Ashwani Mahajan: Swadeshi Economics
National Co-Convener, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch
Writer and author, Ashwani Mahajan is the National Co-Convener of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). An Associate Professor at University of Delhi, Ashwini is also a Visiting Professor and research guide at Pacific University, Udaipur and Mewar University. He has represented SJM at ministerial conferences of World Trade Organization (WTO) held at Geneva, Bali and Nairobi. Besides the WTO, his interests include other international trade agreements. Ashwini is a proponent of protectionism for Indian industry and was opposed to the Narendra Modi government’s ordinance for amendments to the land acquisition law. He is also opposed to genetically modified seeds and foreign direct investment, especially in retail trade and e-Commerce.
Being a nationalist, he is an advocate of relaxation in capital adequacy cover for public sector banks and wants ownership of private banks to remain in Indian hands. He would like the Reserve bank of India to follow a policy of keeping the rupee-dollar exchange rate appreciated through market interventions.