India’s government and a clutch of state-owned companies already own 87 percent of ONGC. The only upside for ONGC investors is the price of crude. If that’s fixed, then there’s no reason to own its shares.
Fauja Singh, 114, died after being hit by a speeding car. His death renews questions about India’s deadly roads, rising accidents, and poor traffic discipline.
Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.
India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.
Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.
The government’s woes extend beyond taking ONGC private. Given public sentiment over high fuel prices and the imminence of the next general election – perhaps even in Nov / Dec – it must be with a very heavy heart that it is not affording them any relief by cutting excise duties. The state governments are being nudged to cut VAT but they are equally fiscally stretched, with farm loan waivers adding to the burden. 2. The tax structure for fuels got distorted when oil fell to $ 40 or even lower. The entire windfall was soaked up by central / state governments, who thought it would be permanent. They made no provision for a contingency where the gain might prove to be transient. 3. The windfall, ten trillion by some estimates, has masked economic slowdown with its attendant reduced tax buoyancy. We are now getting a clearer picture about how prudently public finances have been managed. There are also no shiny new capital projects to account for where this largesse has been spent.
Given that the bulk of at-pump petrol price in India is tax, why even the question?
The government’s woes extend beyond taking ONGC private. Given public sentiment over high fuel prices and the imminence of the next general election – perhaps even in Nov / Dec – it must be with a very heavy heart that it is not affording them any relief by cutting excise duties. The state governments are being nudged to cut VAT but they are equally fiscally stretched, with farm loan waivers adding to the burden. 2. The tax structure for fuels got distorted when oil fell to $ 40 or even lower. The entire windfall was soaked up by central / state governments, who thought it would be permanent. They made no provision for a contingency where the gain might prove to be transient. 3. The windfall, ten trillion by some estimates, has masked economic slowdown with its attendant reduced tax buoyancy. We are now getting a clearer picture about how prudently public finances have been managed. There are also no shiny new capital projects to account for where this largesse has been spent.