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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Cricket’s Quiet Crusader

Former kca Selection Chief who helped nurture a generation of women cricketers when the sport struggled for recognition Niketha Ramankutty A prominent figure in Indian women’s cricket, Niketha Ramankutty — former Chairperson of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) Women’s Selection Committee and Manager of the Kerala State women’s teams — has long championed the game, especially when women’s cricket had little platform in her home state. Her dedication helped nurture girls taking to cricket...

Cricket’s Quiet Crusader

Former kca Selection Chief who helped nurture a generation of women cricketers when the sport struggled for recognition Niketha Ramankutty A prominent figure in Indian women’s cricket, Niketha Ramankutty — former Chairperson of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) Women’s Selection Committee and Manager of the Kerala State women’s teams — has long championed the game, especially when women’s cricket had little platform in her home state. Her dedication helped nurture girls taking to cricket in Kerala. During her tenure, which ended recently, five players from the state went on to represent India, while three now feature in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Niketha’s journey began in 1995 on modest grounds and rough pitches in the blazing sun of her native Thrissur. At the time, girls aspiring to play cricket often drew curious stares or disapproving glances. This was despite Kerala producing some of India’s finest female athletes, including P.T. Usha, Shiny Wilson, Anju Bobby George, K.M. Beenamol and Tintu Luka. “Those were the days when women’s cricket did not attract packed stadiums, prime-time television coverage, lucrative contracts or celebrity status. Thankfully, the BCCI has taken progressive steps, including equal pay for the senior women’s team and launching the WPL. These have brought greater visibility, professional avenues and financial security for women cricketers,” Niketha said during a chat with  The Perfect Voice  in Pune. With better infrastructure, stronger domestic competitions and greater junior-level exposure, she believes the future of women’s cricket in India is bright and encourages more girls to pursue the sport seriously. Humble Beginnings Niketha began playing informal matches in neighbourhood kalisthalams (playgrounds) and school competitions before realising cricket was her true calling. Coaches who noticed her composure encouraged her to pursue the game seriously. More than flamboyance, she brought reliability and quiet determination to the turf — qualities every captain values when a match hangs in the balance. These traits helped her rise through the ranks and become a key figure in Kerala’s women’s cricket structure. “She was like a gentle messiah for the players. During demanding moments, they could rely on her – whether to stabilise an innings or lift team spirit,” recalled a former colleague. Guiding Youngsters Her involvement came when women’s cricket in many states struggled even for basic facilities. Matches were rarely covered by the media, and limited travel or training arrangements often tested players’ patience. “As a mother of two daughters—Namradha, 18, and Nivedya, 14—I could understand the emotions of the young girls in the teams. Guiding players through difficult phases and helping them overcome failures gave me the greatest satisfaction,” she said. Niketha — an English Literature graduate with a master’s in Tourism Management — believes success in sport demands not only skill but also sacrifice. Strong parental support and encouragement from her husband, Vinoth Kumar, an engineer, helped her overcome many challenges. Never one to seek the spotlight, she let her performances speak for themselves, earning respect on the national circuit. Quiet Legacy Today, the landscape has changed dramatically. Young girls are more ambitious, parents more supportive, and cricket is seen as a viable career with opportunities in coaching, umpiring, team management, sports analysis and allied fields. Players like Niketha have quietly strengthened the sport. Their journeys show that some victories are not won under stadium floodlights, but by determined women who simply refused to stop playing.

Chasing Trillions and the Mirage of 2047

Updated: Jan 30, 2025

Part 2:

India’s economy is growing, but will it grow fast enough to reach its ambitious targets?

India’s economy

Ahead of the Union Budget 2025, India’s economic outlook remains a mixture of promise and caution, with key indicators pointing to both resilience and areas of concern. To fully grasp the state of India’s economy, one must look beyond the headlines and into the numbers. At its core, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) serves as the most common yardstick, measured in two forms: Nominal GDP, which reflects the total value of goods and services at current prices, and Real GDP, which adjusts for inflation to enable meaningful comparisons over time. While the GDP growth rate usually refers to the latter, the size of the economy is expressed in terms of the former.


After an impressive GDP growth of 8.2 percent in FY 2023-24, India’s economy slowed to roughly 6 percent in the first half of the current fiscal year. Opposition parties have been quick to seize on the downturn, but the broader context is less grim. The OECD’s December 2024 outlook pegged global growth at 3.2 percent, with India projected to expand by 6.8 percent in FY 2024-25 - more than double the pace of developed economies, which are expected to grow at a mere 3 percent. By that measure, India’s resilience is undeniable.


Digging deeper into the components, Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) grew by 6.7 percent in the first half of FY 2024-25, bolstered by robust rural demand even as urban consumption softened. Meanwhile, Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF), which represents investment in fixed assets, expanded by 6.4 percent in the same period. However, GFCF growth faltered in the second quarter due to a slowdown in government capital expenditure and a cautious private sector wary of election-related uncertainty, geopolitical risks, excess industrial capacity, and the threat of cheap imports flooding the market. The tremors were felt in lacklustre corporate earnings, which in turn dragged down stock indices.


Government Final Consumption Expenditure (GFCE), after contracting in the first quarter, rebounded with 4.1 percent growth in the second. The election-induced slowdown in public spending was inevitable, as the Model Code of Conduct put a temporary freeze on policy decisions. By August 2024, with a new government in place and a fresh budget passed, the wheels of expenditure began turning again. Public investment, particularly in infrastructure, is a crucial driver of economic momentum, and its revival could well determine the trajectory of the coming quarters.


Trade figures presented a mixed picture. Merchandise exports grew a modest 1 percent, driven by non-oil shipments, while merchandise imports climbed 6.2 percent, with non-oil, non-gold/silver imports rising by 3.9 percent. A $0.5 billion current account surplus in Q1 turned into a $21.4 billion deficit by Q2, reflecting a widening trade imbalance that weighed on GDP growth.


The third quarter, however, was marked by a buoyant festive season and an uptick in government spending. Large capital-intensive firms saw their order books swell by 23 percent in FY 2024, far outpacing the compound annual growth rate of 5 percent seen in previous years. As these projects move from planning to execution, industrial activity is already showing signs of revival, setting the stage for stronger numbers in the second half of the fiscal year.


By sheer scale, the Indian economy remains formidable. In the first half of FY 2024-25, its nominal GDP stood at Rs. 153.91 lakh crores—approximately $1.8 trillion. Projections from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation estimate nominal GDP for the full fiscal year at Rs. 324.11 lakh crores, or roughly $3.8 trillion. Yet, for all the talk of economic milestones, the dream of a $5 trillion economy, championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remains just that - a dream, at least for now. Even breaching the $4 trillion mark by 2025 appears increasingly unlikely.


Beyond sheer numbers, the bigger challenge lies in India’s long-term goal: achieving ‘Vikasit Bharat’ - developed nation status by 2047. One benchmark for this transformation is a per capita GDP between $12,000 and $15,000. India’s current figure? $2,939 in FY 2025. To meet the 2047 target, annual growth must sustain a minimum 6.5 percent trajectory. So far, the economy is holding steady but will it be enough? The next wave of high-frequency indicators may provide the answer.


(The author is a Chartered Accountant and works at Authomotive Division of Mahindra and Mahindra Limited. Views personal.)

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