Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research

About: Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research is a facility organization based out in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Monetary policy & Inflation. The organization has 307 authors who have published 1021 publications receiving 18848 citations.

Basel II and bank lending behavior: some likely implications for monetary policy

Abstract: The new Basel accord is slated to come into effect in India around 2007 raising the question of how the revised standards will influence bank behaviour. Using a simple theoretical model, it is shown that the revised accord will result in asymmetric differences in the efficacy of monetary policy in influencing bank lending. This will, however, depend on a number of factors, including whether banks are constrained by the risk-based capital standards, the credit quality of bank assets and the relative liquidity of banks’ balance sheets. The basic model is empirically explored using data on Indian commercial banks for the period 1996-2004. The analysis indicates that the effect of a contractionary monetary policy will be significantly mitigated provided the proportion of unconstrained to constrained banks in the system is significantly high.

Poverty Estimates in India: Old and New Methods, 2004–2005

Abstract: This article provides estimates of poverty and inequality across states as well as for different subgroups of the population for 2004–2005 by using the old and new methods of the Planning Commission. The new method is critically evaluated with the help of some existing literature, and its limitations are discussed with regard to doing away with calorie norm, use of median expenditure as a norm for education when the distribution is positively skewed, difficulty in reproducing results for earlier rounds acting as a constraint on comparisons, and using urban poverty ratio of the old method as a starting point to decide a consumption basket. More importantly, it discusses the implications on financial transfers across states if the share of poor is only taken into account without accounting for an increase in the total number of poor. Despite these limitations, on grounds of parsimony and prudence, the state-specific poverty lines suggested in the new method, as also in the old method, are used to discuss implications on poverty for different subgroups of the population (i.e., NSS regions, social groups, and occupation groups). It also raises concerns on reducing a complex social phenomenon such as poverty to a narrow set of parameters and also its implications on policymaking.

A Policy response to the Indian micro- nance crisis

Abstract: Recent events in India have brought a fresh focus upon the problem of regulation in the field of micro-finance. This paper delineates the three distinct aspects where government needs to play a role. The first is to protect the rights of the micro-borrower, the consumer of micro-financial services. The second is that of prudential oversight of risk-taking by firms operating in micro-finance, since this could have systemic implications. The third is a developmental role, emphasising scale-up of the micro-finance industry where the key issues are diversification of access to funds, innovations in distribution and product structure, and the use of new technologies such as credit bureaus and the UID. Each of these roles need to be placed in an existing or a new regulatory agency. There is a case for creating a new regulatory agency which unifies the consumer protection function across all financial products.

Partial privatization and bank performance: evidence from India

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of partial privatization on performance of state‐owned banks using data from the Indian banking industry during the period 1986‐2003, and test the hypothesis that privatization leads to improvement in performance even when the government retains controlling stakes.Design/methodology/approach – Employing the technique of stochastic frontier analysis, bank‐specific estimates of total factor productivity were obtained, because they can be considered as a measure of performance, along with four accounting measures. Panel regression models were employed to assess the impact of partial privatization on these performance indicators.Findings – Partial privatization was found to result in significant improvement in performance of state‐owned banks. This finding is robust to alternative model specifications and different techniques for controlling potential selection bias.Research limitations/implications – The paper focuses on the impact of partial priva...

How Inclusive Has Regular Employment Been in India? A Dynamic View

Abstract: Using data from nationally representative employment and unemployment surveys, this article examines the inclusiveness of Indian economic growth by looking at the changes in socio-economic inequalities in regular employment over the period 1993–1994 to 2009–2010. Our findings reveal that, at the all India level, socio-economic inequalities in regular employment increased minutely during 1993–1994 to 2009–2010. However, the changes at the regional level are mixed. Regions of the North, Central and East show a decrease against an increase in Western and North Eastern regions. In the Southern region, the socio-economic inequalities in regular employment have remained almost same. A partir de donnees issues d’enquetes representatives a l’echelle nationale sur l’emploi et le chomage, cet article cherche a evaluer dans quelle mesure la croissance economique de l’Inde est inclusive en examinant l’evolution des inegalites socio-economiques dans l’acces a l’emploi regulier pendant la periode 1993–1994 a 2009–2010. Nos resultats montrent que, au niveau national, les inegalites socio-economiques dans l’acces a l’emploi regulier ont tres peu evolue au cours de la periode en question. Cependant, la situation varie d’une region a l’autre. On constate en effet une reduction des inegalites dans les regions du nord, du centre et de l’est alors qu’elles ont augmente dans les regions de l’ouest et du nord-est. Dans la region du sud, les inegalites socio-economiques dans l’acces a l’emploi regulier n’ont quasiment pas evolue.