Economy

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. 
Your Week in Asia

Modi-Putin meeting, Summit for Democracy, China WTO anniversary

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

5 December 2021
Millions of Afghans are facing food insecurity or worse as winter approaches. (Photo by Kanika Gupta)
Afghanistan turmoil

Afghanistan food crisis prods India, Pakistan to cooperate on aid

Archrivals close to arranging emergency transport of 50,000 tons of Indian wheat

2 December 2021
People shop at a crowded market in Mumbai on Oct. 28, ahead of a Hindu festival as COVID restrictions have eased.
Economy

India's GDP expands 8.4% in July-Sept. as COVID recedes

Vaccine rollout and eased restrictions aid recovery but omicron looms

30 November 2021
A flight information board at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, pictured on Aug. 16: India has other motives for keeping the air bubbles in place.
Opinion

Narendra Modi should stop using COVID to protect Indian airlines

Current approach is a throwback to the old command and control mentality

29 November 2021
Israel displays the Iron Dome missile interceptor at the Bangalore Aero-India air show. New Delhi is keen to gain access to Israel's advanced military technology.
International relations

India, Israel aim to boost ties through defense tech and trade

Two sides are resuming long-stalled talks on free trade agreement

28 November 2021
A maze of crude oil pipes and valves at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas, pictured in June 2016: frustrated customers do not make for good business anywhere in the world.
Opinion

Tapping strategic oil reserves will never tame OPEC and its allies

Crude producers should nonetheless refrain from punishing buyer countries

27 November 2021
Air India planes are parked at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Aug. 30: Tata must correct past mistakes and do justice to the iconic yet unloved Indian brand.
Opinion

To remake Air India, Tata Group should revive carrier's luxury past

How new owners can turn around the troubled airline it founded in the 1930s

24 November 2021
A screen displays leaders of the BRICS nations, clockwise from top left, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping, Cyril Ramaphosa and Jair Bolsonaro attending the 13th BRICS summit via video link on Sept. 9: strongmen tend to be weak where it matters most.
Opinion

Why the BRICs nations have not turned the world upside down

Grouping was never ready for today's crop of leaders

24 November 2021
Narendra Modi and BJP decided to cut their losses.
Opinion

Modi's retrograde move to spike farm laws will set back reform

Decoding the politics behind government's surprise decision

23 November 2021
The Taj Mahal, one of India's most popular attractions, reopened to local tourists in June. Businesses in the area look forward to a recovery of sales with the return of foreign tourists.
Coronavirus

India to reopen for tourists Monday as it eases COVID restrictions

Good news for the hospitality sector comes as infections fall, vaccination picks up

14 November 2021
Narendra Modi delivers a speech at COP26 in Glasgow on Nov. 2: India's declaration of 2070 as the net-zero target year is both cautious and optimistic.
Opinion

Why the world should applaud Narendra Modi's 2070 net-zero target

Good reasons why India needs more time than other large greenhouse gas emitters

5 November 2021
The Adani Group is already on the path toward net-zero.
Opinion

We need conversations at COP26, not lectures

How to balance energy needs with the task of combating climate change

30 October 2021
A police officer checks an Indian passport during a border check at the German-Austrian border in June 2018: a holder of a poor country passport invariably faces hurdles when trying to travel.
Opinion

Passport stigma traps poor country citizens at home

Developing world travelers face hurdles that rich nation never have to face

29 October 2021
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center, speaks to reporters on the first day of the budget session on Jan. 29. The country raised tariffs on over 50 items for fiscal 2021-22.
The Nikkei View

India must abandon protectionism to unleash growth

Throwing up barriers to foreign investment won't help boost GDP per capita

27 October 2021
A crowded market in Mumbai: India hit a new global record of over 410,000 daily infections earlier this year, but the figure has since fallen to under 20,000.
Economy

Indian economy charges past prepandemic level

Global chip and energy shortages threaten lasting comeback

19 October 2021
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a speech at the launch of the PM Gati Shakti  infrastructure plan in New Delhi on Oct. 13. (Photo courtesy of government of India)
Economy

India's Modi unveils $1.3tn infrastructure plan 'for next 25 years'

Project aims to set long-term direction, but funding source is unclear

13 October 2021
Customers look at Ford Figo Aspire car in a New Delhi showroom. Ford said it will exit Indian production by June 2022.
Automobiles

Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai tighten grip on India as U.S. rivals exit

EVs offer rare chance to disrupt dominance of the 2 market leaders

12 October 2021
The Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai, pictured on Sept. 24: India stepped into a higher orbit.
Opinion

Global investors should start paying attention to India's rise

Equities are not the only thing primed for liftoff

8 October 2021
India once again claims the container terminal deal in Colombo after being dumped by Sri Lanka earlier this year. (Source photos by Yuji Kuronuma and AP)
International relations

Sri Lanka walks India-China tightrope with port deal

Adani Group to build Colombo terminal in $700m agreement

7 October 2021
A worker repairs power lines on a pole in Kochi, India. Soaring coal prices caused Indian imports to drop more than 30% in August and September from the average in July.
Energy

India nears widespread power crunch on coal shortage

Rising prices of fossil fuel leave most plants with only 3-day stockpile

5 October 2021
A port in Bangkok in 2016. Thailand's growth prospect was the lowest in the latest survey.
Economy

Thailand and Indonesia growth dips below forecasts: survey

U.S. monetary policy and Chinese economy pose uncertainties

4 October 2021
India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing to seize an opportunity to export about $10 billion to $11 billion worth of COVID-19 vaccines over the next three years. (Source photos by Reuters)
COVID vaccines

India gears up to export vaccines as Quad summit approaches

Nation adds burden as it rushes to fully inoculate all its adults by December

22 September 2021
A draft of a joint statement obtained by Nikkei shows how Quad leaders intend to take a stand against China's use of science and technology to maintain authoritarian regimes around the world.
Indo-Pacific

Quad leaders to call for securing chip supply chain

Japan, India, Australia and U.S. leaders to link advanced tech with human rights

19 September 2021
COVID-19 patients wait outside the casualty ward at a hospital in New Delhi on Apr. 23: the pandemic reveals the reality that had been hiding beneath the bureaucratic red tape.
Opinion

Modi needs emergency powers to rebuild India's health system

Devastation wrought by COVID provides unique opportunity for reform

17 September 2021
A flare burns natural gas at an oil well in Watford City, North Dakota, on Aug. 26: oil and gas has become a favorite scapegoat.
Opinion

Throttling oil and gas to protect the climate will backfire

Environmental agenda cannot ignore energy supply security

9 September 2021