Import tariffs are not an economic consideration for the government of India anyway, with data from Budget 2025-26 showing that customs duty isn’t a key revenue source.
While tax has proved Nirmala Sitharaman’s strong suit, there have been policy negatives as well, including under-performance on privatisation and failure to fix banking mess.
Swadeshi has found a new wind in Indian politics as a form of popular resistance to China. But raising barriers to Chinese imports only affects those lower down the income pyramid.
Share of Indian export to Asian countries has dropped in the past decade despite forging major free trade alliances but it has gone up in traditional markets like US and Europe.
To boost exports, India must accept its challenge is internal, even though it keeps raising fingers at unfavourable external factors like trade protectionism.
The last time this matter flared up was when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in a very similar directive in April, called for the relocation of stray dogs in the capital.
Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.
The project is meant to be a ‘protective shield that will keep expanding’, the PM said. It is on the lines of the ‘Golden Dome’ announced by Trump, it is learnt.
Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?
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