Delhi’s key think tank will urge state intervention
Subject Economic policy of the Indian government's key policy think tank. Significance The resignation last month of Arvind Panagariya as vice chairman of the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, and his replacement by Rajiv Kumar, signals a shift in the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic policy. Panagariya is a strong advocate of globalisation and ‘liberal’ economic reform. Kumar has spent most of his career in India and supports a greater role for the state in the economy. Impacts Delhi will soon announce a new fiscal stimulus package. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will come under increasing pressure to lower interest rates further. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch lobby group, which promotes the economic ideals of Hindu nationalism, may become more influential.