India: Fourth Largest Economy? Hmmm...Wind's Howling

A Coin For Your Thoughts (on Trillions)

So I hear tell India's got a big purse now the fourth largest in the world they say. Bigger than Japan and aiming for old Germany's spot no less. This Niti Aayog fellow B.V.R. Subrahmanyam sounds like a merchant trying to haggle up the price of some Temerian rye. Says it's IMF data. Data... right. Just like a Djinn's promises gotta read the fine print. They're talkin' trillions... which granted is more than I usually see after a good monster contract. Still smells a bit like rotfiend's breath this hype. Let's see if it holds up under the silver sword.

The Griffin's Egg: Potential or Just Hot Air?

They say India's got youth and brains aplenty. This Malcolm Dorson a money man from Global X ETFs is babbling about 'long term structural dynamics.' Sounds fancy. Claims they're becoming a 'fine tuned compounding machine.' I've seen machines. Usually they break down need fixing and cost more than they're worth. Oil prices down gold prices up... tactical tailwinds he calls it. Reminds me of Yennefer brewing potions; a lot of ingredients a bit of luck and hoping it doesn't explode in your face. And this ANZ bank fella Dhiraj Nim he's on the rural consumption buzz. Farmers spendin' more if the weather's good? News to no one. Still gotta admit if they pull it off it's more impressive than pulling a rabbit out of a mage's hat.

More Ointment Needed: Prosperity's the Real Potion

Shumita Deveshwar from TS Lombard hits the nail on the head or rather drives a silver stake through the vampire's heart of the matter. India's got a GDP that's swellin' but its people? Not so much. 'Huge disconnect,' she says. Smart woman. Per capita GDP's a pittance compared to Japan. All this talk of growth means diddly squat if folks are still scratchin' for coin. Infrastructure education jobs... sounds like a contract for a whole damn kingdom not just a village. Nim calls the rise 'natural.' Meaning it was going to happen without any thought or help. Then he says they need to give a proper hand to make the country more prosperous so that makes it not natural at all. Clever!

Open the Gates: Trade Winds and Tariffs

The trade deal with the U.S. is in the works. Though the USA is just as prone to make deals with devils as any other land. I hear the Americans wants iPhones made in their country and are putting a 25% tariff on any phones made outside the USA. Funny really. The usual nonsense barring this allowing that. But I never got involved in politics; too messy like a brawl in a brothel. Still gotta wonder what this all means for the common man. More coin? Less work? Or just more griffins to slay for the same damn pay?

Stocks and Bonds: A Witcher's Brew (of Confusion)

Indian stocks were trading flat even though most other nations were rising. Something about American tariffs. Now I'm no economist; I hunt monsters and drink strong ale. But even I know that numbers dancing on a screen don't fill bellies or fix broken roads. Nikhil Bhandari from Goldman Sachs spouts about India's oil demand rising. Abrar Mir a private equity fellow gabs about hospitals in rural areas that make you money while also helping the poor. Sounds like a proper business if you ask me. A way to make money and sleep at night.

So What's Next? More Than Meets the Eye.

More numbers next week they say. GDP manufacturing services... blah blah blah. India's IPO market's supposedly picking up. Good for them. As for me I'll stick to the Witcher's path. Less talk more action. Less number crunching more monster hunting. Maybe I should ask for a cut of that GDP if I slay a dragon that's holding it back though. That's sounds like a job for a Witcher. Hmmm...