Vani Balasubramanian | Institute for Social and Economic Change

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Papers by Vani Balasubramanian

Climate Change has impacted production risk in agriculture in many ways especially by increasing ... more Climate Change has impacted production risk in agriculture in many ways especially by increasing the volatility in production. Agriculture, which still in India is weather dependent, faces more frequent losses than before and variability in losses is also rising. As about 80% of the farmers are small and marginal in India, they need certain protection from such uncertainties for their sustenance. Undoubtedly crop insurance can provide the required safety net and enable farmers to take other measures that help to reduce impact of climate change. In this backdrop, this paper examines the state of crop insurance in India using both secondary data from NSSO and conducting a field survey in the state of Karnataka. The analysis of data shows that only a meager 4% of households are covered under crop insurance. While the lack of information is the major reason for not opting for insurance, another large percentage of the households are not interested due to the unattractive design of the s...

Business process outsourcing (BPO) generally refers to the operation of letting out the task of p... more Business process outsourcing (BPO) generally refers to the operation of letting out the task of performing particular functions of an enterprise to another, often a third party and, in some cases, its own subsidiary. Under the pressure of nonavailability of manpower in the country of origin, many multinational companies (MNCs) decided to outsource their business processes to remote locations during the initial phase of globalization. In the Indian context, this process could throw down sturdy roots due to the encouraging supply-and-demand factors in the country. This paper takes a close look at the BPO industry in India, the service lines in which the country has specialized, and India's comparative advantages vis-à-vis competitor countries, e.g., China and the Philippines. The paper highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the Indian industry operating in this segment.

Economic & Political …, 2011

... eco-nomic activities or different sectors in the Indian economy using the bank level data fro... more ... eco-nomic activities or different sectors in the Indian economy using the bank level data from the Reserve Bank of India (Shetty 2005; Patnaik 2005; Chavan 2005; Basu ... Basu, Priya (2006): ???Improving Access to Finance for India's Rural Poor??? (Washington DC: The World Bank). ...

Though Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is of recent origin in I ndia it has attracted... more Though Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry is of recent origin in I ndia it has attracted the attentions of entrepreneurs, policy makers and media persons equally due to its phenomenal growth. The growth of this sector has not only helped to improve our current account balance, but also generated income and employment. This paper looks at this I T-enabled service (I TES) based industry particularly focusing on three major service lines, viz., customer care, financial and health care. I t analyses I ndia's strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis the competing countries. While the major strength of I ndian BPO industry is the availability of cost-effective manpower, ironically, it has been observed that the major challenges faced by the industry in I ndia today are mainly human resource related. The paper comes up with the possible measures necessary for keeping I ndia's competitive edge intact in this segment. JEL Classification: L86 I ntroduction Trade in services has been assuming a prominent place in the global economy in recent times (see I MF reports). A number of services that could previously be delivered only through commercial presence have now become deliverable by cross-border trade. There are many developments, which have led to this growth, the most fundamental being the development of I T, and communication technology networks. Further, opening up of the market by many nations to allow the commercial presence of the other nations in their respective economies have helped to bring foreign direct investment into the services sector. Recognizing the significance and growing role of services in the global and national economy, the Uruguay Round broadened the scope of multilateral trade negotiations under WTO to include services for the first time in the history of trade negotiations. The result of these negotiations was the General Agreement on Trade in Services or GATS, which came into force on 1st January 1995. I ndia is a member of WTO and a signatory to GATS. As far as trade in services in I ndia is concerned, within the general services sector, the role of information and communication technology has been significant. As mentioned above, with the development of information and communication technology (I T), service delivery mechanism has changed radically. Consequently, services that can be handled using computers and telecom networks have come to play a significant role in the I ndian economy. Business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is a result of this technological revolution. While there are a lot of discussions over this sector in media and elsewhere, this

Services trade has assumed considerable importance for the Indian economy and the role of IT and ... more Services trade has assumed considerable importance for the Indian economy and the role of IT and IT-enabled services (ITES) is particularly worth mentioning in this context. The growth of this sector has not only helped to improve India's current account balance, but also generated income and employment. This paper looks at the ITES industry particularly focusing on three major service lines, viz., customer care, financial and health care. It analyses India's strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis the competing countries. While the major strength of Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is the availability of cost-effective manpower, ironically, it has been observed that the major challenges faced by the industry in India today are mainly human resource related. The paper comes up with the possible measures necessary for keeping India's competitive edge intact in this segment.

The Singapore Economic Review

Macroeconomic instability, characterised by high inflation, fragile foreign exchange positions an... more Macroeconomic instability, characterised by high inflation, fragile foreign exchange positions and high rates of interest, increases uncertainty and hence slows down economic growth. While this is generally accepted, the usual perception about the agricultural sector, particularly in India, is that it is immune to general macroeconomic shocks. In this paper, we examine this perception using a vector autoregressive model. The findings show that the agricultural sector is not insulated from macroeconomic shocks.

Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) is engaged in interdisciplinary research in analy... more Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) is engaged in interdisciplinary research in analytical and applied areas of the social sciences, encompassing diverse aspects of development. ISEC works with central, state and local governments as well as international agencies by undertaking systematic studies of resource potential, identifying factors influencing growth and examining measures for reducing poverty. The thrust areas of research include state and local economic policies, issues relating to sociological and demographic transition, environmental issues and fiscal, administrative and political decentralization and governance. It pursues fruitful contacts with other institutions and scholars devoted to social science research through collaborative research programmes, seminars, etc. The Working Paper Series provides an opportunity for ISEC faculty, visiting fellows and PhD scholars to discuss their ideas and research work before publication and to get feedback from their peer group. Papers selected for publication in the series present empirical analyses and generally deal with wider issues of public policy at a sectoral, regional or national level. These working papers undergo review but typically do not present final research results, and constitute works in progress.

Journal of Information Technology Impact, USA,( …, 2007

... No doubt one major role of the sector is to provide the much needed forex revenue to the nati... more ... No doubt one major role of the sector is to provide the much needed forex revenue to the nation; but it is essential to examine whether the export earnings has the potential to help ... Monthly salary on an average ranges between Rs 8000 to Rs 10,000 for a beginner, which is ...

Margin: The Journal of …, 2009