Kavita Sharma writes on the economics of zero-to-one thinking — what it takes to build something genuinely new rather than copying what exists. Her beat spans startup strategy, venture capital, and the structural conditions that let monopolies form or fail. She tracks how the Silicon Valley playbook translates (and doesn't) when Indian founders try to run it.
Recent work
The ECB Sets the Clock: India's Digital Rupee Must Engage Now
The European Central Bank has outlined accessibility features for its digital euro app that go beyond existing EU law, setting what could become the global benchmark for retail central bank digital currencies. With usability testing scheduled for 2027 and the ECB working through formal stakeholder processes, the design phase is closing. India's own Digital Rupee pilot is advanced enough to engage — but only if the RBI moves from domestic focus to active multilateral positioning before the architecture hardens.
RBI Holds the Line: What a Single Day of Money Markets Reveals
The Reserve Bank of India's daily money market bulletin for July 21, 2026, shows a near-neutral net liquidity position of negative ₹9,289 crore, with triparty repo dominating overnight activity at ₹4,46,470 crore. The data confirms the RBI's calibrated stance: absorbing surplus through the Standing Deposit Facility while keeping overnight rates anchored close to the policy repo rate. The thin term money market, however, remains a structural vulnerability worth watching.
Beyond the Foosball Table: India's GCC Offices Reshape the Global Talent Game
India has become the world's largest GCC hub, with over 2,100 centres generating close to $100 billion in revenue and employing more than two million people. Premium office fitouts — pickleball courts, racing simulators, themed floors — signal a deliberate pivot from cost-play to quality-of-work-life arbitrage. The deeper strategic question is whether aesthetics alone can anchor India's position, or whether the real prize requires locking in IP and innovation rather than just talent.
India's Banking System Bends Toward Borrowers as MCLR Falls 15 Basis Points
The Reserve Bank of India's June 2026 data release on scheduled commercial bank rates reveals a banking system in active transition: MCLR fell 15 basis points in a single month, EBLR-linked loans now dominate the floating rate book, and deposit rates are moving in conflicting directions. The numbers tell a story about who benefits first from an easing cycle — and who absorbs the cost.
Europe's Inflation Doubt Carries Real Weight for India's Trade and Rupee
ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel raised the question of whether inflation is genuinely back in a June 2026 speech, signalling that the Eurozone's disinflation path remains fragile. For India, whose goods exports to the EU run into the tens of billions annually, the answer to Schnabel's question is not academic. A return to elevated European inflation — and the tighter monetary policy that would follow — creates capital-flow pressure, rupee volatility, and a more complex rate-setting environment for the Reserve Bank of India.
Aviation Fuel Fund Shows India's Market-First Approach to Sector Support
The Centre's new aviation turbine fuel price stabilization fund allows airlines to choose participation rather than mandating compliance, reflecting a market-oriented approach to supporting India's aviation sector during fuel price volatility. The scheme sets benchmark rates while preserving competitive dynamics.
India's Luxury Hotels Reshape Domestic Travel as Rupee Pressure Drives Staycation Surge
ITC Hotels, The Leela, and Marriott are rolling out premium staycation packages targeting affluent Indians reconsidering overseas holidays amid West Asia disruptions and rupee weakness. The shift strengthens India's domestic hospitality sector while reducing foreign exchange outflows.
Europe's Financial Instability Threatens India's Capital Flow Strategy
The European Central Bank's latest Financial Stability Review highlights growing risks from geopolitical stress and energy supply disruptions, with implications for global capital flows and emerging market financing costs. India faces potential spillover effects through trade disruptions and foreign investment volatility.
India's AC Makers Bet on Summer Heat as Cost Pressures Mount
India's consumer durables sector faces a crucial summer season as companies like Blue Star, Voltas and Havells bank on harsh weather to drive AC demand recovery after a weak FY26, but rising input costs and limited pricing power threaten margin expansion despite volume growth potential.
India's Streaming Giants Face Global Consolidation Reality Check
The global streaming industry's consolidation wave hits India as platforms like Shemaroo Entertainment acquire regional libraries and Atrangii OTT partners with Amazon MX Player. Industry experts signal a shift from growth-at-any-cost to sustainable monetization strategies.
West Asia War Squeezes India's Sports Manufacturing Hubs
Sports goods manufacturers in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are struggling with sharp increases in raw material costs due to West Asia conflict disrupting petrochemical supplies. Key materials like HDPE have risen 60% while manufacturers face pressure during peak domestic demand season.