive.

How all of this play outs on election day remains to be seen.

As labour shortages intensify, a factory in Latur district is set to be the first in India to use mechanical harvesters for cutting its entire sugarcane crop

The Modi government's apparent reluctance to act against Adani could be because it views, more than previous administrations, big business as a partner in nation-building and also serving the country's foreign policy and geostrategic interests.

A good monsoon and possibility of an extended winter from La Niña offers hope of a bumper harvest and robust farm sector growth. But there are worries too.

Fall in sales unlikely to hit crop yields, as farmers opt for complex fertilisers with less P content, say experts.

India’s balance of payments is in better shape now, with a relatively low current account deficit that can be financed by some drawdown of forex reserves at worst.

Low stocks and production uncertainties make wheat imports inevitable, while Indonesia's biodiesel blending programme has caused global palm oil prices to soar.

The Centre has not permitted sugar exports since 2023-24, after three years of record shipments led to concerns over domestic availability amid overall rising food inflation.

Crop prices haven’t kept pace with production costs, whereas the growth in agricultural wages have surpassed inflation over the last two decades