Publication Page Archive

The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), one of India’s premier economic policy research think tanks, carried out the 134th Round of its Business Expectations Survey (BES) in September 2025. NCAER has been carrying out the BES every quarter since 1992, covering 484 firms across four regions.

Economic growth depends on innovation and technological progress — a fact highlighted by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics which highlighted the role of human capital in driving productivity. In India, this linkage is most visible in the automobile industry, a pillar of manufacturing and employment. Yet, the sector faces widening skill shortages and skill...   Read More

The automotive sector contributes significantly to India’s manufacturing output and employment (Bhandari, Pratap and Sahu 2022). Among those employed, most are skilled individuals, having undergone formal or non-formal vocational/technical education and training, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). Despite this, skill shortages and skill gaps abound, as found through stakeholder consultations for NCAER’s...   Read More

Beneath the surface of this demographic story lies a quieter, more human crisis. India is getting older and faster than most realise. More than 10 percent of our population—over 14 crore people—are already aged 60 years or above. By 2050, this number will double, and for the first time in history, the elderly will outnumber...   Read More

The sovereignty premium has become the quiet tax of our time.    At the 2025 International Monetary Fund-World Bank annual meetings, discussions on financing development goals highlight an increasingly pressing reality: the growing economic cost countries incur to achieve financial autonomy. This sovereignty premium is becoming visible across sovereign balance sheets. Global public debt is...   Read More

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of India's water resources through the construction and application of Physical Supply and Use Tables (PSUT), providing a systematic framework for understanding sectoral water allocation, consumption patterns, and policy implications. Using the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) methodology, we examine water flows across agricultural, industrial, energy, and municipal sectors,...   Read More

Key Takeaways Women constitute a large share of India’s textile workforce yet remain confined to low-skilled and traditional roles due to limited education and informal training. With the sector’s shift towards digital and sustainable production, demand for advanced skills is rising. Focused re-skilling, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy can help women access emerging opportunities and leadership...   Read More

Summary Sustainable development finance is trapped in a structural bind: the needs are rising, but the instruments are skewed toward debt. Developing economies must mobilize an estimated $4.2 trillion annually to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate targets, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Simultaneously, over two-thirds of public...   Read More

By embedding behavioural awareness, robust safety, and digital trust into the investor ecosystem, India can nurture generations of empowered citizens. A 23-year-old management student in Delhi recently lost her savings to a social media group that promised “sure-shot stock tips” with guaranteed daily returns. A few weeks earlier, a young IT professional followed the advice of a...   Read More

As India deepens financial inclusion through digital tools, World Investor Week 2025 urges regulators and citizens to address behavioural biases, fraud risks, and digital trust gaps. Access to investing has expanded dramatically through digital platforms and mobile tools, aided by the JAM Trinity and Aadhaar-enabled services. Yet, the behavioural vulnerabilities of investors remain as prominent...   Read More