India is solidifying its position as the fastest-growing economy among the Group of 20 nations, surpassing China since 2015 with a boost from a financial industry that is winning the confidence of global investors. Financial markets can improve living standards by channelling savings, allocating credit and reducing the cost of producing and trading goods and services. In India, the financial …

On a recent trip to Shenzhen, in southern China, I came across a subway busker with two tip jars. The first was a cardboard box filled with coins and bills; the second was a small QR code taped to the box that allowed passersby to leave a tip by smartphone. On one level, this was simply smart business: Chinese made …

So far, Martin Schulz, the Social Democrat candidate for the German chancellorship, has failed to dent the formidable poll lead of Angela Merkel’s conservatives. But his latest attempt to prove that he can be a better leader for Germany is about more than politics: It touches on the country’s biggest non-problem — its allegedly crumbling infrastructure. Few English-language news outlets …