
In 'Modi Raj', India's inequality levels surpassed that of 'British Raj': Jairam Ramesh
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh attacked the government, citing a report by Capgemini Research Institute which shows that "amidst this large-scale despondency for the Aam Aadmi", India added more than 33,000 new 'khaas Aadmi' millionaires in 2024.
"Here's what we know about the Modi Government's track record in deepening economic inequality over the past eleven years -- In Modi Raj, India's inequality levels have surpassed that of the colonial British Raj. Monopolisation in key sectors has led to large scale price rise for the people. Wages for the average Indian have stagnated in the last ten years across the spectrum, for everyone from rural agricultural labourers to salaried middle classes," Ramesh said.
Now comes a report from Capgemini Research Institute which shows that "amidst this large-scale despondency for the Aam Aadmi India added more than 33,000 new khaas Aadmi millionaires in 2024", he said.
India also saw an 8.8% rise in HNWI (high net worth individuals) collective wealth, Ramesh said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud makes case for Constitution in debut book
When Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud retired as the 50th Chief Justice of India in November 2024, many wondered what the next chapter in his public life might look like. With over 25 years on the bench, he delivered some of the most significant legal rulings in recent Indian history. Now, the former CJI has turned author. His debut book, Why the Constitution Matters (Penguin Random House), is slated to be released by August-end. The former CJI's landmark judgments have addressed issues as diverse as the right to privacy, the decriminalisation of homosexuality, and gender equality in the armed forces. However, this book is not a legal treatise. Instead, in his words, it is an 'an invocation to every citizen to engage in realising the true potential of the Constitution.' Written with the clarity of someone accustomed to explaining complex principles, it seeks to connect constitutional ideals with the lived experiences of everyday Indians. The book offers readers a nuanced understanding of the values enshrined in the Constitution. In Why the Constitution Matters, the former CJI draws on his judicial experiences, offering a glimpse into how constitutional reasoning shapes real-world outcomes. Publisher Milee Ashwarya, who heads the Adult Publishing Group at Penguin Random House India, says, 'The Constitution is not just a document; it is the very essence of our democracy, a beacon of hope, and a guiding light that ensures justice, equality, and liberty for all.' If the former CJI's time on the bench was about interpreting the Constitution for the nation, his time as an author may be about helping the nation interpret the Constitution for itself.


Economic Times
16 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Nifty logs longest weekly losing run since 2020 crash. Here's how
Indian markets extended losses for the sixth straight week—longest since April 2020—as US tariff hikes, weak earnings, and persistent FII outflows weighed on investor sentiment. Exporters, especially in textiles and seafood, were hit hardest amid trade tensions. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads FIIs dump Indian stocks Technical indicators point to more weakness Banking sector offers little respite Muted Q1 earnings add to gloom Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India's benchmark indices, the Nifty 50 and Sensex, logged their sixth straight weekly loss, marking their longest losing streak since the COVID-19 crash of April 2020, as both fell nearly 5% since end-June, weighed down by U.S. tariff hikes, weak earnings, and relentless foreign investor outflows that triggered a broad-based Friday, the Nifty 50 fell 0.95% to 24,363.30, while the Sensex declined 0.95% to close at 79,857.79. For the week, they shed 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively. The continued decline reflects persistent selling pressure across sectors, with little sign of relief amid deteriorating global trade relations and muted domestic shock hits exportersExport-oriented stocks led the rout after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a sharp escalation in trade tensions, doubling tariffs on Indian exports to 50%. The move, retaliation for India's continued oil trade with Russia, delivered a fresh blow to investor Stanley warned the Indian seafood export industry alone could face a potential loss of Rs 24,000 crore. 'Indian textile and apparel exporters are halting US order manufacturing due to President Trump's tariff doubling to 50%, severely impacting their competitiveness against nations like Bangladesh and Vietnam,' the brokerage said, forecasting 'export decline, job losses, and overall uncertainty in the sector.'Beyond textiles and seafood, exporters in gems and jewellery, chemicals, and auto ancillaries are now grappling with halted orders and squeezed selloff intensified as foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers for the tenth straight session. On August 7 alone, FIIs pulled Rs 4,997.19 crore from Indian equities, taking August's total outflows to over Rs 15,950 crore. Since July, the exodus has crossed $4 billion.'FIIs have sold on all trading days of August, so far,' said Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services . 