Macroeconomic

Current account deficit may dip to 4.5 per cent: ICRA

Kolkata: India's current account deficit, which was around 5 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) last fiscal, is expected to decline to 4.5 per cent this fiscal, rating agency ICRA said on Tuesday.

"This is based on the expectation that incentives announced by the government of India would provide a limited boost to non-oil, non-jewellery merchandise exports and lower crude oil prices would dampen growth of oil imports," ICRA said in a release in Kolkata.

The size and funding of the current account deficit in FY14, however, was likely to remain a key concern for the Reserve Bank of India as macroeconomic and political uncertainties might result in sporadic portfolio outflows and foreign direct investment inflows might not record a broad-based pickup, it said.

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Inflation seen range-bound this fiscal year, says RBI

Mumbai: Inflation is likely to be range-bound and stay around the current levels in this financial year as supply-side issues, along with recent price adjustments in fuel prices, will offset the recent gains, RBI said on Thursday. "Headline inflation in 2013-14 is expected to remain range-bound around the current levels," RBI said in its annual Macroeconomic and Monetary Developments report. It added: "While sluggish global growth may dampen global inflation...  

Rural consumers will hold the key to stocks' success

From a macroeconomic perspective, 2012 for India was close to the worst that could have been forecasted in late 2011. Back then, it was called sensationalist to forecast a 5 percent GDP growth, a mid-50s steady-state value for the rupee against the US dollar, a sticky 7 percent-plus wholesale price inflation, close to double-digit consumer price inflation and almost no rate cuts from the RBI. It was feared that if...  

Health outlay to be increased to 2.5 pc of GDP

New Delhi: As directed by the Prime Minister a meeting was held in PMO on Government's priorities in Health sector, particularly over the next 5 years. The meeting specifically focused on implementation of recommendations of the National Commission forMacroeconomics & Health (NCMH) and the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Health set up by PlanningCommission. The Prime Minister has emphasised the need for increased outlay on healthsector during 12thPlan so...  

RBI releases macroeconomic report before credit policy

Experts look back at the last-ball thriller which Mumbai Indians clinched with Ambati Rayudu's six. ...