CBS LINE

CBS LINE Volume 3(10) INTERVIEWEE – Dr. ZAKKARIYA K. A.   Professor School of Management Studies CUSAT  INTERVIEWERS – Joshni S & Merin George Editorial Board CBS Line, CBS, CUSAT .   1.     In an age dominated by digital influence, how do you think social media shapes consumer               preferences and brand loyalty among young people today?   It’s a very pertinent question. You see, a large share of people who are highly active on social media today belong to the younger generations — especially Gen Z and millennials, and now even Gen Alpha is following the same pattern. They’re extremely tech-driven, and the way they make decisions is completely different from that of the older generations. Young consumers today trust peer recommendations and influencer endorsements far more than traditional advertising. Their brand loyalty is bui...

CBS LINE Volume 3(10) From Ideas to Impact: CBS Students Inspire Change at Vision 2031 Students from the Centre for Budget Studies (CBS) proudly represented their institution at “Vision 2031”, a visionary program organized by the Department of Finance, Government of Kerala, supported by the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT) as knowledge partner, and in association with the Kerala Economic Association (KEA). The CBS delegation presented impactful ideas addressing key challenges in Kerala’s development landscape. Unemployment and Brain Drain: A Vicious Cycle Roshny Thayyil Unemployment and brain drain go hand in hand in many developing countries. When educated individuals face limited job opportunities, they migrate abroad for better prospects, causing a loss of skilled talent. This outflow weakens national growth and innovation, while persistent unemployment fuels frustration and instability. To break this cycle, governments must focus on creating quality jobs, boosting r...

CBS LINE Volume 3(10) CBS Students Hold Exclusive Interview with Kerala’s Finance Minister At the Vision 2031 conference organized by the Department of Finance, Government of Kerala , students from the Centre for Budget Studies (CBS) had the opportunity to engage directly with Hon. Finance Minister Shri K.N. Balagopal in a special interview granted upon the request of the CBS delegation. The discussion focused on Kerala’s fiscal priorities and its long-term development vision.                                  CBS Students with  Hon. Finance Minister Shri K.N. Balagopal   The CBS students asked: “Given that the state has reached an advanced welfare stage, should the government focus more on revenue generation or on restructuring expenditure to ensure long-term fiscal stability?” In his response, Hon. Finance Minister Shri K.N. Balagopal remarked “In the current context, the government sho...

CBS LINE Volume 3(10) MARKET WATCH - October 2025 NIFTY50 FII/DII Activity SENSEX30 Open    24,620.55 FII        -5458.3 cr Open    80,173.24 Close   25,936.20 Close   84,628.16 High     26,041.70 DII         +46089.4 cr High     85,290.06 Low     24,605.95 Low     80,159.90 TOP GAINERS(Nifty500) TOP LOSERS(Nifty 500)    Ather   Energy Ltd.        36.4% SKF India Ltd.             -54.1% Sammaan Capital Ltd.   35.9% Rel...

CBS LINE Volume 3.(10) US-China Trade War Reignites Goodwill between the US and China seems to have been swept off the table in recent days, with almost a month to go until the deadline for the two nations to strike an agreement in their trade war. However the US and China have restarted their trade war. The China's commerce ministry announced  restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals and related technology citing damage to its national security from exports of the technologies to foreign military. Thus Beijing tightened its grip on the materials  that are critical for products such as smartphones, electric vehicles and military equipment like fighter jets. The new rules required government approval for exporing technologies used in minig, processing, recycling rare earth minerals or magnet production. China produces more than 90% of the world’s processed rare earths and controls about 70% of the world’s mining. China's hold on the global supply chain of rare earths...

CBS LINE Volume 3.(10) Zoho Pay set to challenge Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm in India’s digital payments market The upcoming launch of Zoho Pay is set to ignite a fresh wave of intense competition within India's hyper-active digital payments ecosystem. Backed by the Chennai-based software giant Zoho Corporation, this new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) application is making a calculated and formidable entry, directly aiming to capture market share from entrenched leaders like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. The move signifies Zoho’s strategic pivot from primarily serving the business-to-business (B2B) sector towards building a comprehensive, full-stack financial services ecosystem that addresses mass consumer needs. This transition is built upon Zoho's existing technological foundation and its commitment to data privacy, providing a distinctive value proposition in a highly contested market. Zoho Pay's central differentiating strategy revolves around creating a seamless...

CBS LINE Volume 3(10) What in the World is a " Stock "? Imagine your neighbourhood has one super-duper, amazing lemonade stand. It’s called "Lily's Lemonade Heaven". Lily is the boss. She makes the best, sweetest, zingiest lemonade in the whole world! Business is so good that Lily has a big, exciting idea. "I want to build a SECOND lemonade stand in the next neighbourhood!" she says. But there's a tiny problem. Building a new stand costs money. She needs to buy more cups, more sugar, a bigger sign, and a fancy new chair. Lily doesn't have all that money saved up in her piggy bank. So, Lily comes to you and your friends with a clever plan. "Would you like to be a part of my lemonade stand?" she asks. "You can each give me a little bit of your pocket money to help me build the new stand. In return, I will give you a special, sparkly piece of paper called a STOCK." You ask, "What does this sparkly paper do?" Lily expl...

CBS LINE Volume 3(10) Is It Time to Rethink India’s Inflation Targeting Framework? India formally adopted an inflation targeting (IT) framework in 2016, setting a target of 4% inflation with a tolerance band of ±2%. This policy aimed to maintain price stability through adjustments in the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) repo rate. Nearly a decade later, questions are being raised about whether this framework has truly been effective in achieving its objectives. Recent analyses suggest that stable inflation in India may have been achieved more through fiscal prudence than through repo rate actions. The data shows a weak correlation between the repo rate and inflation trends (correlation coefficient of -0.43), indicating limited influence of monetary policy tools on price movements. Instead, fiscal measures such as tighter government spending, lower deficits, and better debt management appear to have played a more significant role in containing inflation. A persistent challenge lies i...

CBS LINE Volume 3(10) RBI Maintains Repo Rate at 5.5%, Signals Confidence in India’s Economic Stability On October 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.5% during its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. This decision reflected a balance between supporting economic growth and keeping inflation under control. The RBI also revised its inflation forecast for the financial year 2025–26, lowering it from 3.1% to 2.6%, showing confidence in the country’s stable price situation. Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation had reached an eight-year low of 1.6% in July 2025, mainly due to falling food prices and stable fuel costs. The RBI’s decision has significant implications for the Indian economy. By maintaining the repo rate, the central bank ensured that borrowing costs for businesses and consumers remained stable, encouraging investment and consumption. Lower inflation provides relief to households, as essential goods and services become more...