印度经济神话破灭? | 经济学人

财富   2024-10-23 08:07   云南  


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Angela, 心之所向,无问西东

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精读|翻译|词组
Asia | A quieter tiger?

经济学人亚洲 | 更低调的猛虎?
英文部分选自经济学人20241012亚洲版块

Asia | A quieter tiger?

经济学人亚洲 | 更低调的猛虎?

Is India’s economy slowing down?

印度经济正在放缓吗?

New data highlight old problems

最新数据显示,印度经济旧伤未愈

Speaking at a conference on India’s economy this week, Narendra Modi, the prime minister, was typically bullish about his country’s prospects. The world, he suggested, is living through an “Indian era”. Rapid growth, favourable demography and an emerging tech industry have put the country at a “sweet spot”, he said.

在本周关于印度经济的会议上,印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪(Narendra Modi)一如既往地看好印度的发展前景。他宣称,世界正在经历印度时代,并表示印度经济高速增长,人口红利巨大,科技产业方兴未艾,印度发展占尽天时、地利、人和

注释:

1. a conference on India’s economy: 指新德里召开的第三届考底利耶经济秘密会议(Kautilya Economic Conclave),详见链接

https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pm-addresses-third-edition-of-kautilya-economic-conclave-in-new-delhi/)。

2. sweet spot: 一个最佳点或因素、特质的最优组合(an optimum point or combination of factors or qualities
Recent data, though, suggest that some sourness is creeping in. After roaring growth in recent years, the economy seems to be losing momentum. According to the latest official figures, the annual GDP growth rate eased to 6.7% between April and June, down from 7.8% in the previous quarter. That is the slowest expansion in more than a year.

然而,最新数据表明,印度经济正出现疲软迹象。在经历了几年的快速增长之后,印度经济显得有些后劲乏力。根据最新发布的官方数据,4月至6月期间,国内生产总值(GDP)年增长率放缓至6.7%,低于上一季度的7.8%,创下一年多以来的新低。

Data released in the past fortnight suggest that the slowdown has continued. An index tracking output in eight core industries, such as coal, oil and electricity, fell in August for the first time in more than three years. In September car sales, a proxy for consumption, fell by 19% year on year. Growth in collections from the goods-and-services tax, another indicator of economic health, also fell to its lowest level in more than three years. Even India’s stockmarkets, which have been on a tear recently, suffered losses for six consecutive days.

过去两周发布的数据显示,经济放缓势头还在继续。8月,追踪煤炭、石油和电力等八大核心行业产出的指数出现三年来的首次下降。9月,作为消费风向标的汽车销量同比下滑19%。反映经济健康状况的商品及服务税税收增长也降至三年来的最低水平。就连近期一路高歌猛进的印度股市,也一连六个交易日以下跌收盘。

注释:

on a tear:通常用来描述某人处于一连串的成功或成就之中(commonly used to describe someone who is on a streak of success or accomplishment)。

Things could get worse if the conflict in the Middle East escalates and oil prices keep rising. More than 85% of India’s oil consumption is sourced from abroad, making it vulnerable to oil-price shocks. Estimates suggest that a $10 increase in the price of an oil barrel could shave up to 0.4% off India’s GDP. The inevitable rise in fuel subsidies would also crowd out other government spending.

如果中东冲突升级,油价继续上涨,经济局势可能进一步恶化。印度85%以上的石油消费依赖进口,所以极易受到油价冲击。据估计,单桶油价每上涨10美元,印度GDP就会减少0.4%。增加燃料补贴在所难免,如此一来就会挤占其他政府开支。

The finance ministry has acknowledged these developments, describing them as “incipient signs of strains”. Nevertheless, few policymakers believe that the new data are more than temporary blips in India’s trajectory.At its latest meeting on October 9th, the Reserve Bank of India chose to leave interest rates unchanged and retain its growth forecast of 7.2% for the current fiscal year. The central bank governor insisted that “India’s growth story remains intact.”

