World apart

William Shakespeare’s words seem apt at the end of a tumultuous year for India's economy.

Blue-sky gazing: Here is a wish list for the government as a new year beckons

4 min read . 30 Dec 2025

It is hard to think of a tycoon who has meddled in politics as overtly as Elon Musk has.

The Big Tech warp: Technology may be taking over much more than we suspect

4 min read . 17 Dec 2025

Takaichi’s handling of Japan’s economy will likely determine her legacy as Prime Minister. (AP)

Takaichi has investor attention but her economic policies may not help Japan

4 min read . 19 Nov 2025

This is a book that teems with telling statistics. (HT_PRINT)

Rahul Jacob: Why hasn't India grown as fast as other Asian economies?

4 min read . 05 Nov 2025

Political instability has only increased since last year’s snap election that Macron hoped would undermine the far-right led by Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National. (AFP)

Rahul Jacob: The turmoil in France reflects the failure of European centrists

4 min read . 22 Oct 2025

Stephen Miran’s view of the positive impact of Trump’s disruptive policies could be termed champagne anarchism. (REUTERS)

Trump's Fed appointee has some truly puzzling policy ideas

4 min read . 24 Sept 2025

The parade in Beijing has been a moment of shock and awe for China watchers in India and overseas. (REUTERS)

Rahul Jacob: China hype’s sprucing up its image at home and abroad

4 min read . 10 Sept 2025

Bhagwati’s powerful yet pithy defence of globalization has never seemed more relevant than it does in 2025. (Bloomberg)

Why Jagdish Bhagwati isn’t overly worried about world trade

4 min read . 27 Aug 2025

That central banks are reducing their exposure to government debt even as corporate debt in the OECD is rising has the makings of a debt funding impasse. (REUTERS)

Rahul Jacob: High rich-world debt is a worry we must all confront

4 min read . 30 Jul 2025

For India, it's unclear if there are lessons to be drawn from countries like the UK and Vietnam which have successfully concluded trade deals with the US. (REUTERS)

Rahul Jacob: The contours of a new trade order are becoming visible

4 min read . 16 Jul 2025

A YouGov survey last week showed that if parliamentary elections were held today, Reform would win the most seats but not an outright majority. (REUTERS)

Rahul Jacob: A political shadow lengthens over London’s South Asian summer

3 min read . 03 Jul 2025

Young people seem to be discovering cocktails and are not part of the developed world’s shift away from alcohol. (Istockphoto)

Rahul Jacob: Alcohol isn’t what it used to be but maybe that’s alright

4 min read . 18 Jun 2025

An obsession with manufacturing jobs is myopic because automation is a principal leitmotif of new factories. (AFP)

Rahul Jacob: Manufacturing is crying out for a reality check

4 min read . 04 Jun 2025

Mark Carney, leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party, responded to US President Donald Trump’s verbal barrage with an aggression of his own. (Bloomberg)

Rahul Jacob: Liberals must combine compassion with aggression

4 min read . 21 May 2025

The ability to dispense investment advice with dollops of self-deprecating humour is an underappreciated aspect of why people buy Berkshire shares and keep them for their children to inherit. (File Photo: AP)

Rahul Jacob: Buffett’s retirement won’t diminish the lessons he leaves us

4 min read . 08 May 2025

Yiwu, a trading hub in south China, had ingeniously cornered the production of Trump memorabilia, ranging from baseball caps to solar-powered Trump dolls. (Bloomberg)

Rahul Jacob: Expect an early Halloween as trade scares worsen globally

4 min read . 23 Apr 2025

In 1914, John Maynard Keynes wrote an almost triumphalist ode to globalization. (Getty Images)

Rahul Jacob: Recall what Keynes and Kennan had to say

4 min read . 09 Apr 2025

Less emphasis on the PLI scheme ought to create room for a new industrial policy. (REUTERS)

Rahul Jacob: Grab the chance to reset India’s industrial policy

4 min read . 26 Mar 2025

German chancellor-to-be Friedrich Merz, long a fiscal conservative and leader of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), recently made an about-turn on the virtues of higher deficit spending. (Bloomberg)

Rahul Jacob: Global alliances have changed and so have German policies

4 min read . 12 Mar 2025

'Hope', Pope Francis' new autobiography, is an occasionally disjointed memoir full of inspiring stories that have the quality of religious parables. (via REUTERS)

Pope Francis inspires hope across the globe for good reason

4 min read . 26 Feb 2025