Chief Economist & Political Strategist, CrossASEAN Research

Prasenjit K. Basu

PK Basu has 34 years experience covering Asia's economies and markets (equities, fixed income and currencies), including 20 years covering the global economy. He was Chief Economist (SE Asia & India) at Credit Suisse First Boston for 5 years, and Chief Asia (x-Jpn) Economist at Daiwa Securities for a similar period. Among other roles, he was global head of research at Maybank Kim Eng, Malaysia equity research head and chief ASEAN economist at Macquarie, ASEAN economist at UBS and the first chief economist at Khazanah Nasional (where he was co-head of research, and led all agri-business initiatives). PK Basu started his career in the Asia Service of WEFA (Wharton Econometrics) in Philadelphia in 1990, rising to be Director of their Asia Service in June 1994. 
PK's book, "Asia Reborn: A continent rises from the ravages of Colonialism and War to a New Dynamism" won the Tata Literature First Book Award (non-fiction) for 2018. It is the first single chronicle of the modern economic and political history of the whole of Asia (from Iraq and Turkey to Korea and Japan, and everything in between), told from an Asian perspective.

Chief Economist & Political Strategist

India: Capex- & Export-Led Rebound Likely to Receive Fiscal and Monetary Fillip Too

India's Trade-Led Acceleration in GDP Unlikely to Lose Momentum in 2022

Export-Led Recovery to Broaden as 2nd Covid Wave Recedes

Clear Recovery in Jan-Mar, Accelerating Sharply in Apr'21; Ample Scope for Stimulus

Receding 2nd Wave Will Allow Economic Acceleration, Spurred by Rate Cuts to Come

CrossASEAN Research

At CrossASEAN Research we strive to produce unbiased and differentiated on the ground insights on companies across South East Asia. Our Research is produced for the most part after face to face meetings and conversations with company management to dig deep into the long term vision and strategy of the companies we cover. We seek to deliver investable and actionable themes on sectors and markets across SE Asia, often in collaboration with other Insight Providers across the region, pooling the vast experience of the analysts within the Smartkarma Ecosystem. We also offer bespoke work and tailor made trips for our clients. 

Insights across South East Asia

Macroeconomics

India's exports grew 86% YoY in Apr-Jun 2021, and were 18.3% higher than in Apr-Jun 2019 (the pre-Covid times). The return to pre-Covid levels was clearest in June (+48.3% YoY, and 30% up from June 2019) and July (+47.9% YoY, and 34% above July 2019). The height of the second Covid wave did hurt industrial growth in May 2021 (up 29.3% YoY, but down 12.6% from May 2019), although industrial output surpassed 2019 levels in April; for April-May 2021, manufacturing output grew 88.8% YoY. And in 1H 2021, India's steel output (+31.3% YoY) was the fastest-growing among the world's top-10 steel producers. A real recovery is set to gather momentum in 2H 2021. The clearest evidence of a powerful economic rebound comes from the revival in net tax revenues, which were up 97% YoY in 1Q-FY2021/22, and were 26.7% of the full-year target in 1Q of this fiscal year, compared with reaching just 14.4% of the full year target in Apr-Jun 2019. However, while total government spending in Apr-Jun 2021 was 23.6% of the full-year target, it was 25.9% of full-year target in Apr-Jun 2019 -- the consequence being that the fiscal deficit in Apr-Jun 2021 was just 18.2% of the full-year target, while in Apr-Jun 2019 it had been a whopping 61.4% of the target. Fiscal prudence is helped by a surge in corporate tax revenue (+128% YoY, but also 75% higher than in Apr-Jun 2019) and soaring union excise duties (mainly on petrol and diesel, which are encouraging a shift to renewables across the energy spectrum). Remarkable fiscal prudence should ensure that deficits this year will be below target. With exports, industrial output and tax revenue soaring, the economy is set to accelerate, and comfortably achieved 11% real GDP growth this year, especially as the accelerated vaccination drive helps contain any third Covid wave.  That corporate tax revenues in Apr-Jun 2021 were 75% higher than in Apr-Jun 2019 suggests a powerful acceleration in corporate profitability. That pace of corporate profit acceleration will ensure that valuations will remain reasonable despite the steadily rising equity prices. We would recommend staying Overweight India.

India's exports grew 86% YoY in Apr-Jun 2021, and were 18.3% higher than in Apr-Jun 2019 (the pre-Covid times). The return to pre-Covid levels was clearest in June (+48.3% YoY, and 30% up from June 2019) and July (+47.9% YoY, and 34% above July 2019). The height of the second Covid wave did hurt industrial growth in May 2021 (up 29.3% YoY, but down 12.6% from May 2019), although industrial output surpassed 2019 levels in April; for April-May 2021, manufacturing output grew 88.8% YoY. And in 1H 2021, India's steel output (+31.3% YoY) was the fastest-growing among the world's top-10 steel producers. A real recovery is set to gather momentum in 2H 2021. The clearest evidence of a powerful economic rebound comes from the revival in net tax revenues, which were up 97% YoY in 1Q-FY2021/22, and were 26.7% of the full-year target in 1Q of this fiscal year, compared with reaching just 14.4% of the full year target in Apr-Jun 2019. However, while total government spending in Apr-Jun 2021 was 23.6% of the full-year target, it was 25.9% of full-year target in Apr-Jun 2019 -- the consequence being that the fiscal deficit in Apr-Jun 2021 was just 18.2% of the full-year target, while in Apr-Jun 2019 it had been a whopping 61.4% of the target. Fiscal prudence is helped by a surge in corporate tax revenue (+128% YoY, but also 75% higher than in Apr-Jun 2019) and soaring union excise duties (mainly on petrol and diesel, which are encouraging a shift to renewables across the energy spectrum). Remarkable fiscal prudence should ensure that deficits this year will be below target. With exports, industrial output and tax revenue soaring, the economy is set to accelerate, and comfortably achieved 11% real GDP growth this year, especially as the accelerated vaccination drive helps contain any third Covid wave.  That corporate tax revenues in Apr-Jun 2021 were 75% higher than in Apr-Jun 2019 suggests a powerful acceleration in corporate profitability. That pace of corporate profit acceleration will ensure that valuations will remain reasonable despite the steadily rising equity prices. We would recommend staying Overweight India.   

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S&P BSE SENSEX Index (SENSEX INDEX EQUITY)

India: Exports Lead Industrial Rebound, While Fiscal Policy Remains Prudent