RBI Policy/Comments from Economist Mr. Siddharth Shankar, Director, KASSA GROUP

“Interest rates were kept unchanged ad that was expected. I was expecting the CRR to be cut by 50 basis points looking at the liquidity situation. The decision has been contrary to what Brazil and China has done. To my mind growth will not happen merely by monetary policy it has to happen from the policy front and that has to come from the government.  To my mind interest rates would have a very low bearing on growth at the current stage of the Indian economy.

To my mind the stance that RBI has taken will not result in reducing inflation but it will have an indirect effect of reducing consumption of goods, mark me, not consumption of  food. This is very important for India as we cannot afford to waste money on consumption.”

Mr. Siddharth Shankar, Expert Economist Quote on inflation numbers

“Indian inflation is moving as expected. While the slowdown has added pressure on the Reserve Bank of India to reduce interest rates I feel interest rates are not enough to propel the economy. It is a complex situation for the central bank. Weak rupee and continuing inflation limit its headroom for RBI. At most the RBI will lower the rate by a quarter of a percentage point. India’s fiscal deficit and food prices are among risks to inflation and falling rupee adds to the woes of the RBI. India also faces a trade deficit that swelled to a record $184.9 billion in the fiscal year ended March. India’s pace of price increases remains the fastest in the largest emerging economies.”

Mr. Siddharth Shankar, Expert Economist Quote upon IIP numbers

“Indian industrial production as expected but I am still not sure if it lead RBI to cut interest rates. I think the issue that we must realize is not high borrowing costs but high level of in-efficiency in the system. The issue is not high interest rates but tighter liquidity. Even if the RBI reduces the rate by 25 basis points, it will have no substantial impact on growth. Demand is falling across the globe and in the coming years we would see that countries will focus a lot on domestic production to ensure employment. It would be difficult for India to bounce back on the recovery path till structural changes are made and structural changes take time to show results. Indian trade deficit is at a record high and inflation is not falling

Fall in the mining number is a long term negative for the economy and a .1 % growth in manufacturing is no growth number. India is in a situation of slow growth and high inflation and coupled with this is the poor rainfall that is expected this year. While everyone is banking upon the consumption of the Indian economy I view it very differently, India needs to reduce consumption and spend on production and productivity.

I expect a major employment crisis that India will face in the coming quarters.”

MR. SIDDHARTH SHANKAR,  Director, KASSA INDIA 

Mr. Siddharth Shankar is a leading Economist & Financial Expert. He has been associated with KASSA group since its incorporation under various capacities as a Director, shareholder and consultant. An expert in the field of Macro-Economics, Mr. Siddharth Shankar has established himself as a mastermind in tackling financial hurdles for his clients. He has more than a decade's expertise in structuring financial products for companies to cover their financial risks that were generated due to their international exposure to money and commodity markets. He has been involved with the marketing systems of Google, Yahoo and other global search engine giants to achieve maximum effectiveness of their campaigns. His expertise also lies in Product Conceptualization and Web- based marketing of Products.

Being a thought leader in the field of Macro-economic, he can provide a detailed analysis on the subject for your esteemed publication.

 Mr. Siddharth Shankar started raising his career graph at the tender age of 19. He had set-up his first fully automatic diamond cutting plant production unit, the first of its kind in Delhi, employing 20 people. By the time he touched his 20`s, he initiated trading of diamonds in the world’s largest diamond market-Antwerp. During this period he simultaneously started giving consultancy on Financial Management to various corporate houses in Europe, India and South-East Asia.

At 22, as a seasoned Financial Risks Manager, he started structuring Financial Products for companies to cover their financial risks that were generated due to their international exposure to Money and commodity markets.