Swaminathan Anklesaria Aiyar
Another TACO in Tehran? It’s the midterm math, stupid
Even with the ceasefire in West Asia, it may take time for oil prices to come down. This will deal a heavy blow to Trump
Iran shock hits fertilizer supply. But the answer may be up in the air
Why not just extract these fertilizers out of our polluted air, reducing health hazards even while making India a massive fertilizer producer?
Why India's FDI turning negative is reason for cheer
Outflow of funds has exceeded inflows for the past four moths, but there is no cause for worry. It is a sign of booming capitalism
Cave-In, Not Breakthrough
The India-US trade deal armtwists India and the fine print of the agreement still isn't known. It's just a partial rollback of economic blackmail.
- Swaminathan Anklesaria Aiyar
- THE ECONOMIC TIMES
Don’t celebrate a deal that can be so easily undone by Trump
Trust between US and India that took decades to build has been destroyed. The problem is not merely that Trump is a crude muscle-flexer. Rather, he has challenged the entire strategic consensus after World War II, an era when the US helped create an international system where institutions and rules mattered, not just brute force
Swami column: The Economic Survey says India can grow faster — but not on cash freebies
India can aim for higher growth, but it won’t get from 7% to 8% growth if elections keep driving giveaways
- Swaminathan Anklesaria Aiyar
- THE ECONOMIC TIMES
Why 2025 was not as tariffying as we thought
The inflationary reckoning has been postponed, not cancelled. It may well arrive in 2026
Creep or leap? Decoding new labour reforms
Parliament passed the laws on labour codes five years ago. But the Union govt refrained from giving effect to them nationally by notifying them. Meanwhile, states implemented various provisions at their own pace
Macaulay racist but his English push gave us passport to mobility
While its motives were partly imperial, the British Raj helped resurrect India’s heritage and history. More importantly, they brought elections to India.
Forgotten monuments: Why do Indians skip Bodh Gaya, Nalanda?
The story of the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya and the great Buddhist university of Nalanda — both pit stops on an election tour — shows how a country once at the forefront of global learning allowed great monuments to sink beneath mud and memory.
India netas turn UBI into UBF: Give economists a migraine
Cash transfers can be economically efficient. But these are not —with some exceptions — being used by either the central or state govts to replace existing subsidies. Rather, new freebies pile up on top of old
‘Fake’ riot cases: Why are police not penalised?
Out of the 116 riot cases decided so far in the north-east Delhi riots case of 2020, more than 80% have ended in acquittals or discharges
Nepal to France, not every revolt is a turning point
Revolutions, wars, and crises get sold as world-changing breaks. In reality, many end up as minor changes to the status quo
Not Laos or Pak, India can take a page from China’s playbook
US and Russia could still come to a deal in the coming months. India should stay firm and give Trump the chance to ‘chicken out’
Finding ‘Amar, Akbar, Anthony’ in a Kerala ayurveda clinic
Kerala's secularism fosters Muslim and Christian doctors practicing Ayurveda, a field often associated with Hinduism
Do but don’t die? How war has changed
Israel's military success points to a potential shift in warfare where targeted assassinations of leaders could deter conflicts
Why India shouldn’t worry about Chinese dams on the Brahmaputra
Topography and rainfall ensure India’s leverage over the river remains strong
Two cases, one message: Free speech needs more legal encouragement
Recent cases of an Ashoka university professor and of a college student in Maharashtra show that courts are keener on politically correct speech than free speech
Anti-DEI Trump may fuel rise in hate speech here
Trump’s directives have emboldened social media platforms to bin fact-checkers and rely on crowdsourcing. This could amplify hate
There’s a big, non-obvious Trump problem for India
Donald Trump's unpredictable tariff policies may harm global business confidence, slowing investment and growth. India's market faces risks with potential setbacks from US tariffs and the impact on investor sentiment, as Modi aims to stabilise relations