'These weak indicators, along with the relatively high valuations in India, are triggering sustained selling by the FIIs.'Vijayakumar said, 'In the present context of negative sentiments in the market caused by the tariff skirmishes between India and the U.S., FIIs are likely to continue selling in the cash market.' However, he noted that 'the only saving grace is the sustained DII buying which remains strong. The strong DII buying assisted by sustained flows into mutual funds can prevent a crash in the market.'Sudeep Shah, Head of Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities, noted that the Nifty has formed a bearish candle with a long upper shadow for four consecutive weeks—'signaling that every attempt at a rally is being met with strong selling pressure, indicating a lack of conviction among bulls and a clear dominance of bears at higher levels.'Shah said that the Nifty is now trading below its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day EMAs, all sloping downward, and its RSI has entered a 'super bearish zone.' He said the MACD indicator also remains in bearish territory, with the MACD line below both the signal and zero lines.'Crucial support lies in the 24,200–24,150 zone, where the 200-day EMA and 38.2% Fibonacci retracement levels coincide,' Shah said. 'If the index slips below 24,150, it could extend its decline to 23,750. On the upside, the 100-day EMA zone of 24,570–24,600 will act as a crucial hurdle.'The banking index mirrored broader market weakness. 'The banking benchmark index Bank Nifty also ended the week on a negative note… On the weekly chart, it formed a bearish candle, indicating persistent selling pressure,' Shah index hovered near its 100-day EMA, with support seen at 54,950–54,850. 'A sustained move below 54,850 could intensify the downtrend toward 54,000–53,900,' he warned. Resistance on the upside stands at 55,700–55, earnings offered little cover. The Nifty IT index is down 10% over the past month, and the banking sector has shown little momentum. An Economic Times analysis revealed that India's top nine private banks posted only 2.7% year-on-year profit growth in Q1, reflecting weak credit appetite and sluggish macro momentum.'There are no indications yet of a sharp uptick in earnings for FY26,' Vijayakumar said, adding that the market remains both 'technically and fundamentally weak.'With foreign selling unrelenting, global macro risks mounting, and Q1 results underwhelming, investors may need to brace for continued volatility. Unless trade tensions ease or earnings deliver a surprise turnaround, the path ahead for Indian equities remains fraught with risk.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)


India.com
16 minutes ago
- India.com
Trump tariffs aftermath: Panic among US businesses as orders worth billions cancelled due to..., companies to layoff workers as...
Representational Image Trump tariffs: US President Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs on Indian imports, which came into effect on August 7, has triggered panic among Indian as well as American businesses as orders worth hundreds of crore have either been cancelled or put on hold since Wednesday, when the Trump administration imposed an 25% penalty on India for buying arms and crude oil from Russia. Why US and Indian businesses are in panic? According to media reports, US businesses are apprehensive because of the additional tariffs on Indian imports which will come into effect on August 27, 2025. The issue of purchasing Russian oil has also been the subject of talks between Indian exporters and American importers, they said. 'After 25 percent tariffs, we will have to pay 15 percent import duty, but the burden will become unbearable when the 50 percent tariff rate kicks in. Our product isn't unique and can be easily replaced by other exporters,' the CEO of an an Indian garments firm that exports Rs 600 crore worth of apparel, told his US client in a phone call, the Times of India reported. The Indian exporter said that apart from his business, Trump tariffs will also affect the livelihood of over 8000 workers in his company. How Trump tariffs impact India's marine exports? Similarly, Thomas Jose, a Kerala-based exporter whose family has been exporting lobsters to the US for three generations, said that a majority of his US buyers called him after the Trump tariffs came into effect, and told him to halt shipments. Jose, who runs the Choice Group– a Kerala based export firm that ships goods worth Rs 900 annually, said his clients said that anything above 25 percent import duty would be unbearable for this business, as the imports goods would be too costly to be sold in the US. India exports marine products worth more than Rs 25,000 crore to the US each year. What about textile and jewellery industry? Meanwhile, India's jewellery industry is also under stress due to the fresh tariffs. Vijay Kumar Mangukiya, the MD of Dhani Jewels– a Surat-based jewellery exporter– revealed his US clients are asking to negotiate on diamond prices to circumvent the effect of Trump's additional 25 percent tariffs. The jeweler said price negotiations are possible till the tariff rate is 25 percent, but will become impossible at 50 percent tariffs. 'The buyer has talked about negotiating with his retail customers to bear the increased price, but if it doesn't happen, then we have no other option but to cancel the order,' he said. In the textile industry, which is likely to be hit hardest due to Trump tariffs, the CEO of an Indian textile export firm said he received a call from his American client, asking the exporter to bear the increased cost. The CEO refused, following which the buyer threatened to shift his order to Bangladesh. Indian textile industry exports goods worth Rs 87,525 crore to the US annually, which is about 28 percent of India's textile imports.