BasisPoint Groupthink

Groupthink is the House View of BasisPoint’s in-house columnists.

MPC’s New Voice Speaks the Old Grammar of Caution

Monetary Policy

Indranil Bhattacharyya’s debut echoes the RBI’s old grammar of caution—clear in logic, yet padded with the rhetorical crutches it didn’t need.

October 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM IST

Partly Monetary Policy, Largely Credit Policy

WRAP

RBI holds repo rate at 5.5% but turns back to credit policy playbook, spurring lending while leaving December wide open for rate cuts.

BasisPoint Groupthink

October 1, 2025 at 12:22 PM IST

Poonam Gupta's tweet

Time for RBI to Recount, Reset

Monetary Policy

Beyond the rate call, the October review must recount what has been done, what was achieved, and set the compass for policy in the year ahead.

BasisPoint Groupthink

September 30, 2025 at 10:23 AM IST

iStock.com

Powell’s Quiet Win Against Trump’s Noise

Powell rallied colleagues for a cautious cut, resisting Trump’s pressure. His quiet resilience showed the Fed can still steer its own course.

BasisPoint Groupthink

September 18, 2025 at 2:28 AM IST

White House

Global Leaders Turn Modi’s 75th Birthday Into Diplomatic Spectacle

At 75, Modi’s birthday became a stage for diplomacy and spectacle, with tributes reflecting both his stature and India’s shifting place in the world.

BasisPoint Groupthink

September 17, 2025 at 2:11 PM IST

PIB

Why India’s Stock Markets are Poised for a Major Shift

SEBI reforms unlock mega IPOs and foreign capital with SWAGAT initiative, setting the stage for stable, long-term investments in India

BasisPoint Groupthink

September 13, 2025 at 11:27 AM IST

Jimmy vikas/cc

A New Approach in Trump’s War On Powell

Trump’s latest jab at Powell swaps brute force for reductio ad absurdum, arming his Fed critique with jokes, jargon, and a dash of intellectual flair.

BasisPoint Groupthink

September 10, 2025 at 2:08 AM IST

Cash Cows, Not Tech Leaders

Indian IT fattens shareholders with buybacks, but starves itself of ideas. Cash cows seldom become global tech pioneers.

BasisPoint Groupthink

September 9, 2025 at 6:08 AM IST

iStock.com

Eggheads, Not Cheerleaders

When institutional heads slip into boosterism, they stop being referees and start misleading the very investors they are meant to protect.

BasisPoint Groupthink

September 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM IST

iStock.com

Open Mouths, Open Markets, and RBI’s Signalling Gap

The RBI’s June gamble of frontloaded easing and a sudden neutral stance has backfired, raising borrowing costs. Governor Malhotra now needs both words and deeds.

BasisPoint Groupthink

August 27, 2025 at 6:45 AM IST

RBI

Powell’s Precarious Balance

Powell’s Jackson Hole signal of a rate cut showed a Fed caught between rising unemployment risks and Trump’s tariff-fuelled inflation pressures.

BasisPoint Groupthink

August 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM IST

US Federal Reserve

RBI’s October Call Hinges on Transmission, Tariffs and a Swing Voter

August MPC minutes show caution but not closure. With Ranjan wavering, the RBI keeps cuts alive while waiting on data, tariffs, and transmission.

BasisPoint Groupthink

August 20, 2025 at 2:42 PM IST

Poonam Gupta

Lilavati Case Puts HDFC Bank Chief in Unwanted Spotlight

A courtroom battle over Mumbai’s Lilavati Trust has put HDFC Bank chief Sashidhar Jagdishan’s reputation on trial far beyond the balance sheet.

BasisPoint Groupthink

August 19, 2025 at 8:04 AM IST

WikiCommons

Powell, Under Construction

Trump’s latest shot at Powell swaps rate charts for blueprints, but the aim is the same: bend the Fed to his campaign tune.

BasisPoint Groupthink

August 12, 2025 at 4:39 PM IST

White House

When the RBI Governor’s Words Move More Than Just Markets

Two recent flare-ups show why Sanjay Malhotra must blend facts with empathy because, for an RBI governor, every word can be policy.

BasisPoint Groupthink

August 12, 2025 at 9:36 AM IST

Screengrab from RBI Press Conference

RBI’s Inflation Vigil Misses Trade Storm Clouds

Monetary Policy

The central bank’s hawkish turn on core inflation ignores looming growth risks from Trump tariffs and slowing domestic demand.

BasisPoint Groupthink

August 6, 2025 at 7:39 AM IST

RBI Should Rethink Its FX Swap Playbook Amid Trump Tariff Threats

Ample liquidity tempts RBI to deliver on its $5 billion swap, but rising external risks call for preserving reserves and slowing forward unwinding.

BasisPoint Groupthink

July 31, 2025 at 3:44 AM IST

iStock.com

Powell Weighs Politics and Data as Trump Heat Clouds Fed’s Path

Political fire and mixed data frame this week’s Fed decision; Powell must hold the centre while keeping September easing firmly in play.

BasisPoint Groupthink

July 29, 2025 at 11:02 AM IST

White House

Parliament Must Confront Security Lapses — Then Tackle Jobs Crisis

TCS Job Cuts

Operation Sindoor deserves scrutiny, but once the debate concludes, Parliament must address the rising unemployment and demand a credible jobs strategy.

BasisPoint Groupthink

July 29, 2025 at 3:54 AM IST

PIB

Why Doesn’t India’s Red-Hot Manufacturing Reflect in Industrial Output?

India’s manufacturing PMI is soaring, suggesting robust industrial momentum — but official factory output data tell a more subdued story. What explains this disconnect?

BasisPoint Groupthink

July 25, 2025 at 4:01 AM IST

iStock.com

The Bureau

CoinDCX Raises Again — Is India’s Crypto Winter Finally Thawing?

India’s Exports to US Fall 20% in September as Trump Tariffs Bite: GTRI

MPC Keeps Powder Dry as Rate-Cut Debate Heats Up

India’s Growth Outlook Stays Resilient as IMF Flags Fragile Global Recovery

Too Much Paper, Too Little Appetite: State Bond Strains Persist

India’s September Retail Inflation Lowest Since 2017; Core Rises to 4.5%

Gold ETFs Log Record Inflows in September; Equity Fund Inflows Ease for Second Month

Steel Industry Gets Temporary Relief on BIS Rule; GTRI Urges Full Rollback

Mission Pulses: Does It Pack The Protein Punch India Needs?

Jallikattu: Tamil Nadu’s Ancient Bull-Taming Tradition