Minhaz Merchant

Minhaz Merchant is the biographer of Rajiv Gandhi and Aditya Birla and author of The New Clash of Civilizations (Rupa, 2014). He is founder of Sterling Newspapers Pvt. Ltd. which was acquired by the Indian Express group

Latest Articles By Minhaz Merchant

Towards A $5 Trillion Economy

Minhaz Merchant

Economy

If the math and sensible economic policies by the Modi government converge, India with a GDP of $5 trillion will in 2024-25 be the world’s fourth-largest economy, pulling ahead of Germany.

Privatisation Holds Key To Budget

Minhaz Merchant

Opinion Columns

If the current fiscal deficit of 3.4 per cent of GDP is to be maintained despite lower tax collections (including GST) and higher subsidy outlays, a serious effort at privatisation is necessary. The fiscal deficit in 2019-20 is likely to be around Rs 7.5 lakh crore

One Nation, Many Polls

Minhaz Merchant

Opinion Columns

In the “One Nation, Many Polls” formulation laid out here, that criticism would be void.

Modi’s New Reformist Agenda

Minhaz Merchant

Opinion Columns

There is a lesson in all of this for India. To create new jobs, India must reflate an economy starved of demand and supply. That is Ms. Sitharaman’s immediate challenge.

The New G3: US, China And India

Minhaz Merchant

Opinion Columns

With the additional assets of democracy and laws, India’s role in a putative G3 will prove pivotal.

Why Indian Startups Love Singapore

Minhaz Merchant

Opinion Columns

Despite the Indian government’s efforts to ease the process of registering a company, startups still face a mountain of bureaucratic hurdles

The Hot New Gig Economy

Minhaz Merchant

Opinion Editorial

The quality of jobs, rather than merely the quantity of jobs, should now be the principal concern for the government

Who Crippled Air India?

Minhaz Merchant

Opinion Columns

The integration of Air India and Indian Airlines, far from saving overall costs through synergies, has made the merged AI a white elephant with unserviceable debt

Unlocking Bankruptcy Code

Minhaz Merchant

Opinion Columns

The essence of the IBC is speed. The bankruptcy code mandates a 270-day deadline for resolving insolvency cases. But the IBC had not accounted for the ingenuity – more accurately, cussedness – of Indian promoters