Swapnil Karkare
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India's Productivity Journey Is More Complicated Than We Think | The Reason Why
India's informal sector productivity rises sharply with scale, but compliance burdens after 10 workers may slow business growth
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Not All Dollars Coming Home Are Equal | The Reason Why
Thanks to 19 million Indians living overseas, India received a record $137 billion in remittances in 2024, more than 14% of global remittance flows.
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Ethanol Blending Isn't Just A Water Debate | The Reason Why
India's ethanol push is reshaping farming, fuel, trade and groundwater use in ways policymakers did not fully anticipate.
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The Price Of Building What Lasts | The Week In Whys
A politics-heavy week gave way to deeper questions on oil cartels, numb global markets and India's scientific research gap in this sharp weekly roundup by Swapnil.
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India Needs To Catch Up Before China Leaps Ahead In Scientific Research | The Reason Why
India needs more R&D - not to show off - but to genuinely help the population. The social welfare payoff from basic research in fields such as epidemiology, nutrition, agriculture, and climate could directly shape the lives of hundreds of millions.
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The Post-OPEC World May Be More Volatile | The Reason Why
The UAE's exit reflects this shift. With lower fiscal dependence on oil and a far more diversified economy than many of its peers, it increasingly favours monetising reserves before energy-transition dynamics weaken demand.
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Global Markets Are Getting Numb To Geopolitics | The Reason Why
Some investors like Warren Buffett have piled on cash quietly, preparing for extreme scenarios. But most of them treat geopolitics as background noise, largely because earnings haven't taken a hit yet.
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The Signal Beneath The Story | The Week In Whys
A lot of people have framed the UAE's exit from OPEC as a geopolitical story - Iran tensions and Saudi rivalry. Those elements matter, but economics mattered more than such issues.
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UAE Exits OPEC | The Reason Why
About 75% of the UAE's GDP now comes from non-oil sectors, compared to roughly 4050% in Saudi Arabia.
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Chinese Companies Are Selling Dollars But Don't Read Much Into It | The Reason Why
Over the past year, the yuan has appreciated by around 6-7%, an outlier among emerging market currencies. The move has been gradual, but persistent enough to start showing up in corporate earnings.
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Asian Currencies Show Divergence Amid US-Iran War | The Reason Why
Currencies are moving in different directions. Those who were strong before the war largely stayed strong, while the weaker ones came under more pressure. That raises a simple question: were these trends created by the war, or were they already in motion?
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When Having Isn't Enough | The Week in Whys
Why access alone is not enough — from shorter workweeks and financial hedging to women's banking freedom in India.
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She Has A Bank Account, But Not Enough Control | The Reason Why
India has successfully opened bank accounts for women. Around 90% have them. But the number of women who actually operate these accounts or make financial decisions remains low.
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Financial Hedging Falls Short For Longer Horizon | The Reason Why
Businesses have become more vulnerable to supply shocks. Here, the problem shifts from prices to availability.
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India Needs To Work More To Reduce Working Hours | The Reason Why
In both the US and Europe, institutions have played a big role in reducing work hours. India lacks strong labour laws, unions, and social security to make it happen.
