Comment by Riaz Haq on Tuesday

It is now widely understood that India's official GDP is highly exaggerated. IMF has questioned it and Indian economists like Prof Arun Kumar have said India's actual GDP is as low as 50% of the official GDP, mainly because of the way the rapidly declining unorganized sector is overestimated by Indian officials.

https://www.riazhaq.com/2025/11/imf-questions-modis-gdp-data-is-ind...


On the other hand, Pakistan's unorganized GDP is significantly underestimated. It can be seen in the size of Pakistan's cash economy (currency in circulation) which is much larger as a percentage of the total economy than in India and Bangladesh.

https://propakistani.pk/2025/10/10/pakistans-real-economy-is-near-1...

“Pakistan’s recorded economy stands at US$411 billion, but nearly half remains undocumented,” the (finance) minister (Aurngzeb) said. “The real size of our economy is closer to a trillion dollars.

https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/has-bangladesh-really-left-india-an...

"Pakistan’s currency in circulation reaches Rs10.8 trillion ($38.5 billion) , up 27.4% of total money supply"

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2025/08/28/pakistans-currency-i...

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Countries with most cash use in world in 2025: Pakistan in top 10; know where India ranks

List of top 10 countries with most cash usage in 2025: At the top of the list is Myanmar, where cash is used for about 98 per cent of everyday transactions.

https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/top-10-listing/countries...

With around 90 per cent of everyday transactions being performed in cash, Pakistan is likewise at the top of the list. Here, the sizable informal economy is crucial. Cash is preferred by many daily wage workers and small business owners, in part to avoid complex banking procedures and occasionally to avoid paying taxes.

How much Cash do Indians use in 2025?
Approximately 70 per cent of all transactions in India involve cash, despite the country not ranking among the top 10. However, India is notable for spearheading the revolution in digital payments. With just a smartphone, millions of individuals may now send and receive money without using cash thanks to the government-backed Unified Payments Interface (UPI). UPI has made digital transactions quick, simple, and accessible for both online and street merchants.

Comment by Riaz Haq yesterday

Cars owned per 1000 by Country 2025: US 850, Japan 670, Germany 627, China 231, Egypt 70, Pakistan 69, India 57

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cars-by-country

Comment by Riaz Haq 9 hours ago

India Looks To Boost Nuclear; Power Demand Lags GDP Growth By Far - Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-12-16/india-looks-t...


Why is India’s power demand up barely 1% if GDP growth is tracking 7%-8% this fiscal year?

It started with several reports that show power demand growth at 0.9% during April to November. That, too, on a weak base of 3% growth last fiscal year through March.

A key reason is a cooler summer and an extended monsoon — unseasonal rains in May and October lowered use of irrigation pumps in rural areas and air conditioners in cities, Murtuza Arsiwalla, director of research at Kotak Institutional Equities, told me.

But that doesn’t explain why power demand declined last month, making it the first November contraction in five years. Arsiwalla adds two more reasons to the list — a rise in off-grid power supply, such as captive and rooftop solar power, and moderation of industrial activity, which is 40% of all power consumption.

Typically, power demand growth is about 0.9 times GDP growth, with exceptions in some years. Right now, that ratio is running at about 0.1. Economists caution against reading too much into the correlation. One pointed to the less energy intensive services sector dominating economic growth. The other suggested rising energy efficiency across the economy, citing the modest increase in fuel consumption despite a pick-up in GDP growth post-pandemic as evidence.

To be sure, some analysts expect power demand to bounce back. Till that happens, the data casts a shadow over the strength of India’s economic recovery. It also spells trouble for an energy sector already concerned about oversupply and rising instances of solar power curtailment.

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Tax collections of the Centre have grown only 4% between April and October 2025, way below the fiscal 2026 target of 11% growth


https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/opinion/india-s-gdp-outperformed-...

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