印度财政部已经关注到这些变化,将其描述为初现端倪的压力迹象。然而,几乎没有政策制定者认为,这些数据不只是短暂波动,而会长期影响印度的经济轨迹。在109日举行的最新会议上,印度储备银行选择维持利率不变,并保持本财年7.2%的增长预期。央行行长坚称,印度的经济增长未受影响
As Mr Modi routinely reminds Indians, their country is the fastest-growing big economy in the world. And even if growth were to fall, it is in no danger of losing that title (see chart). The Congress party, the main opposition group, is sceptical of the government’s “bombastic” talk. Jairam Ramesh of Congress warned that “three dark clouds” loom over the economy: weak private investment, stagnant manufacturing and falling real wages.

莫迪总理一再提醒印度民众,印度是世界上增长最快的大型经济体。即使经济增速放缓,印度也不会失去这个头衔(见图表)。主要反对党国大党对政府的豪言表示怀疑。国大党成员贾伊拉姆·拉梅什(Jairam Ramesh)警告称,印度经济上空笼罩着私人投资疲软、制造业停滞和实际工资下降的三朵乌云

These criticisms have some merit. Most concerning for Mr Modi will be the state of manufacturing. Boosting the sector is the centrepiece of his economic agenda for his third term. But growth in factory output is slowing. In September an index tracking manufacturing activity expanded at its slowest rate in eight months. In Tamil Nadu a strike by workers at a Samsung plant, which has now entered its second month, has cast a cloud over Mr Modi’s ambitions to make India an electronics hub.

这些批评确实有一定道理。对莫迪来说,制造业的状况可能是最令人担忧的。推动制造业发展是他第三任期经济议程的核心。然而,工厂产出的增长正在放缓。9月,制造业活动指数增速降至八个月以来的最低水平。在泰米尔纳德邦,三星工厂的工人罢工已进入第二个月,这为莫迪将印度打造为电子产品制造中心的雄心蒙上阴影。

The country’s labour issues, however, extend beyond pay disputes. Too many people still work on farms. Official data released last month revealed that 46% of the country’s labour force worked in agriculture in 2023-24, up from 43% in 2018-19—an influx of 68m workers. During the same period, the share in manufacturing fell from 12% to 11%. Unemployment is also a big issue. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, the jobless rate was 7.8% in September, and has remained around that level for over two years, even as the economy has grown.

然而,印度的劳动力问题不仅限于薪酬纠纷。仍有过多劳动力从事农业。上月发布的官方数据显示,2023-24年度,全国46%的劳动力从事农业工作,这一数据较2018-19年度的43%有所上升,这意味着有6800万人涌入农业部门。与此同时,制造业的劳动力占比从12%下降到11%。失业问题同样严峻。根据印度经济监测中心的数据,9月失业率为7.8%,尽管经济有所增长,失业率在过去两年多的时间里一直在这一水平徘徊。

A slumbering beast

沉睡的巨兽

Mr Modi’s government wants to fix this. In its budget earlier this year it splurged on new schemes, such as an apprenticeship programme, and extended existing ones. But more is needed. Too much of the government’s subsidy pot is directed towards capital-intensive sectors rather than labour-intensive ones, says Abhishek Anand, an economist at the Madras Institute of Development Studies in Chennai. And policymakers should make it easier for firms to scale up operations. In a new study, Mr Anand and colleagues document the growing trend of firms operating multiple small factories within a state to diversify risk and comply with regulations—but these firms tend to be less productive.

莫迪政府想要解决这一局面。在今年早些时候的预算案中,政府大手笔推出了诸如学徒培训项目的新计划,并对现有计划进行扩充。但这还远远不够。金奈马德拉斯发展研究所的经济学家阿比谢克·阿南德(Abhishek Anand)指出,过多的政府补贴倾向于资本密集型产业,而不是劳动密集型产业。政策制定者还应让企业扩大经营规模变得更容易。在一项新研究中,阿南德先生及其同事记录了一个日益显著的趋势:为了分散风险和遵守法规,许多企业在同一邦内经营多个小型工厂。然而,这些企业的生产效率往往较低。

翻译组:

Ryan,学海无涯,译无止境

Yo,女,种下过流星,立志不做大鸵鸟

Trista,女,暴富不是梦想,是未来的现实


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风筝,热爱生活 热爱翻译 热爱搞钱 热爱猫咪


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